The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-25

was so poor, she had been having chill
dren so fast, that she would rather
die than have more children2,
"No,' said Mrs. Ward. "She never
said she would kill herself. When she
and Vance had trouble she would cry
and say she wished she was dead.
She denied ever having told the chill
dren what they were TO testify TO OF
having schoolcd them in any manner,
Testimony of Richards.
Hyrum II. Richards, a plasterer,. who
resides on South Seventh West street,
testified that he was acquainted with
Mrs. Cora L. Rehpennig, who is want,
ed as witness by the prosecution, and
said that she was now a resident OF
Oregon City. She had left the city last
March to avoid being q witness. Depu-
~ Sheriff Smith told of his efforts to
locate the woman, but found she was
outside the jurisdiction of the courts,
The state desired to introduce as evl-
dcnce the transcript of the testimony
of Mrs, Rehpennig taken at the pre-
liminary hearing before Judge Dana I.
Smith on December 80 and 81 of last
year The defense raised an objection,
but this was oyerruled at the afternoon
session and the evidence admitted,
The woman stated among other things
that she had heard Vance aud his difc
had heard a thud n moment later as Of
person being knocked down, and n
scream, this followed by Il second fall.
She went TO the house after Mrs. Vance
had called TO Mrs. Wunderllch, neigh
Dor, to get an officer because Tom
Vance, the brute whom | call my hus-
band is trying to kill me- She des
of the illness of Mrs. Vance, her removal
TO the hospital and that shortly after
her arrival at the house, Mrs. Vance
was vomiting and her gums were swol-
len and black. She found some tablets
in an envelope, which she gave TO DR..
Kerr. The envelope was labeled
"Poisou, half tablet in glass of water.
She found no fragments Of bro ken
cup when she visited the house after
tho trouble between Vance and his wife.
Dr. Kerr Called.
DR.. A. a. Kerr was next called. lie
was the final witness Of the day. He
said that when he was called on Novem-
Der 81. 1907. TO attend Mrs. Vance, he
found her in great distrcses. She was
vomiting and unable 10 keep anything
on her stomach, He did not examine
her then for bruises, but did on the
2Sth at the hospital. He found large
black blue mark on the inner part
OF her right thigh and he was of the
ing caused her death. despite the fact
that the bone was not injured, but the
blow had caused a shock and she WAS
in a greatly weakened condition: lie
attended the woman until December I.
She died on the Sth, and he was present
at the autopsy, which was performed
by DR.. Calderwood. county physician.
The inner organs had not been injured
by the blow which nc alleged had caused
the bruise.
DR.. Kerr was asked if the tablets in
connection with the injury would pro.
ducc the same symptoms as shown by
Mrs. Vance prior TO her death. and he
said they would. He said that char
acteristic of mcrcurial poisoning was
swollen and bleeding gums, and these
Mrs, Vance had. The tablets in the bot
tie which he had received had nothing
TO do with poisoning the woman, in his
opinion; but those in the envelope Inc
thought did as they contained bichloridc
of mercury. \ fatal dose, he said,
would be one-half grain, and each OF
these tablets contained seven and three
tcuths grain Of bichloride of mercury.
Half a tablet. he said, would be a fatal
dose, but that death was moro certain
when small dose was taken than if
large one was. But if a half tablet
was taken; he believed death would en-.
sue within two hours. 1ic did not know
how much poison the woman had taken,
hut he said her stomach was inflamed
and she was unable to retain food. and
gradually grew weaker and weaker,
until death resulted.
Examination
''You know that no poison was found
in the body, don't you?' asked Judge
II have been told so, - replied the
witness.
"And still YOU claim now that death
was the result of mcrcurial poison
ing'' persisted the Judge.
''ln my opinion, yes, SAID the ply
sician.
''If her gums were in the condition
YOU say, would they indicate that tho
woman had taken a large or small
dosc?' asked the counsel,
"A largo dose.
''If she took large dose, it would
have killed her within couple OF
hours. wouldn't it''
tYes
The witness admitted that any ono Of
several poisons might have produced
the same effect on her gums. among the
number being arsenic, OIL of Tansy. coal
tar or savinc, although he was not posi-
tive regarding taDsy and savine, which
arc taken to produce an abortion. a
point which the defense was particular
IL anxious 90 bring out. The remainder
of the testimony was as cited in the
opening paragraph. with the addition
that the doctor said poison could be
administered # in certain quantity,
which would allow a person TO live for
ten DAYS before death resulted.
The prosecution will rest today. and
the defense expects to complete It's par;
Of ,ho case so that it will 90 TO the lurv
by Friday afternoon.