Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-18
INTERESTS AND PROBLEMSN
NELSON CASE MAY
BECOME FAMOUS
Attorney General Brown Says
That Dr., Thompson Made "a
Statement to Him on 1t

Attorney General Brown to-day de-
clared that he had been visited at the
Capitol by DR.: G. l.. Thompson, of
Scranton, and told that when he made
the autopsy on j. M. Sickler, stabbed
by John Nelson-Wyoming eounty's
murderer who ran amuck ~ lie had
found part of the intestines protrud-
ing, Mr. Brown said he had never
seen Dr. Thompson before, but that
he had come to see him after visiting
the Governor and had made a state
ment to him In confidence. MIR.
Brown remarked that he had not
mentioned the matter until Attorney
| III. s. Harding of Tunkhannock, coun-
sci for Nelson. had appeared before
tie board with a statement that he
had been given the same information.
From oil that can be learned here
DR.. Thompson, who had made the
autopsy shortly after Sickler's death
in October, 1915, desired to make q
privileged medical statement for in
formation of the members of the board
and that Harding's statement brought
out the whole matter. The Board of
Pardons then took tie extraordinary
step of directing DR.. Thompson and
other medical men connected with the
case to appear here and give testi-
nony. This has not been done before
In the memory of men connected with
the board at present and indicates a
situation without parallel In the his
| tory of the tribunal, whose monthly
hearings develop unusual cases in
volving life and death.
The statement made by Mr.. Hard
ing, formal affair presented with all
the weight given to such papers. sets
forth that DR.. Thompson had inform
ed Harding, at a date which the at
torney in his verbal statement said
was last Sunday, that he had found
the intestine outside of the abdomen
VIXEN he made the autopsy. When he
visited Sickler, soon after the stab
bing, he found his general condition
SO satisfactory, that he did not open
| the bandages and had no expectation
of a fatal termination.
The statement says: "Dr. Thomp-
son has informed your petitioner that
| in his opinion the wounds inflicted by
the defendant upon the deceased ii
properly cared for would not have re-
suited in DEATH"
Mr.. Harding's statement also says:
Your petitioner would state that tLis
information came to him only on Sun
day, January IA, and that he i'm
mediately went to Scranton and inter-
viewed DR.. Thompson on Monday
January Is, and that he has not had
sufficient time to fully investigate the
circumstances or to prepare the evi-
dence for submission to the board
Your petitioner asked DR.. Thompson
to come to Harrisburg with him and
appear before the board and was in.
formed that it was impossible for him
to do so at tLis particular time as he
had in his hospital very critica
case which he dare not leave"
1t is also set forth DR. Thompson
has, however, informed your petitioner
that he will submit his evidence tc
the board If required either in the
way of an affidavit or in person at any
time"
| Members of the board are inclined
to go to the bottom of tie case and
investigations will be set afoot If need.
ed before the meeting of the boart
next month.