Bridgeton pioneer., 1905-01-12
BRIDGEToN N. j., THURSDAY. JANUARY r. 1905

A'hh was ooiuiHS out Ino gate When
she first saw him.
On cross examination she SAID her
sister Rebecca, who was with them.
was deaf and could not hear what was
said.
Dr. Hummill was called Said he
knew where Rasinger lived His
home was about a mile from his office.
Rasinger came for him Oct. 18 about
2 o'clock and wanted him to 60 to
his house as soon as he could. DIR.
Hummill said when he arrived there
he found the navises there. Went in
the house and Frank followed him in.
Found Mrs. Rasinger on the opposite
side OF the kitchen dead, lying with
her feet right under the ironing board
her head extending out, lying on her
back, the left arm up and extended
and the gun lying upon it, with the
muzzle extending about foot above
it. Her clothing was disarranged
abolt inches above her ankles. OBJ.
served the wound at the left breast.
Did not make critical examination of
it. The clothing around the wound
was burned by the powder and the
wound was just about filled with
blood. 1t was about an inch in di-
ameter. Did not touch the wound.
Told Rasinger it was "No case for
me, it is a case for the coroner. !"
Got In the wagon, drove home and
'phoned for the coroner The body
was not entirely cold. Went back TO
the Rasinger house and found the
Coroner and County Physician there.
Monday Afternoon.
DR.. Hummill resumed the stand
when Court convened after the noon
recess. He said when he returned
and found the Coroner and County
Physician there, the body was still in
the position when he first found it.
He said the Coroner questioned Ra-
singer, and asked him if they had had
any quarrel and he replied, "Not
lately" The Coroner took the gun
and the County Physician opened the
gun. There was an empty shell
in the left hand barrel. He afterward
assisted the County Physician in an
autopsy of the woman, which he de-
Jailed. Said he found two gunshot
wounds, in one of which was gun
wad. He described the courses of the
wounds as disclosed by the autopsy.
The lower wound was ~ inches from
the puper wound from outside mea-
sure. In the upper wound was picked
out lot of gun shot and three dis
tinct pieces of gun wadding. The
lower wound passed through the lower
portion of the stomach. It would not
have been instantaneously fatal. The
upper wound would be. DR.. Hummill
had diagram of the wounds which
he had made. He said he had taken
three gun wads from each wound.
Doctor, could it have been possible
for Mrs. Rasinger to have fired these
two shots at herself?" asked the Pros
ecutor.
cit could not.''
"Would it have been possible for
her to have fired the second shot after
having fired the first one?''
cit would not.
"Why not?'
''She would not have had strength
to raise herself after the first shot,
The doctor detailed some bruises on
the body.
Mr.. Iredell in his cross examination
endeavored to get the doctor to tell
him all about the ironing board, but
there was but little shown by this.
He said there were no bruises on the
head, resulting from fall.
"When did you discover there were
two wounds?''
Sat the autopsy
''Was the County Physician pres
ent?''
"He was.o
Would it be possible for either of
those shots to be fired while the body
was in an upright position
1T would.''
(Which one''
"The upper shot,
(which shot was fired with the gun
the nearest to the body?''
"The upper one, replied the physi-
clan.
In your opinion was the upper
wound the cause of death ?''
More so than the lower one.''
"Then if the upper wound caused
death, was the woman dead when the
lower shot was fired?''
II should say she was if the upper
one caused death.''
"Was there much blood in the
wound when the body was found?''
The whole abdominal cavity was
full of blood. She was lying on her
back. Found some pieces of clothing
in the abdominal cavity, but could