Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-21
Taking of Evidence For the
Defense In the Slifer Case
Resumed Today
STATES CASE is WEAKENED
Testimony of the Experts for the De-
Tense Almost FIatIy Contradicts
That of the Experts for the State
Chance That the Case May Be Con-
cIuded This Week.
,nenial to Times-Renl,blican.

Grundy Center, sept. 1I.- ne tah-
ling Of evidence for the defense was
lcontinued this forenoon. Three doctors
gave exnert testimony, the evidence of
DR.. Beary, of the university being re-
sumed this morning AMI in addition DR..
| Thieland and DR.. Findlayson being
called. The evidence was along the
same lines as that brought out yester-
day, mainly contradiction OF the eX-
pert evidence for the state. In this
espect, too, the defense was very sue
essful and brought out the statement
"A each case that in the opinion Of the
witness a person dying from chloroform
under the circumstances surrounding
the death of Mrs. Slifer indicated the
poison had been taken into the stomach
and not inhaled, as the state contends.
There is a probability now that the
case will be concluded this week, altho
it may take until Saturday to finish
up the evidence, which would probably
bring the case to a conclusion some
time early next week.
The testimony in detail:
Monday Morning.
Court resumed it's work this morning
by calling Miss Mason to the witness
stand and inQuiring into the substance
of her conversation with Mrs. katie
Slifer and her appearance upon this
occasion. Witness testified that Katie
appeared cheerful and perfectly natur-
al. No cross examinarIon.
Mrs. Tom Rodd recalled. Was at the
Sitter home on Monday, the day after
Katie died. I asked him to go and
see Katie and he would not go. Cross
examination developed nothing.
Tom Rodd, father of the dead woman,
called, Was at the Slifer home on the
day after Katie died. My wife asked
Willie if he would go and look at Katie
and he drew back and would not go.
The aged father broke down and wept
upon recalling this incident OF viewing
the remains of his dead child.
Mrs. Harve Hoffa recalled. l die
see anything unnatural or str;ir~e IN
the conduct or appearance OF Katie.
No cross examination.
Mrs. Clara Hoffa recalled. Saw my
sister last alive on Thursday night be-
fore her death. Talked with her In
church. I thought she was as happy
as ever saw her; was in a very cheer
full mood. No cross-examtnation.
Here the state asked that the jury be
allowed to examine the letters already
offered in evidence to compare with
exhibit "a" found on the dresser.
The court permitted them 50 to do
while occupying the jury box and about
twenty minutes was spent in the COM
PARSONS.
The state here rested it's case with
permission from the court to call one
more witness who was unable to be
The Defense.
The defense then began its evil
dence.
DR.. D. F. Fairchild, Of Des Motnes,
called. Have been a practicing physi-
clan two years; 1 am surgeon for the
Railway Company, the
Rock Island railway and special exam
Iner for two other railroad companies.
/ am somewhat acquainted with the
disease vitiligo. 1t is a skin disease
which affects the nerves and nervous
system.
assuming doctor, that Katie Slifer
was in sound health on December 10,
1903, and died that night from the use
of chloroform; vomit on the night dress
and bed clothes being found; the pa
tient lying on the left side dead two
hours after retiring, and upon a post
examination Of the internal or
gans, ten days later, traces of chloro-
form being found in the lungs and
brain, and no traces Of chloroform be-
ing found in the contents of the stom-
ach (being about two ounces of liquid),
the stomach contracted to about one
half its natural size how would you say
the chloroform had been administered?
by injection"
Do you consider, doctor, that the evil
dence obtainable by post mortem exam
nations Of subjects dying from the in
halation of chloroform is of any value?
No sir.
The above is the important part of the
doctors testimony and comprises the
bulk Of the doctors evidence.
In my opinion a non-expert could
not put sleeping individual under
the influence of chloroform without
awakening the person.
discrimination brought the wit
ness back to acknowledge the posi-
bility of a nom expert to administer
chloroform to soundly sleeping adult
without awakening, where the life
of the subject was not regarded,
The state brought to the notice of the
witness the case of the Baldwin muir
der case in kansas, where man,
Baldwin, was accused. tried, convicted
and condemned to death for the muir
der of his sister, by entering her Sleep
ing apartments chlorofornling and
dence of violence, the girl being found
in "a sleeping posture. with a napkin
over the nose and mouth and a pillow
over the napkin. Witness acknowledge
ed the possibility of such a murder
Z On redirect questioning witness
have a knowledge of how to administer
chloroform.
DR.. Beary. of Iowa City, called.
am a graduate of the Iowa university;
have been engaged in the practice of
medicine since. 1898; took two years OF
special study in Europe. Chloroform
was first used in 1916, as en- antiseptic.
The hypothetical question put to the
last witness as to the finding of a dead
body with all hitherto described sur
was asked the witness. and
be gave as his opinion that the chloro-