The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-26
Thinks Caesar Young Did Not
Commit Suicide
He PERFORMED THE AUTOPSY
Nan Patterson Discards the Mourning
Costume She Has Hitherto Worn
In White-Mr. Rand
Gets Facetious.

New York. April 25.-Perhaps the most
interesting development In the testimony
of today in the trial of Nan Patterson,
charged with the murder of Caesar
Young, came when Coroner Physician
O'Hanlon took the witness stand for the
prosecution and said in reply to ques-
tions that ne had changed his opinion
that Young had committed suicide.
Dr. O'Hanlon performed the autopsy
on Youngs body In his testimony to-
day he said:
my present opinion is not the opinion
l formerly expressed to Coroner Brown" "
The counsel for the defense, Lawyer
Levy, asked the doctor;
Did you report this case to Coroner
Brown as one of suicideg''
When DR.. O'Hanlon replied in the af-
firmative, Mr.. Levy asked:
DO you now say that in your best
judgment it is case of suicide?"
mo, l won't. say that"
did you say so once?" he was asked.
q did, but l think now it Is a case
for the jury to decide. l thought at the
time that l detec d powder marks on
the hands of Caesar Young"
Assistant District Attorney Rand then
produced the official report of DIR. oHan-
lon which did not define the case as one
of suicide. and the doctor said that he
simply expressed the suicide opinion in
conversation with Coroner Brown
Has Changed His Opinion.
After further questioning Mr.. Rand
asked the witness if he stiIl held the
same opinion that he expressed to Coro-
ner Brown, and Dr. 0'Hanlon replied:
Il will OF say this, my opinion now
is not what II was when l talked to
Coroner Brown.
This incident came at the close of the
days proceedings in the trial.
When court opened Miss Patterson ap-
peared in a black and white checked
dress, in direct contrast to the mourn
ing costume which she has worn dur
ing days of this and previous trials.
At todays hearing Police Captain
Sweeny told of a conversation had with
Miss Patterson soon after her arrest in
which she said she had put her hand
in Young pocket after the shot had
been fred had looked at the revolver and
then dropped it back In the pocket.
Could Not Assume Position.
After DIR. Riggan had indicated on the
stand the course of the bullet which killed
Young, Mr.. Levy, counsel for the prison.
er, asked that he illustrate the position
in which the revolver must have been
held to produce the wound. Il could not
not do it at the point l have indicated" !"
the witness replied because l could not
iuf int "A
While Mr.. Levy was questioning Dr..
Riggan, Assistant District Attorney Rand
held the revolver with the muzzle turned
toward his own right breast, and snapped
the trigger time after time.
Mr.. Levy questioned the witness close
ly about the skeleton which was used in
the illustrations and drew from him adj
missions that 1t was considerably smaller
than the frame of Young, and that he
was not sure it was made up of bones of
one person or even that the bones of two
sexes had not been used.
He could not be positive that the fourth
dorsal vertebrae came from a human be-
ing.
could you tell whether it came from a
man with red hair and with teeth flled?"
broke in Mr. Rand.
This interjection caused Mr., Levy to
complain bitterly to Recorder Goff. He
asked that the prosecuting attorney be
suppressed saying:
II wish this supercilious individual
would try to be a gentleman"
The trial will be continued tomorrow.
Wants indictments Dismissed.
Counsel for j. Morgan Smith and his
wife served notice today on District At
torney Jerome that he will make motion
tomorrow before Judge Foster in general
sessions for the dismissal of the indict-
I. ments against his clients In his affidavit
\ the lawyer says that there is no evidence
to show that his clients eonspired against
Caesar Young in any way; that the evil
dence of Strene. the pawnbroker does
not in any way connect him with the
case: that most II not. all of the evidence
given before the grand jury was In re-
sponse to leading questions and was real
" the testimony of Assistant District At
torney Rand and not the witnesses, and
that 1t would not be admitted in any
court