Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-28
A BATTLE Of
1HE EXPERTS
The Blydenburgh Case May
Hinge on Testimony of the
Expert Physicians
MANY NOTED DOCTORS CALLED
Expert Evidence as to the Cause of
Mrs. BIydenbursh's Death Is Very
Contradictory Thus Far-Dsfenso
Places Number of Good Medical Men
On Stand.
Special TO Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Eldora, Jan. 2S.-The Blydenburgf
murder trial is developing into battle
| OF the experts, eight noted physicians
being here to testify in the case. some
| for the defense and others for the
state. 1t Is now believed that the case
will hinge largely upon the expert evil
dence on the question as to whether
or not Mrs. Blydenburgh died from ar
senical poisoning or uremic poisoning,
The entire session Of court today was
occupied by the defense in introducing
! the testimony of its experts and it is
| likely that most of tomorrow will be
occupied along the same line and the
state will offer the testimony OF several
| noted physicians in rebuttal.
The attorneys for the defense select
ed DR. Morse of Eldora. Pagleson and
Morton of Iowa Falls. Lewis, OF Alden.
Phelan and Fymington, of Ackley.
Clarke of Grinnell, and David, of Mar
shalltown, as experts to examine the
portions of Mrs. Blydenburgh's stom-
ach and to testify as to whetherS in
their opinion, death was caused by
arsenical poisoning.
The state selected DR.. Fairchild and
DIR. Hoffman, of Des Moines. in addi-
ton to those experts who have already
testified for the state 10 make SIM
liar examination. and will place these
may, M yhn ctond IN, rahf1tfa1
The defense this morning finished
examining DR.. Morse. of Eldora. and
Pagelson, of Iowa Falls, and DR.. Clarke,
of Grinnell Is now on the stand.
The testimony OF DR.. Morse fatty
contradicted the testimony of the
states experts offered the early part of
the week. He claimed to find no indi-
cations that the stomach OF the dead
woman had been affected. injured or
corroded in any manner and he dag
rosed the case as one of uremia and
not arsenical poisoning.
Dir. Pagelson also testified substar-
TALLY the same as Morse. but did not
state it was uremia that caused death.
DR.. Clarke said he had examined the
portions of the stomach and found no
Indications OF any corroding or other
injury to the internal wall. He said the
symptoms OF uremic poisoning were
quite similar to arsenical poisoning.
He said he did not believe 1t could be
told by chemical analysis whether ar
senic had been introduced into the
stomach before or after death after the
body had lain thirty days. AT a late
hour Dr. Clarke was still upon the
-. t.. 40 III hot
examination will not be finished much
before adjournment today.
Dr.. Morse's Testimony.
The defense examined but one Wit
ness yesterday in the Blydenburgh
case. That was n. c. Morse of this city
who attended Mrs. Blydenburgh dur
ing the last three days that she lived.
Al the beginning OF his testimony the
state objected to allowing the doctor
TO testify az to any personal trans
action or communication between himi
aelf and Mrs. Blydenburgh and parttc-
ularly to testify as to her conversation
that she had with him on the ground
that the law Of Iowa prohibits a ply
sician from testifying to anything that
his patient might tell him with refer
ence to the ailment with which she was
suffering. The witness being intro.
duced by the defense and Mrs. Blyden-
burgh being dead 1t was Insisted by
the state that the statute was SO
framed that the physician shall not
be allowed to testify" to any personal
or communication between
herself and her physician because the
statute is mandatory and the only way
that the testimony could be procured
was by the waving Of the privilege ny
the party herself. After some con-
siderable argument the evidence was
finally admitted. Judge Richards. how
ever. expressed himself as to the doubt
Of the ruling but preferred to give the
defendant the benefit OF the doubt. This
Is new and novel question in this
state, as It seems to have never been
passed upon directly by the supreme
court.
DR., Morse testified that when he
vas called on Wednesday before the
Friday that Mrs. .Biydenburgh diel.
hat she was vomiting: that she had
/ severe headache; had difficulty In
and that she was nervous and
axcitable and that he diagnosed her
case to be one of uremia. He pre-
,cribed for her subnitrate OF bismuti
md certain other remedies. He claimed
10 have made chemical analysis of the
,xcretions from the kidneys and found
.lbumen and what Is commonly called
,ube casts. which Is really certain
sells OF the kidneys. He also testified
hat he was present at and shortly
before her death and that everything
was done for her that could be done.
rhe doctor was not cross examined ani
Will not be until after he has inspected
he specimens which DR.. Vaughn has OF
he body Of Mrs. Blydenburgh. DIR.
Vaughn arrived last evening and tar
.aking OF testimony was resumed
again this morning.