The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-04

OF the Perkins -AnalysisCommissio
The physicians appointed by the fed
eral court in Topeka as an expert COM
mission to ascertain whether L. H
Perkins, who fell from the roof of his
nome in Lawrence, Kansas four
months ago, had taken poison, have
had their final joint consultation and
the report to the federal court will be
made today.
DR.. Walter M. Cross. city chemist of
Kansas City, and one of the experts of
the commission, said last night:
Saturday night washed up all of
my beakers and test tubes which have
been used in the examination of Per-
kfns' stomach. This morning had my
last consultation with Drs. Frank Hall
and J. w. Freeman, during which [
gave them a detailed report of my find
ings. At that consultation the an,
swers to the questions propounded by
the federal court there were four OF
them, were put down in writing and
We're explicit in every detail. They
We're mailed to the court today
When asked concerning his findings
as to the contents of the stomach. he
answered very cautiously. st want it
understood that know nothing about
the rest of the case before I say any
thing further. Nothing which 1 say
now can have any bearing on what the
result of the Investigations as to VIII eth
er or not the Perkins family will get
the full amount of insurance. 1t is
merely Just plain bare fact. 2s'
He Found Morphine
When my examination was COM
pleted l found morphine in the stom-
ach and in the urine. The amount I
iound was enough to Kill man. The
1act that 1t was in the urine is absolute
PROOF that the morphine was taken into
the system before, death. How long
before it Is impossible to state do
not want to be quoted ais saying that
Mr.. Perkins died from an overdose Of
morphine. That Is for the court to
determine after it has fead-our report.
But the morphine was present 1t was
the only drug or poison which cc%id
find during my analysis of the stomach
and 1t was, as said, in sufficient GUAM
tity to kill person.
When asked whether there were
any physical conditions apparent
which would have indicated violent
death, he said that he was not sure
but that the doctors had found one in
jury which might have been the cause
of his death, and which was made by
his fall from the roof
But he said, that injury was
not about the head. On examining
the brain cerebral concussion was
found This led some of the doctors
to believe that the fall had killed
Perkins, but that belief was short
lived. If a man wants to commit sui
eide and have the world believe that
his death was due to an accident, let
him fill himself full of morphine and
climb to the top of some high build
ing.
LET him stand near the edge of the
building and hold on to himself as
long as he can. When the morphine
gets in its work he Will. lose con-
seriousness, and the doctors will de-
clare his death due to a conclusion of
the brain, even though he has not
struck his head.
ITO doctors we'll versed in the ef-
fects of morphine upon the brain, I'M
stances, it is known that the NOR
phine acts upon the brain just in the
same way as does a severe blow upon
the skull. 1t produces cerebral con-
cussion and ninety-nine times out of
a hundred, under circumstances sim
liar to those in this Perkins case the
doctors would call the conclusion one
caused by heavy fall upon the head.
''In this case 1 do not believe that
the conclusion of the brain was
caused in any other than an over
dose of morphine. During my analysis
of the stomach 1 have taken every
precaution known to me to let nothing
escape my notice, and I would like to
say in this connection that feel very
grateful to the court for the appoint
ment, and consider 1t an honor to
have served in this case"
DIR. Cross received the stomach for
analysis on the 18th of September
and has been busy working over 1t
every day since it's arrival. He thinks
that the federal court attaches much
importance upon the outcome of his
examination because of the heavy ex-
pense TO which it has been put to
make the analysis the most exhaus-
tive.
Perkins a drug fiend? This it is said
will be the defense which attorneys for
the Perkins estate will now present to
the court to establish the raison d.
etre for the finding of the morphine
In the previous hearings that have
been had in connection with the case
in Topeka 1t was alleged that Perkins
gave an excuse to the druggist from