The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-11-29
BLOWS CAUSED DEATH
Doctors Testify That Grace Brown
Was Dead When Cast Into Lake.
FOUND BLOOD cLoT ON eRA!r'

Physicians Who Made Autopsy Said
GilIette's Racquet Might Have In
ficted Woun6s-Their Testimony
Unshaken.
Hcrkimer. n. Y, Nov. 1.-TWO ply
sicians who were present at the au-
lopsv held on Grace Browns body VIEW
on the stand at the Gillette murder TIL
Al and testified that the girl received
blows before entering the water that
were sufficient To cause death ana
which. in their opinion. did cause death
n this case.
These physicians DR.. \. o. Douglas
and DR. f.. II. Douglas both OF lilil"
Falls. but not relatives. declared under
oath that Grace Brown was not drown
a. 1t was their opinion that she dlcA
rom blows which killed or rendered
b,r unconscious before her body was
lropped into Big Moose lake. They
declared that there was not enough
water in the lungs Of the body to wa'-
rant a theory of drowning.
The substance of their testimony.
which occupied the entire day was lhat
Grace Brown received one blow tha'
.at her upper lip and loOscned tooth.
that another blow discolored her cheek
,ud rupurcd a blood vessel. ana 'hAl
Il third and more severe blow ON the
,cnlp caused a blood clOt ON the BRAIN.
The blood clot ON the brain. the ply
.i,ians swore. was sufficient in itself io
have caused death.
Former Senator Mills. Gillette's sen
ior counsel. conducted the cross-eNaml-
nation. He spent several hours IN an
Effort 10 shake the testimony of Those
witnesses and while he succeeded IN
confusine mr.. A. O Doueiass some
what Mother of the physicians with
drew their opinion that Grace Brown
was killed or rendered unconscious be-
fore She was Immersed in the waters
Of Big Moose lake
The theory advanced by the defense
was that the blows could have been
administered after DEATH and the lin"
of questioning indicated a contention
that the girl in drowning rose 10 Oh"
surface of the water three times. and
each time struck the overturned skin
and received the injuries in question.
Dr. Z. II. Douglas proved a stron'
witness and his testimony was unshak.
en-. When he FIRST took the stand he
was asked 10 describe the injuries he
found on Grace Browns body at tho
autopsy.
There was confusion OF the le;t
cheek. the left eye was discolored thu
nose was swollen. and ON the right
side OF the head there was confusion
such as could not have been caused
after death ne said.
lis it possible 20 distinguish marks
on a body as to whether they are in
nicted by mechanical force before or
after death?" asked the. district alter
ney.
1T is" was the reply.
The witness swore that ecchymotic
condition. such as was found in Grace
Browns skull could not result from
q blow received after death.
When l find swelling at the place
where a blood vessel IS ruptured. |
should say that the injury occurred be-
fore death" said the witness.
rs it easy to te.l?'
at IS"
could You swear that these inju-
ries were inflicted before the death OF
the subject
81 could"
by mechanical force?"
"They We're
Here DR.. Douglas ives handed Gil
lettes tennis racquet and asked if Oh"
injuries he found could have been pro-
duced by that
4 dramatic moment ensued as DE
swung the racquet in the air expert
mentally.
THE injuries could have produced
by this weapon. using either end he
said
DR.. Douglas said that the blood clot
on the brain was as large as lO-cent
piece and that il was caused by eXter-
nal violence before death. Or. Doug
las further said that in his opinion,
such a blood clot would cause death
although there were cases where per
cons recovered from severe cOntusions
On cross-examinati0n. the doctor IL
sisted that the girl did not meet death
by drowning, except as a contributory
cause.