Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-17
WRITING EXPERTS
ON STAND TODAY
States Case Is Considerably
Strengthened by Testimony
as to Slifer's Handwriting
SUICIDE NOTE in EVIDENCE
compared With the Defendants Hand
writing and That of the Deceased
Woman, Witnesses Were of Opinion
Nlt Was Written by slfer-Testimony
N Detail.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to imes-Republican.
Grundy Center, Sept. 1.-THE hand
writing experts were on the stand IN
The Sitter murder case today. Several
different witnesses were examined and
specimens of the writing of both de-
PENDANT and his deceased wife were
submitted. The opinion of all was that
the note found on the dresser was in
the handwriting of the defendant and
did not resemble that Of the dead wo-
man. DR.. Powers was also on the
stand and his evidence was very IA
vorable to the state, as concerned the
effect of chloroform poisoning when
taken into the stomach.
Mildred Lamb, a teacher who hac
corresponded with Mrs. Slifer in her
lifetime was on the stand. She iden-
titled letters written to her by Mrs.
Slifer and in comparing them with the
note found on the dresser gave it as
..vr opinion that the note was not writ
ten by Mrs. Slifer. Orville Kline, OF
Toledo, Ia, presented a letter which
the defendant had written him. His
opinion was that the handwriting or
the defendant resembled that of the
note found upon the dresser. State
Bank Examiner Buchan and Assistant
Cashier Cole of the Des Moines Saw
1ngs bank were also witnesses as
handwriting experts Their evidences
was favorable to the state. The az
tendance was very large today, many
taking the opportunity to come TO
Grundy Center to do their Saturday
trading, and at the same time attene
the trial. Court adjourned about
O'clock until 8 o'clock Monday. FRI
days testimony in detail follows:
Testimony Friday.
Court resumed it's work on the Slifer
murder case with DR.. Guthrie on the
stand, and began with cross xamina-
ton of witness. The defense proceed
ed to draw out of the witness the fact
of the impossibility of non-expert
to administer chlcrofornl to a sleeping
person without awakening him. Wit
ness testified that it would be difficult,
but not impossible and such attempt by
q nom expert would endanger the life
of the patient. Standard authority is
taken as giving it as next to impossible
ito give chloroforn to sleeping per-
son without awakening him.
Redirect questioning of the witness
by the state brought out the dangers
Of the attempt to administer chloro-
form to sleeping person, and gave
as reason why such attempts are not
successful without awakening, the
extreme care necessary to avoid TAX
ing the life of the patient.
For two hours the witness was piled
with scientific questions, pertaining 60
the action of cl1loroform upon the hui
man system and the different internal
organs of the body
DR.. Schooier.
DR.. Schooler. of Des Moines, testi-
fies that chloroform taken into the
stomach, would leave visible traces of
its presence on the inside walls and
tissues of the stomach. That it would
not be possible We're an ounce or two
ounces of chloroforn taken into the
stomach in liquid form ial1d death en-
suing in two hours) for any evidence
Of its being taken into the stomach to
be found on the outside of the stom-
ach.
Cross-exarnination was tedious and
the defense seems to have gained
nothing from the testimony of the
witness.
Friday Afternoon.
Court resumed its work in the at
ternoon by recalling DR.. Butler.
DIR. Butler, did you make any exam
tnation of the throat and passage to
the stomach? Yes. I examined the
throat and found no evidence of any
irritant being taken down the throat.
Cross brought out
nothing.
DIR. Conner recalled.
/ examined the mouth and throat of
deceased at the time of the inquest
and found is normal. Also examined
throat and esophagus at post mortem
and found it normal. Also examined
an irTitant being taken down the
throat.
On cross examination Of witness de-
tense tried hard to bring out the idea
that chloroform to the amount of
IL ounces, taken down the throat,
would not leave any traces of it's pas
sage down the throat, after ten days
had elapsed, but failed
Hypothetical Questions.
DR.. Echooler was here recalled and
this question propounded:'
DR.. Schooler, assuming you had a |
subject, a young lady of 81 years. in
GOOD health, who had taken ride of |
thirty-five or forty miles on a moder-
ately cold winters day, returning home |
and retiring after 8 o'clock, and you
found her two hours later lying in
he'd cold. and vomit to the amount of |
a quart or more, the vomit being found |
on the arm, chin and shoulder, the pa
tient lying on her side in a position |
of perfect repose, and upon the autop-
sy of the body, ten days later, no traces
OF an irritant being taken down the
throat into the stomach could be
found, it being conceded that she met
her death by the Introduction of 13a |
or ounces of chloroforn,. taken into
the system, how would you say the |
chloroform had been I'd ministered? |
BY inhalation.
Cross examination did not change
the evidence.
DR.. Linn was also recalled, and asked |
the same question, giving the same an
swer.
DR.. o. ]. Fay, of Des Moines. called
witness testified as to having an ex-
tensive experience in the administra-
ton of chiorotorm, having probably
fifty patients q week for one year in his
hospital. Il think that chloform could
be administered to soundly sleeping
adult without awaksnipg them" The