The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-10-17
AN INGENIOUS SUGGESTION
The Questions by which n Young
Lawyer Won His Case.

AT the Metropolitan club in Washing
the value of expert medical testimony
when a well known criminal lawyer
was reminded of n curious case In
Richmond some years ago.
"At that time said the lawyer,
about the most prominent physician
in the community was an exceptionally
learned and able medico whose name
for obvious reasons | cannot give. For
the purposes of this story it will suf-
flee to refer to him as DR.. Morgan.
Now, DIR. Morgan one morning re-
ceived Il visit from Il young friend,
very recently entered upon his practice
before the bar of Richmond, who had
just been retained in his first important
ease. Naturally he was very anxious
to win in his maiden effort, and it was
case that he sought the advice Of his
old friend the doctor.
The young lawyer explained to the
doctor that he vas greatly p%erplexed.
1t was Il poisoning case, and the youth
full attorney had been retained TO de
fend the prisoner, a young oma Of
whose innocence he had no doubt. 1t
was, however, the lawyer explained,
not an easy thing to prove the girl
guiltless of the crime.
IAN intelligent motive can easily be
assigned for the crime by the prosecu-
tion,' said the lawyer, for the reason
that her husband, the murdered man,
was elderly, rich and i'll tempered to IA
degree that made her life a burden.
Moreover, the wife Is the only heir.
Now, | have reliable information to the
effect that counsel on the other side
will offer medical testimony to show
arsenlcal poisoning
"'You say that you are positively
convinced of the young woman's inno-
cence?'
"'Posltlvely,' was the young lawyers
reply. The girl Is innocent, but the
evidence Is overwhelmingly in favor Of
the state. 1t will be easy to prove that
the pair lived unhapplly, that it was
al ullNOIlStIlul marriage anu THAI tnS
traces of arsenic were found in the old
mans body after a suspiclously sudden
death
"The case looked like Il bad me. DR..
Morgan was very quiet and thoughtful
for some moments. Then he said: The
medical experts will probably produce
in court the glass tubes containing the
drug. You must ask them whether
they tested the tubes for arsenic before
they experimental with the fluids
"I see the point eagerly interrupted
the youthful LAWYER. And if they
should admit that they neglected to
make that testT
"Thcn you will put your question
in this form: rs not arsenic used N
the manufacture OF s1Mi" kinds 81
glass?''
"The lawyer acted on the dOct rs
suggestion. The principal medical cX-
pert seemed taken by surprl - an |
finally admitted, after some Jcitul;
about the bush, that he had not t',,rl
the tubes for arsenic. He was also
induced to concede that arsenic va
sometimes used in certain kinds of
glass.
THE young counsel, having obtain
ed these two answers, was clever
enough to cease his cross examination
at that point.
"When he came to the summing up
Of the case he dwelt at length upon the
possibility that the arsenic had been
'sweated' out Of the glass and said
the neglect Of the experts to test the
tubes should certainly be considered
as vitlatlng to a large degree, II not
wholly, the medical testimony.
well, the young woman was nc.
quilted. As the other evidence was
purely circumstantial, the acquittinG
verdict vas given mainly because the
dangerous force of the medical testi-
mony had been weakened by the old
doctors ingenious suggestion."-New
York Herald.