The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-26
KERR'S EVIDENCE
is SUPPORTED BY
DR.. CALDE1W00D
Continued From Page ]

the stomach showed signs of hemor-
image and that the gums, lips and
lower part of the tongue were uiceratedi.
DIR. Calderwood stated that the lining
OF the stomach had parualiy slougned
away as had the lining OF a portion or
\ the intestines, but that the heart, liver
and lungs were normal while the Kidneys
Were somewhat enlarged and OF an un-
| healthy color He stated that ne beneVed
/ that the condition of the stomach ana IN
testines had been caused by some irri-
! tant poison, probably mercury. judging
from the condition of the mouth. al
though he admitted that ergot, OIL OF sa-
vine and other drugs might have caused
the condition. He stated that in his be-
lief death was due to a weakened eondi-
tion resulting from the blows causing the
bruises found and by mercurial poisoning.
On cross-examination he stated that II
was possible and not unknown for per-
son who had taken just the Tlght guam
Ity OF mercury to live Tor TWO weeks
and then die as a result of the poisoning,
and also that there need be no. trace of
the poison in the body after death if just
! the proper amount of mercury had been
taken to equal the absorption and dis
charge from the body.
State Chemist Herman Harms was then
called and stated that a careful analysis
OF the brain, stomach. kidneys and intes-
tines of the body of Mrs. Mary Vance
showed no trace Of any poison He stated
that he had found traces of morphine,
titled that he had received the tablets.
one of which is supposed by the state to
have been given Mrs. Vance from Dr.
Kerr in October 1905 had analysed them
and found them to contain ~ grains of
oi-chloride of mercury and a small
amount of citric acid which was used
to Increase the solubnity of the tablets.
soIubiIity of Tablets.
Mr.. Harms testified that such a tao
let as the one analysed by him would
dissolve in from four to five minutes if
agltated, but would not dissolve inside
TWO to four hours if allowed 10 remain
IN the water undisturbed. He stated that
II pulverized the tablets would dissolve
within five minutes
Lena Vance identified the waist and
sweater as those worn by her mother on
]. Farley White. deputy sheriff, tes-
titled that he had visited Mary Vance at
the hospital in company with Assistant
county Attorney Farnsworth and had Sc
cured dying statement from her.
He stated that Mrs. Vance was con-
fident that she would not live and that
she had great difficulty in speaking. He
stated to Judge Maginnis that Mr..
tarnswoIth had asked the questions and
mad written the replies down, and that
the dying woman had signed the state
ment in the presence of Mr.. Farnsworth
and the witness. The statement was
then offered in testimony and was OBJ
Jected to by the defense. The jury was
excluded from the room during the
gument After listening to the argu-
ments OF counsel. the court ruled that
a portion of the statement might be adj
mitted, but that certain portions of it
must be stricken out. The statement as
allowed by the court was then read to
the jury. 1t related the quarrel between
Vance and his wife, his threats to kill
her, and the assault upon her by her
husband, practically as stated by the
witnesses for the state. 1t did not, how
ever, deal at length with the poisoning
Mr.. White then detailed the oral state
ment of Mrs. Vance at the time the
statement was made in which she said
that Vance came into the room while she
was lying i'll, came to the side of the bed
and went away without spea king. After
water at her bedside and Immediately
became worse and continued to grow
worse.
Mrs. Amanda Ward was then recalled
and told of preparing statement of the
poisoning and reading il to her sister
who had stated that il was Just right"
The statement was then presented by the
state, but was objected TO by the de-
Tense. The objection was sustained
The state then rested its case and
the indictment which states that Mrs
Mary Vance came to her death from an
illness caused by beating at the hands
of Thomas Vance and a dose of hi
chloride OF mercury administered by him
motion was then introduced by the
defense that the court order the prose-
cution to select one or the other of these
counts During the argument on the mo-
ton the jury was again excluded from
the room Both the defense and the
prosecution presented lengthy arguments.
the prosecution claiming that the two
acts were. in effect. continuous. Numer-
Gus authorities were presented by both
sides and the court took the matter I'M
de aAxric