The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1912-02-16

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tors Johnson and MacKay to
discover the cause of death.
He described the infant as a
female child of normal size
and weight; stated that the
external examination disclosed
marks and scratches on various
parts of the body, and particu-
larly as to three marks on the
throat, two to the left and one
to the right Of the middle line,
of size and character such as
might have been made by the
tingernails of a human being.
He said there were discolora-
tions around the eyes and lips
and other parts of the body
which indicated that there had
been no great loss of blood and
also that there had been some
obstruction to the return of
circulation of the blood. He
! testified that an internal ex-
animation was made; that the
internal organs were congested
with blood; that the hydrostatic
test was applied to the lungs to
determine if the child had
breathed and this test showed
that the lungs would float in
cold water and when cut un-
der water would emit air bub-
bles, proving that the child had
breathed. He also testified
that the air passages and lungs
were clogged with fecal matter
and gave it as his opinion that
the child came to it's death by
drowning in fecal matter.
DIR. A. r. MacKay corrobo-
rated the testimony of DR..
Johnson in every particular
and was equally positive that
the child had breathed and
death was due to suffocation or
drowning. Both physicians
were questioned, in cross exa-
1nination by Attorney Bowen,
along obstetrical lines.
Emil Johnsgaard was called
as witness and questioned as
to his part in the removal of
the body to DIR. Johnson's 8 office.
Mrs. E. G.. Bowen was on the
witness stand this morning.
Her testimony was to the effect
that the father Of the defendant
had called her at an early hour
of October 19, after he had dis
covered that child had been
born. She also gave testimony
as to conversations with the
defendant in which the latter.
had admitted that it was her
child and that she had placed
it where it was found.
The. state rested it's case at
noon. Immediately after the
noon recess Attorney Bowen
made the opening statement
for the defense in which he
stated that they expected to
prove that the child was dead
beforeit was placed in the vault;
that the fecal matter in the
lungs was of a different nature
than that in said vault: that it's
presence could be accounted
for in another way; that the
death of the child was without
the fault of the defendant and
that he not only expected that
the jury would not bring a ver-
dict of not guilty but that the
defendant would be completely
exonerated. ~
The defence called the de-
fendant, Almyra Hursh, Mrs.
e. G. Bowen, Mrs. A. Peterson
land DR.. NJ. B. Halldorson of
Souris, the. latter as an expert
witness. 4 1t is outaof the ques-
tion to give a lengthy :abstract
of their testimony in this issue.
The trend of the defendant s
story was to the effect that the
child was dead when she plac-
ed it in the vault.
| DR.. Halldorson' testimony
was of a nature to directly con-
tradict that of Doctors MacKay
and johnson as to important
facts connected with the matter
of childbirth, AS a consequ-
ence the state gave notice that
they would recall MacKay and
Johnson and possibly other
medical men. It was therefore
decided that an evening session
would be held &, &