The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-25
POINT IS GAINED
BY The DEFENSE
At Least, That Is View of COun-
sci for Thomas Vance,
Alleged Murderer.
DIR. ARCHIBALD A. KERR
AN IMPORTANT WITNESS
Sister of Dead Woman Also on
the Stand Again During
the Day.

The defense in the Vance murder
trial scored a distinct point Tuesday
afternoon when DR.. Archibald a, Kerr,
the physician who attended Mrs. Vance
after her illness and up TO the day Of
her death, and who was on the stand
as n state witness, admitted that sey.
cral kinds OF poison could have caused
the condition in which he found Mrs,
Vance; that Mrs. Ward, sister Of the
dead woman, was the first person to
state to him that she believed Mrs
Vance had been poisoned; that the
weakened condition Of the patient he
attributed to vomiting and purging, in
stead of the injury resultin~ from the
bruises alleged 10 have been inflicted
hv Thomas Vance, the husband, which
was in direct contradiction TO his
previous testimony; and, finally, that
the alleged bruises did not have any
thing TO do with the woman's death.
He had stated that, III his opinion,
death resulted from mercurial poison"
ing and the injury from the bruises,
but under the terrific cross-examlnatlon
20 which he was subjected by Judge
Maginuis. counsel for the defense, he
modified his statements gradually until
Mt last he admitted that Mrs Ward had
furnished him with an explanation OF
poisoning by supplying him with the bi'
chloride of mercury tablets.
One other witness introduced by The
prosecution, who did not help the
state S case, but rather hurt II In
material manner, was Mrs. Ward, sister
of the dead woman, who, when on the
stand Monday, showed such bitter am
mostly toward the prisoner that she
was soundly rebuked by counsel. Tues
day morning she was the first witness
called bv the state, and, under cross
examination, admitted that she hated
Vance. her former brother-in law. and
believed he deserved death. She said
she wanted the Jury TO give HIM what
he deserved, She made denial OF
the interviews published i'm local pa
pers as coming from her, and denied Ill
every detail that she had ever sent
letter To the Dcscrct News which was
published over her own signature.
Later she admitted that part OF the
letter might have been hers, although
she was not sure.
Denials Are Made,
Mrs. Ward denied that she had scold-
cd Lena Vance for saving on the stand
that her mother had threatened to Kill
herself. and denied that she had ever
rhidcd the girl for calling upon her
iatncr III the JAN, saying sbc Hab IpIu
the girl 10 90 If she wanted TO sac
appeared 20 take great delight in max
ing the statement that she had caused
Il warrant to be issued for Vance and
was instrumental in having him placed
behind the bars. \ smile oveTsprcpd
her face as she made the assertion and
she cast a contemptuous look at the
prisoner.
She admitted that she searched Mrs.
Vance s trunk after she died. She sad
she did not find the tablets. but that
Lena found bottle OF tablets ana
gave them TO her, and she in turn gave
ihem TO DR.. Kerr several months later.
She told neighbor she believed they
would clear Tom of poisoning
Mary. That was AL the medicine
found at that time, she said. bat she
admitted that she found some other
tablets AZ an earlier date.
':You were looking for poison to
convict Tom Vance, wercn' you9'
asked Judge Maginnis.
No, sir, | was not replied the
witness.
On redirect examination, Mrs. Ward
said Mrs. Vance was the first to tell
her she had been poisoned. She vas
then in ~. Mark S hospital. She al
mittcd that in the fall of 1907 sac
had urged Mrs. Vance 10 leave her
husband
Cross examined again. she was
asked: DO YOU remember Mrs. Vance
saving at your house that her health