The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-27
GRACE BROWN DIED OF BLOWS
STATE EXPERTS TESTIFY THAT
SHE WAS NOT DROWNED.
They Express the Belief That she WINS
Either Dead or Unconscious when Her
Body Entered the water BIO ClOt
on the Brnln-NO water I'm the Lungs.

50 ~RNF"
HERKIMER, Nov. 2e.-The first me deal
testimony in the case of Chester Gillette
was brought out to-day, and was in the
main decide dly favorable to the theory
81 the prosecution that Grace Brown was
cif Their dead OF unconscious when her body
was immersed in the water Of Big Moose
Lake. Two PHYSICIANS testified to their
belief in this supposition after having made
the autopsy and although DR.. A. o. Douglas
of Little Falls had to acknowledge that many
symptoms of drowning were present, he
stuck closely to his belief and would not
be shaken in it.
Il believe" he said, that this girl died
from shock or conclusion from blows on
the head before imme rsion, or, if death
did occur after imme rsion. her respiration
was SO feeble that water did not enter her
lungs and the symptoms of drowning were
lacking"
The other DR.. Douglas held the same
opinion, except that he gave drowning
as the conf ributory cause OF the girls
death, although he believes that the primary
oalse was injuries which Grace Brown
received before her body entered Big Moose
Lake.
The son. DIR. Z. H. Douglas, was put on the
stand this afternoon after his father had
been in the witness chair for nearly five
hours under sharp and cleverly conducted
cross-eXamination by former Senator Mills,
Gillette's senior counsel. After he had COR
roborated his father in describing the in
juries found on the girls body and had
agreed in his testimony hat the injuries
would be enough to cause at least partial
unconsciousness, before the girl went
into the water, the prosecutor gave the wit
ness the tennis racket in the brown canvas
case which figured so prominently through
out the trial.
Gould the injury found on the girl Is head
have been inflicted by this instrument7'
asked the prosecutor.
Yes, said the witness. Either with the
case on or with the case of, y and he swung
the exhibit through the air at the request of
the prosecutor to show how a blow could
nave been delivered which would infict the
injury already described.
The crowded court room, which had sat
half asleep all day while the long cross-ex-
animation of the first DR.. Douglas was pro-
ceeding, was on its feet in a minute and
staring c~uriously at the circles through
which DR.. Douglas swung the racket. II
was about the only excitement the specta-
tors had had all day, except for the first stir
which the description OF the injuries to
Grace Browns body had evoked.
DR.. A. o. Douglas testified hat he had
been present at the autopsy n had found
three distinct injuries under h left eye;
there was a discoloration Of the skin with
signs Of internal hemorrahage beneath
and CORE spending to the indications on
the surface. There was an injury to the
mouth and nose. The tip of the nose was
fattened, the lips were swollen and the
left middle tooth had beer loosened in it's
socket 80 that it overlapped the corre-
spending tooth on the right side. There
was an abrasion Of the mucous membrane
Of the mouth, which might have come from
the same thing that caused the loose tooth
and swollen lips. h chief injury, how
ever, was to the skull, although there had
been no bone fracture.
Three inches above the left ear, said
DR.. Douglas, we found an abrasion on the
scalp. Beneath it there had been hem
orrhages on the covering Of the skull
over an area Of about 5iI inches. The
covering Of the brain had been injured
and there was a blood clot on the brain
what would cause such an injury2'
asked the prosecutor,
Outside violence
would it be caused before or after
death?'
Before
.And what would be the result?'
-Insensibility, or, II there was no medical
attention, death
The witness testified that on examining
the other organs OF the body he had found
that the chest cavity contained a liquid
which he characterized as embalming
fluid, and that when the lungs were taken
out n put in water they Heated, a fact
which the witness said indicated that the
Hath &c che a,,hinrt Ind not haan OaIIaad
by drowning. In the stomach a small
quantity of water was found, a quantity
not large enough, the witness believed,
70 indicate death from drowning. The
ewes were ~bloodshot and there had been
hemorrhsges there also. The witness
said that in his opinion this also was caused
by external violence before death.
what would be the result Of such a con-
dition in = living. person.
Loss Of sight"
The suggestion was horrible enough
10 mako a great impression on the staring
audience.
DR.. A.. o. Douglas finished his direct
testimony before II O'Clock. From that
time until after 4 O'Clock this afternoon
he was on the stand submitting TO a most
rigid crcss-cxamination by Mr.. Mills, whose
study of the medico-legal end OF the case
had put him on a par with the expert wit
nesses On the stand. His manner OF asking
the questions, too, was very clever. and in
many instances made the witness answer
in a way which he apparently did not wish
10. He brought out at least four condi-
lions in the girls body which might be
taken as indications of drowning. The
swelling of the lips, he brought out, might
indicate death from drowning, as might
the bloodshot condition OF the eyes, an
unnaturally dark red color of the lungs
and a white, apparently hubby, fluid which
had been found in the bronchial tubes.
On redirect examination it was brought
out. however. that the color OF the lungs
might b. accounted for by the embalming
process and that a substance such as was
found in the girls bronchial tubes is also
found in bodies of persons who have met
death from other causes than drowning.
DR.. +. H. Douglas. who followed, went
further, saying positively that the discolor-
alton Of the lips. instead Of being an indica-
ton Of drowning. was caused by external
violence before deaL h.
In its crosse animation OF DR.. A. o. !
Douglas the defer ce tried to establish a
foundation for the contention that the
blood clot on the girls brain might have
been caused by the settling Of blood toward
the brain and it's decomposition there
after death. The questions asked by Mr..
Mills give a pretty good idea Of the medical
Ill