Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-04
ACQUlTTAL Is PREDICTED
Frequent Attacks of Illness Described
by Dead Mans Friends.
DOCTOR SAID TO BE SOBER
Trial May Go Over to Next Week.
Evidence Submitted Regarding
Exhuming of Stomach.
sneclsI ni.natch To- The Star.

Tense of Br. Row. and and his widow-hride
really began this morning. when the su-
peror court convened after the state had
rested half hour before adjournm nj last
evening. The case can hard be concluded
by Saturday night. even though Judge Long
orders night session of the court to-
night and tomorrow night.
The evidence today began with reading
OF the F-stne1 affidavit. which was con-
Guided and which bore. upon the knowl-
edge Of The maker. letter carrier in Mem
phls. of attacks of Illness which Engineer
Strange had there believed to be heart
trouble Mrs. c. A WaldrOn of Ports
mouth. Va was the next witness. She
said she had boarded Strange at her house
She knew he took digitaiis. and he had
told her OF attacks of illness he had had be
fore coming to her house.
She declared the man who came to her
house to visit Mr.. and Mrs. Strange. and
whom both entertained, and who, 1t has
been said. was DIT Rowland. was not DR..
Rowland at all. Mrs. WaldFon SAID her
own husband died of heart disease, ana
that he used to take digitll's. and that IS
why she felt alarmed when she learned
Strange took disitalis.
Druggist Sold Digitalis.
A deposition of W J. Joyner. a Ports
mouth. Va. druggist. was read in which
Strange. the dead engineer that was made
out in Memphis. The prescription called
for diffusion of digitalis. was filled May 30,
1905 and after that at least once and per
haps oftener. Undertaken Brown of Raj
egh swore the funeral was held next day.
instead Of being put off till Monday, on his
advice. the body was not emhalmed
There nothing unnatural about the
body
j. NJ Cox and others, who lived near
Pilot cotton mills. in a section of the city
to reach which ii would be necessary 10 so
near the Saaboard depot and employees
quarters, where Strange and other engl-
neers reside. testified Dr. Rowland attend
ed sick people in their families in January,
1927. and later this year.
G- u. Page gave like testimony. Rowland
attending his family in that vicinity in the
winter of l!SD6-uT. So did James Boykin.
Say Doctor Was Sober
f. Lane insurance collector had bus
ness often at Pilot mills, and frequently
saw Dr. Rowland there attending patients
Some important information came out
when the next witness was placed on the
stand The state had attempted to show
that Dr.. Rowland was drunk the day
Strange died tApril 6 lasU. and some fem ale
witnesses gave testimony about his drink
ing" they thought-at least. they smelIed
whisky on his breath. etc.
Today +. NJ. Mcdonald. chief engineer at
Pilot Mills swore that he had a business
TRANSACTION with -Dr. Rowland April Is, dur
ing the evening, and that Rowland was
sober then, and that he paid Rowland 81 OH
account. b. b. Privett. assistant super
frtendent here of the Virginia Life Insur-
anCe Company, said lie saw DIR. Rowland
the afternoon of April 6. and he was Ger
tain.y sober when ne saw him. He knew il
was April because he got a receipt from
Rowland and he looked at il since and il
Is dated April g.
Charles Jones testified he was treated by
Dr- Rowland April d. in the doctors office,
ard the latter was not drunk then. This
closed the important evidence TO noon.
Court viii adjourn till 2:3G. and after
noon and probably night session will be
held.
Acquittal Predicted
AT the after..oon session of court. DIR. Nc
Gee. county physician. testified to exhum-
Ing the body OF Engineer Stranga, and to
assisting III taking out the stomach. There
was nothing unusual observed about the
body.
Dr. l. b Young testified to effects of
aoonltjne H. had used it in his practice
for a number of years and knew other
doctors who use II. Did not use crystalline
acon!tine hypOdermicaly. When bought i'll
bulk IL was usually to use in Ointmsnts.
AcOnitine was used hypOdermically some
times. This evidence was regarded i'm
portant. and the state attempted to weaken
II by rigid cross-examination.
u u f-IlllSlON. 4 ufuS clerk AT IL. L.
Hicks, swOre this afternoon that DR. Row
land purchased aconitine from hin, "a the
Hicks Drug Company store.
Because OF testimony this afternoon it is
being freely, predicted the jury will readily
acquit DR. Rowland and probably Mrs.
Rowland also.
Value of the Strange Estate.
1t was shown in the course of the ex-
animation yesterday. at the fourth day of
al
had taken out papers as administrator
and valued the estate at 81. 40.
Rowland listed for taxation last wear to
the amount of S4O5.
BOOkkeeper Allison of the drug company
through which the acouitine was ordered by
Rowland, said the charge for this drug
the only one against Rowland on the
books. The order was made through DIR.
Fisher. now in Richmond. Va. The de
feHsc contended against the admission of
this.
Or. A W Knox. expert. said aconltfne
was So extremely deadly drug that neither
he nor any doctor he knew ever used It. 1t
Is dangerous even in Salves. When Knox
was asked II az thought Strange could have
died Of heart disease, he said IL was not
probable If he had had only one attack
Crhe defense asserted that he had an attack
two years ago.
Bill for Aconite Sent Rowland
Clerk Allison was recalled and said he
had asked Fisher last July il he would
come TO Raleigh and testify. Fisher had
refused. The defense here contented that
Tn: state had never tried to bring Fisher
hsre
Allison read the bill sent DR.. Rowland
for the aeonitne including the cost of the
telegram ordering 1t. and said IL was
Charged To him April A. the druggists tele-
gram being to Marsh & Co. New York for
fifteen grains of potent crystals of aconi-
tine. He said a wholesaler would sell any
amount of aconitne In reason but would
not say wholesale company would sell
less than fifteen grains.
The defense moved to strike out all of
Allison's evidence but this objection was
overruled by Judge Long. The defense ex-
cepted.
The register of the Monticello Hotel at
Norfolk for May IA last was put in evil
dence. in IL being the names of ID. S. Row
land and wife. Raleigh. n c." in Row
lands writing. Mrs. Rowland at this point
became nervous. She repeatedly clasped
Drug Clerk Parker OF Raleigh said 100
prescriptions had been filed for Rowland In
July last year. this being brought out by
the defense to show Rowland was here
when IL was asserted he was In the surf at
Ocean View. Va. with Mrs Strange.