The Washington times., 1910-10-03
lCOntinued LON rs Page.)

manner in which Harris is alleged to
have shot himself
Examining the gun which the police
produced as having belonged to Har-
ris, Mr. Coleman gave his opinion
that the gun was Of the cheapest manu-
facture, and totally unadapted to the
use Of smOkeleSs powder. II MAY have
been possible, he said, to use SmOkeleSS
powder in the gun shown him. but il
would have been risky experiment at
tended by danger that the gun would
burst.
He told the Coroner's jury emphaticaI-
~ that he did not believe Harris could
have shot himself in the manner alleged
unless by feat of cOntortion- and that
powder burns undoubtedly would have
resulted.
If Harris held the gun near his head.
argued Mr. Coleman. powder burns
would have covered an area Of perhaps
three inches
Smokeless powder. he declared. would
have left little. PARTICLES of sand-like
substance, upon the hair. Black pow
der, he said. would not leave these little
grains, but the burned area would be
larger
The gun shown him, Mr. Coleman
declared, was not any standard make
He, too, expressed the opinion that
Harris did not commit suicide, in view
of the nature or the wound found in
the back Of his head
Dr. Woodward Called.
DR.. William c. Woodward. Health
Officer of the District, was the next
expert heard. DR.. Woodward declared
that il a pistol were held in close
proximity to the human head it would
leave a more or less lacerated wound
on account Of the combines effeC Of
the bullet and the partially exploded
gases.
Particles of powder, Dr. Woodward
said, would enter the wound, together
with tho bullet, although there was
probability that the aCCumula ted
blood would remove the traces. Under
such circumstances, he said. the un-
burned grains of powder would he
blown into the skin. DR.. Woodward
agreed that il would have been pos
Sible for Harris to have held gun in
immediate contact with his body with
a resultant OblOnG and lacerated
wound.
The Health officer said that he had
been present al the mOrgue when the
police recently made experiments upon
q dead body. in their attempt 70 ShOT
that powder burns do not necessarily
result from shots fired at close range.
Going into technical description OF
RUnshOt wounds and their effects, DR..
Woodward said that the p~Oba bilities
were thar 4 shot fired several feet dis
tant from the head of Harris. The bullet
hole would have been smaller. and there
would have been less laceratiOn. The
testimony of Or. Woodward tended 20
Show in its last analysis that Harris
may or may not have fired the bullet
which took his life
If the bullet hole was large end LAGER
ated, said the Health Officer, the gun
probably was held within a very short
distance Of the spot the bullet entered.
If the wound was not jagged, il midi
Gated that the bullet was fired at longer
range DR.. Woodward has lectured Tor
sixteen years at the several educational
institutions on the subject of medical
JURISPRUDENCE. At one time he was also
Coroner Of the District.
Former Coroner On Stand.
DR.. ". p. Carr, former Coroner Of the
District, was produced as the next wit
ness by the police After listening 10
a description Of the character of the
wound found in Harris head, he gave
the opinion that TO make such a wound
without leaving powder marks the gun
must be held in immediate CONTRACTOR at
a distance Of five feet.
A gun held I'm immediate contact, said
DR.. Carr usually makes a ragged wound
and frequently il does not leave powder
marks. II il is held a few inches or a
few feet distant from the head, Dr.
Carr testified, powder marks are very
a -.3S-caliber gun, If the muzzle is
held in contact with the skull, said
DR.. Carr, usually makes a ragged
wound. Sometimes il Is round and
smooth Frequently there are no pow
der marks. There may be some smut,
which, however, can be wiped off read
lily. Ny opinion is that if +neTe were
no powder marks the gun must have
been held either Immediately against
the head. or at a distance of at least
five feet from il. Guns fired a. inter
mediate distances would be apt to leave
evidences Of powder burnS-'
Attorney Lambert asked DR. Carr II
there We're not exceptions 10 the rule
he had laid down.
'Oh. yes he replied, some very
curious things occur in connection with
powder burns
Denies Harris intoxicated.
Deputy Coroner White. the next wit
ness. exploded the theory that Harris
was under the influence of intOXicants
about the time Of his death, as has
been testified by Bartender Marian
Good. DIR. White said that the eN-
animal ion which he made of the
stomach failed to disclose any traces
OF the presence Of alcohol
He said that If the man had taken
any quantity Of alcoholic stimulants
shortly before his death it would have
been detected by the sense Of smell
alOTb. He made no chemical analysis
TO find alcohol
Dr. White told the jury that as a re
suit Of the autopsy performed by him
ne found that the bullet would was
about one-half in"h vide, by an inch