The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-26

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The state rested its case at 4:20
o'clock Wednesday afternoon in the
trial of Thomas Vance, charged with
the murder of his wife, but not before
some evidence mad been presented by
Mrs. Amanda Ward and Mrs Wunder.
llch of damage to the prosecution g
case. At the conclusion OF the states
case District Attorney Loofbourow an
nounced that the prosecution would rest
its case on the third count Of the in
dictment that which alleges death By
boating, bruising and poison. The first
count alleged that death was the result
Of poison alone, while the second count
alleged death due to beating aud bruis
ing. The standing on this count was
strenuously objected to by Judge Ma
ginpis, and Judge George G. Armstrong,
before whom the case is being tried,
will render a decision in the matter az
the opening Of court Friday morning.
Mrs. Ward Testifcs.
The FIRST witness called 10 the stand
Wednesday morning was Mrs. Amanda
Ward, who has made number of ap-
pearances IN the role of witness for
the state. She admitted. under the
cross fire OF Judge Maginnis. that she
knew the pills contained IN the bottle
which she gave DR.. Kerr had been TAX.
en- by Mrs. Vance % cause an abortion
"Mrs. Vance had been bearing children
SO frequently she said q that she
RI 70 h.=- l. Ill
been taken by her, she understanding
they would prevent child bearing.
Asked who first told her Mrs. Vance
was taking these pills for shis purpose.
she said she first learned 1T from tho
lips of Mrs. Vance herself. She said
she had begged Mrs. Vance not to take
any more as q miscarriage might prov Q
fatal, and would at least cause her un
bounded suffering. This was a point
scored in favor OF the defense
Mrs, Wunderlch, recalled, said she
had noticed no special odor arising
from the vomit Of the sick woman When
she called on her on November 2I She
was handed bottle containing oil OF
savine. and after smelling of this said
same upon the occasion about which
she had previously testified. She no
ticed that Mrs Vance was suffering
from swollen gums. which were sort
OF light blue, but that they grew dark
er toward evening. Her face was
white, as Of a sick person, and did not
take on blush tint while she was
with her. She was handed & bottle
containing oil of ergot, and recognized
the odor as similar TO that noted by her
when in the Vance house on the 2Tth.
She detected no odor of oil Of penny
royal.
Performed Autopsy.
DR. William r. Cslderwood, county
physician, told of performing the au
topsY upon Mrs. Vance on December s.
1907. He had found two bruises, one
as described by DR., Kerr, Tuesday, and
a second one, not mentioned by DR..
Kerr, although alleged to have been
found by him, on the right of the abdc-
men, He also found alterations on the
gums. lower part OF the tongue and
lips Uemorrhage conditions, caused, he
believed, by some irritant poison, were
found in the abdomen in the larger in
testine, small bowel, appendix and in
tho right lobe Of the brain. The heart
and lungs were normal. but the lining
of the small bowel had been stuffed
off little, although not enough TO
cause any particular trouble. In the
stomach he found q fluid similar to
milk, only thicker, bur there was abso-
mtely no odor of poison arising from
the stomach, Inc llNer Nas normal,
but the kidnevs were somewhat en-
largcd and palcr than when in normal
condition. The woman was not preE-
nant. nc declared. at the time she re-
ccivcd the bruises. He attributed the
condition of her mouth TO mcrcuTial
poisoning. He said that ergot was not
nm irritant poison but that it might
have caused the condition in which he
found the woman when performing the
autopsy, and might also have caused
excessive vomiting and the passing OF
blood
Under cross. examination, DIR. Calder
wood. who was the star witness of tho
entire case for the state. admitted that
any one of dozen kinds of poison
might have produced exactly the same
condition in which he found the wom
an. and the vomiting and other symp
toms which had been described during
The trial of the case He said that il
was not exactly M uncommon thing
for a person who had taken poison to
live for two weeks. and then die from
the effects OF the poison. He admitted,
however that 1T must be taken in Just
such an amount for this condition To
exist. After n person was dead in
case of this kind, he said no trnce OF
mercury need remain, IA IL. had been
absorbed into the systom, while the
greater part of il had been thrown off