Amador ledger., 1906-06-15
MRS. LEDOUX ON TRIAL.
Continued from page 4.

witness Tuesday, says the Stockton
Independent. He is the chemist who
made the chemical analysis of certain
portions of McVicar's body furnished
him by coroner Southworth at the
conclusion OF the autopsy held in the
city the night the mysterious trunk
was discovered at the Southern Pacific
depot. By series of scientific rea-
soning and analysis he was able to
definitely say to the court and jury
that A. N. McVicar came to his death
directly from the partaking of a
portion of morphine equivalent to
about five grains.
One of the interesting features of
the examination of the witness was
the presence of an improvised Iabora-
tory, which he was prepared to es-
tablish upon one of the tables used by
the attorneys. He carried with him
certain appliances used in making the
tests and experiments necessary to
explain, make clear and prove his
statements, and for over an hour held
the undivided attention not only of
the jury and other persons connected
with the case, but of the entire audi
ence filling every available space in
the courtroom. His chemical tests
and explanations were not only inter
est1ng but highly instructive.
The evidence of the chemist cover
ed wide field, much of it was general
while more of it was directed specifi
cally to the elements of what was at
issue before him. Professor Rogers
held that the body of A. N. McVicar
contained at the time of death about
5.6 grains of morphine, four or five
times more than enough to produce
death in the ordinary individual.
Such an estimate was based upon the
portions of morphine found in differ
ent organs of the body examined by
him for the drug. He said that upon
reaching distributing point NOR
phine or drugs of a similar nature
Immediately began the process OF
secretion, and through regular chan
nels reached all portions of the body
in more or less equal degree.
He claimed that morphine affected
various people in different ways. In
some 1t produced death in five tc
thirteen hours, while abnormal cases
are recorded where persons lived q
number of days before death. He
said that for most people one grain OF
the drug would result in death, while
it was almost universal that two
grains we're sure death. His practical
illustrations, called "color tests, ~
showed the effect of the smallest
quantity of the deadly drug upon
certain acids, dem monstrating a similar
effect upon the tissues and cells of a
human body.
The methods employed in examin-
ing and analyzing the organs for
poison were minuteIy described. He
said the chloral hydrate was found in
the organs of deceased along with
quantities OF morphine. From por-
tions of the pancreas, stomach, liver
and fluids submitted to him fo1
chemical analysis he secured 81 milo.
grams of morphine to the % pounds
of matter, while from the fluid taken
from the bladder he obtained milo
grams to the 1000 grains. The organs
were examined for opium poisoning,
but although morphine was an extract
from opium yet an acid found in NO
other drug was a distinguishing
feature, and consequently he examin-
ed for alkaloid morphine in some one
of its various forms.
The direct examination of Professor
Rogers was technical to the smallest
detail, but at the end only established
the one point, that poison was the
cause of death and that poison was
morphine.
The cross examination of DIR. S. E..
Latta by attorney FairalI was con-
cluded early in the morning, and
brought out no point other than that
the physician thought asphyxia had
much to do with McVicar's death.
He was again examined upon the five
Commissions or bruises found upon the
head of the deceased, and was unable
to qualify his statement as to how the
bruises were sustained, but was posi-
tive that they were ante-m ortem.
DR.. j. z. Hull, also one of the au-
topsy physicians, was sworn, and gave
testimony corroborating DR.. Latta.
He believed that about pint of
blood flowed from the body of Nc
Vicar while enclosed in the trunk and
before death. The witness said he
would be surprised to see blood flow
from the body after death, even if it
we're fluid.
On Wednesday the testimony got
down to the facts IN the case.
EXpressman Charles Barry, who
moved the trunk laden with the re-
mains of dead man from room 81 of
the California hotel to the baggage
room of the Southern Pacific, seemed
anxious to hurry through his testi-
mony. On Saturday, March "a, was
driving wagon for George o. Wilson,
having his stand near the corner
occupied by kosenbaum' store. He
first delivered the trunk to the Call