Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1914-05-29
NO %

It a reason for murderes Spoke with
her two hours about dying aud when
/ he told her she was suspected she said
she couldn't standit. He told her she
would have to and she said, ~ hope
1 sod will forgive me il | die before-
hand. WITNESS said conversation WAS
I inSwedish aud that was the best trans
/ lalion he could give.l lie wrote her
letter while she was In Jail end told
! her the Swedish people were praying
| for her. When she was freed by tho
4 grand jury she called him up and told
! him that the prayers had been ans
+ wered. Witness asked her IL she did
not think Il would be best to wait be-
/ fore thanking God for her liberty as
/ the case WIS just rs much a mystery
as ever. One time when he was at the
house he mentioned ,pIaing up sum
/ of money TO trace the murderer and
she told him she would do is After
she was freed by the grand jury he
spoke about Ii again and she said she
had been willing but that then she
was not as 1t would be putting money
/ in their hands to get her again. On
cross examinotion he said that he did
not know that Mrs. Lawson refused on
advice of counsel.
Claus Hagstrom, appraiser on the
Jonas Lawson estate, said that on the
day he made the appraisal he had
conversation with Mrs. Lawson. She
asked If MIR. Elmquist had used her as
n text, and he said no, but that he had
spoken of her. Mrs. Lawson said she
wondered why the Swedish people did
| not stand up for her rs she had been
acquitted. He told her the Swedish
people wouldn't be satisfied until they
knew who did Ii. He told Mrs. Law
son that ms she was all alone in the
house that night that she should know
who did il and should tell. Mrs. Law
son replied, aif should tell II would
endanger my life
Byron T.. Eddy told of being called
TO the Lawson place the night Lawson
was killed and of seeing the body In
the stall His testimony was similar
TO that given by other witnesses on the
same subject.
At the afternoon session Marvin M.
Scarborough, M. d., instructor in Yale
college, medical examiner for New
Haven and blood sexpert, took the
stand He told OF the articles previous
ly placed in as exhibits being brought
to him for examination by Coroner
Bill. lie testified that he examined
the club, axe, Lawson's clothing,
stockings, skirt and waist OF Mrs.
Lawson, stones, chips, pieces from the
cellar stairs, board, etc., and that all
bore stains Of what in his opinion was
human blood except the axe. On the
axe he found blood stains but IL was
the blood of a chicken. He said piece
of hair was found on the stained area
of the club. He compared this hair
with the hair cut from the head Of
Mr.. Lawson and they were very SINH
lar. The states attorney then asked
the following Hypothetical question:
"Supposing a man #. or 5, stocky,
weighing from i25 to lao pounds, Is
found dead about the middle OF Aug
ust; when he is found IL Is dsco5ered
that the body Is cold and that his
hands are cool, can you state approxi-
mately how long that man has been
dead?u Answer; sin summer il takes
10 To II hours for the body To cool
thoroughly. The chest and abdomen
are last to cool. Body would feel COOL
"If man felt of body and found 1t to
be cool would say man had been dead
2, 3, or 4 hours"
Cross examined he said he would
doubt If the average man could tell.
On redirect he said that what he
would cali cold layman might call
cold but what he would call warm
layman might call cool.
Attorney for the defense asked him
If 1t wouldn't be somewhat OF guess
anyway and he said IL would.
The state rested.
Claus Nelson, brother-in-law Of
Lawson, testified to going to the Law
son nome between 3 and o'clock the
morning Lawson was killed. He saw
the body In the kitchen and the un
dertakers were preparing 1t. They
bathed the wounds In water and soma
OF the bloody water he saw spilled on
the floor. He saw blood stains on
horses hoof. Had known Mr.. Law
son So years and his wife y years and
saw them frequently but never heard
OF any trouble between them.
Mrs, Claus Nelson, wife Of the pre-
vious witnesses, Mr.. Lawson's sister,
testified that she had known Mrs.
Lawson soon after her marriage u her
!, brother. She called At the Lawson
. home the day on which her brother
was killed The family oil sat down
. to dinner together. Mr.. Lawson Was
pleasant and talked pleasantly. She
never heard but what they got along
ALI ri0hf.