The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-14
Which Hand?

notes before me.
 Which Hand?
 In the portion quoted above from the alleged statement of Doctor Bart lett appearing in your paper, the Doc tor does not state which hand he re- fers to by the words "the other hand" I take it. however, that he re- fers to the right hand, which is the only one mentioned either in his con- versation with MT Webb and myself or in his report to the coroner in con- nection with blood stains.
 In this connection in his report to the coroner. pages 2 and B. he says: "On the back of the index and middle fingers of the right hand was some dried blood. This was on the proximal phalanx of each finger"
 Doctor Bartlett stated to me that there was no blood on the right hand except a spot between the first and second fingers This spot was of dried blood and the doctor said that there was no appearances to indicate that it had been rubbed.
 With reference to the blood stains apparently emanating from the wound in the left ear, the doctor says In his report to the coroner at page 2.
 ssThere was some dried blood on the anterior surface of the ear, as well as back of it There was dried blood near the roots of the side whiskers or this left side, the upper ends of the whlsk- CTS being somewhat diffusely stained reddish"
 In my conversation with Doctor Bartlett he said that the blood had run down from the ear towards the front of the neck. The blood from the lobe of the ear to the chin line was a continuous line running down from the lobe. There was dried blood on the outer ends of the beard or whiskers and on the front of the neck within the area surrounded by two lines, one drawn from the top of the ear to the junction of the sternum and clavicle on the left and on the right by a line drawn from one-half an inch to the right of the middle of the chin to a point at the right clavicle one and a half inches to the right of its junction with the sternum. He also stated that there was no blood on the right side other than the blood on the chest which extended to the right of the median line. Taking these facts in connection with the position of the body as described by Doctor Bartlett i. e., lying on its back with the head turned to the right, and with descrip- tion of other witnesses (Aldis Hitler and Dr. Cheney to the effect that iAa "a that the side of the head which was uppermost was elevated about four inches above the chest and we have this line of blood following the nat ural channel which 1t would have fol- lowed as the man lay in that position while the blood ran down from the wound.
 Absence of Blood on Left Shoulder.
 It is we'll to note here the absence of any blood on the left shoulder, either on the body or on the under wear.
 The blood on the underwear as re- ported in detail and the blood stains on the socks, it is impossible to accur- ately guage the value of, in this case. unless we know when an examination was made of these stains.
 Doctor Bartlett stated to me that he removed the stockings at Burwell's un- dertaking rooms and then examined them for the first time. That no prior examination of them had been made.
 If the same be true of the examina- tion of the spots on the underwear, and the only testimony in the case or this point of which I am aware is that of Dr. Hawkes., who testified on the commission taken last spring in New Haven in which he states on the cross examination, after testifying at great length and in minute detail as to all the spots on the underwear. that his examination of the underwear was made on April 11th, 1907, the body having been found at the Hitler house on the morning of the third of Jan- uary, 1906, (Dr Hawkes. pp. 97S-9) then these stains on the underwear and socks are of no practical value whatever.
 Testimony of the Undertaken.
 In reaching this conclusion it is ne- cessary to consider the testimony of the undertaken, Robert N. Burwell in which he says, page SS6 of the testi- mony on the commission. that he was called to the Hitler house and remov- ed Mir. Edwards body. In doing this he says that he tied the body's hands with the handkerchief which was found in the bed with blood stains on it, tying the wrists together with this, rand carried the body downstairs and iput it in basket stating that the basket was somewhat in the shape of a coffin; then the body was placed in his undertaker's wagon and taken to 1866 Chapel street where 1t was again removed and placed on the operating table in his morgue Later in the af- ternoon Dr. Bartlett in his presence made an examination of the under clothing and stockings (Page SS7, Tes- timony on Commission).
 Dr. Hawkes. Evidence Regarding
 Blood Stains.
 If. as was stated by some of the wit nesses on the commission who were present at the Hitler house before the body was removed and during the ex- animation made by Doctor Cheney, who was the first doctor called, the wound was still oozing or dripping, 1t seems at least open to question whether or not all the blood stains found and so carefully enumerated and described by Doctor Hawkes. in his testimony were on the undercloth- ing and stockings before the removal of the body. Hence the value of these stains as proof is practically de- stroyed.
 Stains on the Stairway.
 Ynur naner next renArts nnct or