The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-08
AUTOPSY SHOWED
CLOTS ON BRAIN
Examination of Nails Body Revealed Bruises on
Body and Congestion Under Blows
On Skull.
THE EVIDENCE IN FULL

Ill EVEUkNVE EV I OLE h
The Body of Insane Patient Shown to
Have Borne The Marks of Many
Blows and Bruises. Several Blows
On the Head Evident i'm Addition to
The Cut First Noticed. These Head
and Body Blows Stated to Have
Been Caused by Blunt Instrume nj
The autopsy over the body OF
Ihos. III. Nall revealed bruises on
the body and skull not before
testified to. There were blood
clots on the brain. compression
from which is assigned as the
cause of death The cut on the
head and the bruises are attrib-
uted to blows with blunt in-
strument.
The stenographic report of the
Coroner's inquest in the case of the
insane man Thomas II. Nall who died
at the state Hospital under suspicious
circumstances and for whose death
four of the Hospital attendants are
now in Wake County Jail, was only
completed late yesterday afternoon
= While the testimony is very lengthy
and considerable portion thereof
has been heretofore fully reported,
stiU the Importance of the case and
the deep and Statewide interest 1t
has aroused are such as to entitle the
people TO full, fair and complete
report of all the, testimony on when
the charges against the accused men
are based.
Coroner r. NJ. Jordan. when seen
Yesterday and asked for Il statement
of his proceedings and that of the
jury since the beginning OF the 1nVeStl-
CATION, said:
Having begun this investigation on
last Friday, the evidence obtainable
at that time was given to the jury
and they adjourned to meet on Satur-
day at twelve o'clock. At that time
they held a secret session and de-
termined for themselves by resolution
that the coroner should proceed to
Chatham and employ the county ply
sician or some other reputable phySl-
clan. and hold a proper autopsy upon
the remains. The resolution was sub
mitted to the solicitor and county
attorney They directed him to pro-
ceed 10 carry out the wish of the jury
on Saturday afternoon / proceeded
20 Pittsboro, communicated with Dr
Taylor, the county physician by tele-
phone at Bynum, and made arrange
ments with him to meet me at Sandy
Branch Church. some fifteen miles
southwest of Pittsboro. on Sunday
morning ut ten O'Clock, where the
body of Thomas Nall was buried. and
the autopsy began under the shade OF
q tree in the cemetery. By the time
the external examination of the body
had been concluded n fearful thunder
cloud came over that section and We
were obliged to remove the corpse tC
the school house. where we completed
the investigations.
''The corpse having been reinterred
and as / though al the time. to re-
main so. | returned TO Raleigh, bring
ing the report of the autopsy. Soil
citor Jones being out of town. l laid
the matter before the county attorney
The result of the autopsy presented sc
many serious phases that he was inn
pressed with the great necessity OF
proceeding i'm strict accordance with
the law. He requested that con
suit Solicitor Jones by telephone a.
Lillington in regard TO the matter
which I did. giving him to under
stand the result of the autopsy. anC
was advised by him to so and brine
the remains To Raleigh and begin the
investigation in strict accordance witt
the law
II left here at three o'clock or
Tuesday morning, proceeding to Bear
Creek and visited the father of Mr.
Nall very old and feeble one-leggeC
RX-COnfp6ar TO /
tanned his permission to disinter the
remains Of Thomas Nall and bring
them to Raleigh. He cautioned me
Mt the same time not to allow the
purpose of my mission to be made
known to his wife. who was not fal
away. saying that she was not cog.
infant OF anything that had trans
Dired since the death of her son, and
had been IN such a nervous state. be-
ing scarcely able to take food, thai
he feared the consequences if the
facts were made known to her. / pro-
cured help. hard the body disinterred
and arrived here with the remains
about two O'Clock Wednesday morn
inc, previous arrangements having
been made with Undertaken Strickland
to meet the remains and take charge
of them at the depot
"At ten O'Clock Wednesday mornins
resummoned my jury and empan.
elled them over the remains. and DR.
j. n. Taylor proceeded again with his
autopsy in the presence of the Jury
Afterwards the hearing was continued
in the office of the undertaking estab-
lishment. where DR. Tavlor proceeded
to explain to the jury the meaning OF
his autopsy. Mr.. j. A. Moody. who
received the remains when sent from
the hospital to Chatham and buried
them. and who disinterred them or
Sunday and re-buried them and dis
Inferred them again on Tuesday morn
ing, was brought to Raleigh by tn,