El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-21
7Dr. Rogers Testifies In Major CaseSURRENDEKS
Poison In Bodies OF
Mrs. Christine Major and
Miss Eudora Major.


Continued from page u
i'm medicine than in surgery, though
sDecfally prepared for the latter
The witness said ne had performer
surgical operations more or less sllce
he began to practice 81,
II have not done what would caIt
a large amount of surgery IN El PaS0;
NV principal work in chemistry IN -
Pas0 has been in connection with the
treatment of disease and postmortem
examinations"
Made Test for Insurance Company.
The witness testified thai ne MADE
the first examination under conuact
with the New York Lie insurance
company, but under the direction OF
the district attorney. The compenSa-
ton was $50 for the pOstmortem, sou
for the analysis, and $50 per day Whlie
attending court, he said
Witness denied that he had con-
tract with the insurance company 70
get additional compensation for find
ing arsenic.
Made COmHany a Proposition.
The witness stated that he made
proposition to the company that if
qualitive analysis showed arsenic, he
would make a quanttlVe analysis Tor
$780, but the company did not accept
the proposition.
The witness denied that he stated
to Prof Hare anything concerning an
extra compensation of $500 from the
insurance company In case arsenic
should be found. The witness testl-
fled that in coming up on the train
from FL PasO with Prof. Hare he pre-
sumed that the question of cOmpensa-
tiOn was discussed
- Covers of Jars Were Zine.
He stated that the covers of the Jars
used as receptacles for the specimens
were made Of zinc, and that zinc con-
tanned arsenic That it is possible that
rubber has arsenical impurities.
WAS Employed in Orner Case.
DR.. Rogers testified that caustic
soda was a proper method Of treating
rubber. He said that he boiled his in
struments for over an hour in clear
water. The witness said that he was
employed in the Orner case in FL
Paso. 1T was a case Of arsenical
poisoning" said the witness
He assisted in the autopsy, he said,
but did not use the instruments at all
which he used here
ssMiEht Have Been From Another
The first incision was first made
from the neck to the bone Of the
pelvis It is true that from appear
ance of the substance and organs OF
the body it might be attributed to
other persons" said the witness
The liver was weighed at the time
The weight as stated in notes was 1lOO
grams. I do not remember whether
the spleen was weighed The scale
was not accurate for weighing small
objects. I do not think the heart was
weighed. I estimated it at from
eight to ten ounces. The instrument
used in embalming punctured the
stomach and iutestines and released
some Of the solids into the fluids or
the bowels, to some extent" said Dr..
Rogers.
''Bismuth subnitrite should produce
a dark color in the alimentary canal"
said the witness who showed by illus
tration the rubber in the apparatus
used in making the Berzelius test.
Stubborn Fight is Made.
DR.. 2. B. Rogers. one OF the principal
witnesses for the state, went on the stand
Ia Of Tlrnrau 1nun
The case is proceeding with but very
little friction with special Judge Richard
have little ''tlts." playing to the audience
or the jury, but any alarming ourburst is
held in check by the court
All Evidence is Translated.
One OF the hardest worked officials en-
gagged in the case is c. S. PedregOn. the
court Interpreter. There are two jurors who
do not understand English well and every
word OF the evidence. both questions and
answers, is put into Spanish by the inter 4
seamOn Continues.
The cross-exam ination OF Prof W. r. Sea
mon, Of FL Paso was continued Tuesday
The witness stated on denomination
that he had the form and apparatus for
performing the Marsh-Berzelius test, that
he had used in Analysing the specimens sub
mitted by the order Of the court to deter
mine arsenic or other poison On account
ground that the testimony relative to the
apparatus was not brought in direct eI-
the court
on redirect examination Prof Seamon
testified that he made two tests with cad
MUM sulphate obtained from DR.. z. B.
Rogers. OF FL Paso, and that he did not
make blank test 10 determine whether
this preparation contained arsenical impuri- /
DR.. J. G. Holmes Recalled
DR.. J. G. Holmes. Of AlamOgordo, was re-
called to the stand by the state. A bottle
which had previously been introduced in
evidence and was recognized as the one con-
tanning the mOuthWash of Mrs. Isabel Ma
jor and was turned over to Prof. Seamon- +
On cross examination witness testified
that the bottle was delivered to him by Dr. f,
u alqschnlldt on october %, 1913, and that +
the label and inscription was put upon the
bottle at the time.
The bottle contained an inscription stating (
that the date was October II, 1913.
On redirect examination the witness
stated that the inscription was probably an
error The mOuthWash was obtained on the .
morning Of October Is, about O'Clock
Even doctors make mistakes" was volun- I
teered by Mr.. Holt, Of the defence
Eyes sir" answered the witness
FL PasO Physician Testifies.
Dr. F. g. Rogers, Of FL Paso, was placed
on the stand by the state and qualified as
a physician and chemist He said that he
pracriced as resident physician in the Cook
county hospital, Of Chicago for about two
years; practiced in Waterloo, Iowa, about
two and one-naf years and six or seven
years in FL PasO.
The witness testified that he had always /
connected with his office a laboratory and o.
had done work in chemistry and pathology I
One year he was city chemist and bacteri- 4
Ologist for Waterloo; had taught chemistry
as head Of science department at Carroll
Iowa for two years; and in pathology took
all the courses offered IN school; served a 3
term as pathOlogist in Cook county hos 3
pital making postmortem examinations,
microscopic slides and Interpreting them
He testified that he had made about $50 I
pOstmortem examinations, and at one time
had In his office about 1000 Slides and sew
eral hundred have been added since. He
had analysed Is poison cases Of which six
were arsenic.
Postmortem Of EudOra Major.
The witness said that he was called upon
to make postmOrtem on the body Of Miss
Eudora Major last July. He said he under
stood that IL was a. case Of suspected pois-
ontng, and made preparations accordingly;
purchased two Mason fruit Jars, put them
in a basin Of water and boiled them about
10 minutes; took the water and made test
for arsenici also saved portion Of the
water for analysis for any other poison.
This was done, he said to be absolutely GER
tain the containers had no poisonous sub
stance in them.
The witness testified that he came to
AlaEogordO on the 9TH day Of July, 1913 in
company with Prof Hare, OF Las Cruces.
70 make a postmortem-
Met by Major.
Reaching here we were met by Mr.. Ma
rrTf1 Fl.rt1- se 81