Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-11-03
Mary Vance's Signed Dispositions
Now Stands as Evidence
Against Her Husband.
PoIsoNs ARE ANALYzED
state Chemist Herman Harms TcstlIies
And DR.. Kcrr's Temperature
Charts Read to Jury.

ne dying statement of Mary Vance,
SAID to have been made on Dec. 4, 1907.
at ST Marks hospital. before Asst.
County Atty. Phio Il. Farnsworth and
Deputy Sheriff j. Farley White, was
offered in evidence this morning at the
trial of Thomas Vance, charged with
her murder. This statement accuses
Thomas Vance with having beaten and
kicked her on Nov. IS. 1907.
The first witness examined this fore q;
noon was State Chemist Herman
llarms, who gave expert testimony US
to tho properties ana characteristics Of
certain poisons, especially bi-chloride Of
mercury and oil Of savinc The for
iner poison, the state charges, WIS re-
sponsibe for the death OF Mary Vance,
while the defense maintains that death
very likely resulted from taking oil OF s
savinc with an object
Mr.. Harms's testimony in the muin
was the same as that given at tho
former trial. He said that he had re- 4
ccivcd some labeled samples from
County Physician culderwood on Dec.
IL 1907, and that he had examined them
curry in them. but found no traces OF
mercury. On Oct 2 1905. he received
three tablets from DR.. Kerr and an
analysis showed corrosive sublmatc
and citric acid.
ACTION OF Po1SONS.
With u view of showing that the
encrvcscing in the glass OF water,
which was given to Mrs. Vance at the
..I,,t
seen by Mrs. Wunderlich, might be pro-
duced by bi-chloridc Of mercury tnb-4
lets, Asst. Dist. Atty. Leatnerwood
asked the witness With regard to the
action of such tablets when placed FIR
water.
Mir. Turns said that the ordinary BIS
chloride of mercury tablet3when placed
In II glass OF water, without being dis =
turbed, would take from two to four
hours to dissolve and in dissolvlng
would produce n current that might
easily be observed. The state Fconsid-
crs this an important point. in: corrobo-,
ration of their theory. The witness said
that in his Judgment one grain OF BIZ
clllnrice or mercuryiiEN II fatal dose.
On cross examination he was asked by {
A., j. Weber as to the difference In prop
critics between bi-chloride of mercury
and oil of savine. The witness said
that bi-chloride of mercury possesses
both corrosive and irritant properties, 4
while oil of savine was u distinctly
characteristic irritant poison and did
not destroy the tissues as did the other.
Deputy Sheriff ]. Farley White. who
was called to identify the dying state
ment of Mary Vance, offered in evil
dence, told of going out to st. Marks
hospital on Dec. 4, 1907 and of the
happenings there on that date. He
said that he went In company with AS
sistant County Attorney Phil I. Farms
worth and that they found Mary Vance
lying on cot in an apparently dying
condition. TO take the statement re-
quired about an hours time. He said +
that the woman spoke with great effort
and could only utter Il few words at a
time. After every labored statement &
she was compelled to wait to catch
the woman, he said, was written by Mr.
Farnsworth. signed by Mary Vance and
attcsted by him as n notary public.
REST OF STATEMENT.
This statement recites that Vance
threw u cup OF coffee mt her during the 9
noon day meal on Sept. q and that fol-
lowing that he struck her and while
she was lying on the floor, kicking her
with lis feet
Dr.. A. a. Kerr was recalled by the
state and testified as to the tempera-
iture OF Mary Vance while mt the hos
ptal Tile temperatures rs given by Z
the witness are: Sept. IS, l002-5 de-
grees; Sept. 20. 80: Sept. 80, 80 2-5; Dec.
/, 9S Ii; Dec. ., 991-5: Dec. 3, 90: Dec. 81
A, 90 2-5; Dec. 8, 9s 2-5: Dec. G. 90 As;
Dec. Z. 97is He said that ut one time
the temperature went as low as &c.
The temperature chart is considered
important 'inasmuch as IT is recognized
by medical authorities that in mercur-
,ial poisoning the temperature Is gem
orally below normal, M2-5 degrees,