The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-01-19
DIR. A. BROWN

DR.. A. BROWN
practicing physician of Let's, Iowa
formerly of Leon, testified he had prac
! ticed % years and had considerable ex.
perlence in holding post lnortems. That
ne assisted at the post mortem on
| nrs. Charles Woodard. examined kid.
neys and found them in normal condi.
ton; the liver in healthy condition; the
| womb normal; not pregnant. There had
| not been recent abortion. There was
mo Indication Of any pus in the filopian
tubes. The stomach was tied and re-
moved and placed in jar and delivered
tit to coroner. There was hard sub
stance in the stomach which we took
tout and found it To be piece of meat or
grlstle and it was placed in the jar with
the stomach. The next day DR.. Layton
and took the stomach to Des Moines
and turned it over to DR.. Kcnney at
Drake University. When the stomach
was opened there were several other
pieces OF similar gristle found in the
lstomacll. Like the other expert wit
nesses C. nsiderable time was spent in
cross examinations as to technical terms,
etc., which was all Greek to the most of
the people in the court room.
DIR. Ell. r. LAYTON
again called said he held coroner's in
quest on the body of Mrs. Chas. Wood
lard on December 16, 1908. At the in
quest he heard Charlie Woodard testify
that his wife had been taking medicine.
He first said he brought it from home
with him and then said he didn't briag
it. That when he went back to the
house that evening he got the bottle
and wrapped it in some of the children's
clothes and that it slipped ont and fell
on the ground between the house and
woodpile. The witness with DR.. Brown.
Lutte Brown and one or two others made
thorough search all around Woodard's s
home that evening but could find no
pieces of the bottle or indications Of
where it had been broken. At the in
quest when he asked Woodland about
the breaking of the bottle he said it
broke into small pieces, even to the
neck, and when he asked him if the
label broke too he said he guessed not.
Defendant at the inquest rearesl ans
concerned in regard to the death OF his
wife. DIR. Layton told of the removing
of the stomach at the post mortem, that
it was placed in fruit Jar and he
brought it with him to Leon where it
was kept at his Office until the next day
when it was taken to Des Moines and
delivered to Prof. Kenney, of Drake
University, for analysis and was present
when it was cut open. 1t contained
'some, semi-solid food and several pieces
of gristle or meat which were similar to
the piece which was removed from
the stomach at the post mortem. Did
not know where the fruit jar came from
in which the stomach was placed when
first removed, but it was washed out
clean.
DIR. B. L. EIKER
recalled, said the medicine he furnished
Charley Woodland was dark brown.
Thought it would have oolored the
snow if it had been spilled.
DIR. C. NJ. KENNEY
who made the analysis of the stomach
and contents was then called to the
stand. He testified he was SO years old,
held the position of Professor of Chem
istry at Drake University, Des Moines,
and was also chemist for the state board
OF health. Had been practicing chemis-
try for more than fifteen years and had
spent twelve years in study at Yale Col
lege, the University of Chicago and
Drake University. At Yale he studied
poisons under DR.. Chittenden. That the
stomach of Mrs. Charles Woodland was
brought to him for analysis on Decem-
Der II, 1908, by Drs. Layton and Brown
in sealed glass jar. Upon examination
he found the stomach perfectally normal
and contained about pint of material
there were some pieces of undigested
meat and gristle, the balance being
partially digested food. In the jal
with the stomach there was piece
of gristle which was the same as
other pieces in the stomach. Upor
making a chemical analysis he found
strychnine in the walls of the stomach
and also in the contents of the stomach
He described in detail the method useo
liz making the analysis, telling of the
Iacids and other tests and processes
used to extract the strychnine as wei
as the tests to prove that it was strych
nine. That he found five-tenths of &
grain of strychnine in the stomach anc
three-tenths of a grain in the walls o
4 the stomach, making a total Of four