Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-16
PHYSICIAN ON TRIAL At
I'll. CHARLES CITY WITNESS IN
OWN BEHALF.
MISS IRISH III BEFORE
BEING TREATED ~ HIM
1irnsy Says Operation Was Necessary
~ Only Hope Of Saving Girls Life
-other Evidence offered BY Defense
Largely for impsaehmsnt Of States
Witnesses.

| Charles City. Oct. 16.-Dr. E. E. Bir-
ney. on trial here as responsible for
| the death OF the late Myrtle Irish. Of
Hopkinton. went on the witness stand
at the convening of couit> In his own
behalf. For more than five hours he
| was the center Of attack and defense
| on the part Of the attorneys in the
! case while he related piece by piece the
circumstances leading up to the visit
! OF Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Irish and their
daughter to his home, OF the consulta-
| ton and examination and the tragedy
which eliminated there.
He was at all times in a collected
| frame Of mind, answered readily the
questions put to him and when he
left the stand it was the opinion he
had done much to strengthen his own
/! side Of the case
Tells Life Story.
DIR. Birney told his life story. He
! was reared from boyhood near Floyd,
this county. went to school at Floyd,
| later took medical course and was
assisting his father then q prac.icing
physician some time both at Floyd
| and at Charles City. Later he moved
to Greeley and there lived next door
! TO Mr.. and Mrs. Irish, Irish being
barber with the shop in the front of his
home. He came to Nora Springs four
teen years ago.
DR. Birney related that Frank Irish.
father of the dead girl visited Nora
| Springs on April 20. In quest Of q To-
cation for garage and while on the
| visit spoke of his daughters condition
! and was advised by DR.. Birney that the
girl marry the man. This Irish is re-
ported to have said she did not want 20
do. On subsequent visit Irish left
note on the telephone In DR.. Birney's
Office saying he and his wife and
daughter would be in Nora Springs the
following Friday, May 2. The witness
said that Miss Irish was then in seri-
GUS condition with a pending abortion
| but that he told the family to go to
his home.
Girl Very III on Arrival.
The girl grew worse during the week.
On May Is she had pulse Of 10 and
temperature of 102. He then made an
examination with instruments dis
| covered decorations which he said the
girl practically admitted making her
self in her desperation. Later that
night without help an abortion oc-
SNAA0AS tuo 0A%CIOA COIul0A HISI. AL.
vice Of another physician was refused
by Irish Sunday morning at 2 O'clock
the girl died. The mother wept but the
father said, this was our plan a.,
we lost
J. DR.. Bifneys related hearing of the
proposed autopsy and Of the liability
Of Irish laying the blame on him and
went to Cedar Rapids and communi-
Gated with Irish but got little salts.
faction.
| On the advice Of brother he went
to Minneapolis and lived for time at
! Savage MINI Hearing nothing Of his
wife. who was in the east he went to
Kansas City and lived with relaANes
for a time After the bond was fixed
he returned to Charles City.
Most Of the evidence offered by the
defense was for the purpose Of i'm
parchment Of states witnesses. and
on the question of whether or not the
girl was sick at the time she made her
last trip to Nora Springs.