Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-23
FIRST DAY IN MANSLAUCHTER TRIAL
State Opens Its Case Against Mrs. Lillian M Perkins For Shooting of Thomas V. Coatchely at Her Home at AL Iyn's Pont-Cvi Engineer, Medical Examiner and Deputy Sheriff the Stand.

most directly over the large blood spot | in the mattting on the floor of the ] storm shed. The scar in the deorjamb 1 was between 42 and 43 inches above 1 the floor.
 l The witness testified that there was ] a break around the lock of the door to ! the storm shed, and that the strap i hlnge at the top of the righthand one i or the double front doors had been torn | out from the woodwork so as to allow that rIghthand door to fall back. He could not tell whether the door had been locked
 The third map described by the wit ness was of the locality of the New Haven railroad station and of the post office and the Cyrus Allen place there | There was a path across lots, well de1Ined in some spots, to the Perkins place.
 The states attorney concluded his continuation of the witness about 12.45, and Attorney Desmond conducted a cross examination until the noon re- cess at l o'clock. From the Lillian M Perkins house the nearest house on the road to Ledyard Center is the J, w. Jennings house, 1,S00 feet distant and in the opposite direction from the Perkins house the nearest house on 1 the road is 1,150 feet distant. Neither of these houses could be seen from the Perkins house, the witness said. Afternoon Session.
 When court was resumed after the noon recess, Attorney Desmond con- tinued the cross examination of Mr. Pitcher. He brought out the point that there were dents in the front door of the Perkins house. showing where the crowbar had rested against the door and that they showed they were fresh dents. The witness could not tell whether the bolt of the lock on the door was shot in or out of the lock or not, There were other marks on the paint of the front door that showed where the crowbar might have been moved hack and forth. Both the at tOrney for the prisoner and the> state s attorney questioned the witness about what marks on the door might appear from the crowbar if outside force was applied to the door. In the left hand door of the double front doors, the witness said the lower bolt into the sill was out of it's socket, but the bolt at the top of the door was in it's sock et There was much questioning about the condition of these two front doors.
 Medical Examiners Testimony.
 Dr. N B. Lewis of this city medical about 16 years, told of receiving a call from, Coroner Franklin H. Brown, with whom he went to the home of the accused on the night of June 3rd, find ing Sheriff H. E. Draper, Mrs. Per kins, the accused. her daughter, Mrs. Coatchelly, the wife of the late Thom- as V CoatcheIIy.
 Position of the Body.
 Dr. Lewis described the position of MT. CoatChellys body as he %mwld it there, lying in the storm porC- with the head and shoulders up against the west wall of the storm porch and the left foot was in between the door jamb and the right hand door. The body lay almost on it's back and it looked as if the foot had caught in the door as the man fell back The man was dead when Dr. Lewis arrived, but the body was still warm.
 Showed the Bullet.
 The doctor produced his notes from the autopsy and also a bullet found by himself and Sheriff Draper embed ded in a splinter of wood in the west wall of the storm porch.
 Wound Was Deadly One.
 The medical examiner read from notes made at the autopsy held at Gager's- mOrgue the next morning, de- scribing the wound about one inch in diameter made in the left breast at the seventh rib and on the back one inch below the last floating rib. The ends of the index and second fin gers of the left hand were splintered. c both knees. He described the wounds through heart, stomach, spleen and left kidney. The gunShot wound in the heart would have caused instant death The wound in the back of the body was about inches lower than that on the front.
 The doctor said he saw a double barrelled shotgun al the Perkins house and also two revolvers which Sheriff Draper had. Major Hull held up double barrelled shotgun Which the witness said looked like the one he saw at the Perkins house.
 Doctor Lewis Cross Examined
 Attorney c. V. James cross exam ined the witness. He asked about the which the doctor said could possibly have been made by using the knees to force open the doors, but he would not say that was the way they were caused.
 To the states attorney Dr. Lewis said that the course of the bullet through the body indicated that the wound was received while the man was facing the line of flight of the projectile and with the body turned slightly to the left.
 Made the Arrest.
 Deputy Sheriff Herbert E. Draper of this city who made the arrest of Mrs. Perkins at her home after the shooting told of going there with Dr. F. J. Brophy of this city who came to the deputy sheriff's house after him with an automobile They reach ed the Perkins house between 5.30 and 5.45. The sheriff saw the dead body of Coatchelly lying in the storm porch Then he went into the house where he found Mrs. Perkins alone, except with two small children, one the Coat chelly baby and the other her sons baby
 Said She Used Shotgun.
 Mrs. Perkins told the deputy sher- if, he testified. that she had shot Coat chelly with a gun and she got it for him from the place where it stood in the sitting room. The deputy sheriff found that the right hand shell had been exploded and the hammer was down The left hand shell was still loaded and the hammer cooked. He the shotgun and kept the shells, which he produced in court and also identified the Winchester 12 gauge shotgun.
 The gun and loaded and unIoaded shells and bullet were all laid in as exhibits.
 Two Revolvers There.
 The deputy sheriff also found two reVOlVerS on a little stand in the back bedroom off the sitting room Both were loaded and one had the hammer up. One was a double action and the other a single action 38
 The deputy sheriff produced the two revolvers he found. Both were added to the list of exhibits. Each had had one bullet discharged from 1t. The deputy sheriff also gave corroborative evidence as to the marks in wood