28

THE STATE TO CLOSE TO-DAY

NEARING THE CLOSE OF THE GREAT CASE.

How the Disagreeing Opinions of Doctors Are Being Aired in a Confusing Way.

They Are [Fastening?] the Murder [on?] Monday- No Poison in the [Bladder?]-Dr. [Mitchell?] Agrees With Dr. [Hart?] as to the Cause of Death,

Yesterday Mrs. Sheedy's Day.

An increased crowd witnessed yesterday's proceedings in the Sheedy trial and listened with the most marked attention to the somewhat wearisome technical dissertations on criminal jurisprudence, materia medica, symptoms and conditions, which formed the burden of the testimony throughout the day. Something of new interest was awakened when the cross-examination of [Dr. Winnet?] brought out the fact that the remains of Sheedy were recently exhumed at the instance of the state and new researches instituted to discover the cause of death. It was in line with questions submitted by the state as to the likelihood of poison administered hypodermically being revealed in the stomach after death. It will be remembered that several of the physicians have expressed the opinion that morphine so administered would be very likely to reveal itself in the bladder. It was in anticipation of these replies, therefore, that the state [recently?] had Sheedy's body taken up and the bladder and liver taken by Professor [Haines?], professor of chemistry and toxicology in Rush medical college. Chicago to that place for analysis. It has been noticed that Hon. Frank Hall, of counsel for the state, has not been in court this week up to yesterday afternoon, and inquiry revealed the fact that he has been to Chicago looking after the investigation. After his return yesterday it was generally understood that the analysis had not discovered the presence of poison even in the bladder.

The above fact, taken with the testimony of Dr. Mitchell in confirmation of Dr. Hart's theory that Sheedy's death was due to compression of the brain, made it appear very much like Mrs. Sheedy's day in court and an awful chilly one for Monday McFarland, but it was not noticed that the latter looked very much cast down.

It was a warm day in the court room and Mrs. Sheedy put in a great deal of time waving the mourning drapery around her head by the gentle [undulations?] of a large black fan. Her demeanor had undergone no perceptible change from that of yesterday and she [evinces?] no signs of fatigue or exhaustion from the long trial. She is apparently as strong, and even stronger and more composed and hopeful, than during the opening days.

There was considerable craning of necks in the audience yesterday when it was noticed that Mrs. Morgan had momentarily left her place at Mrs. Sheedy's [side?] to make room for D. G. Courtnay, to whom the defense has frequently referred as one hostile to her interests, and to him has the defense frequently, by intimation ascribed much of the active work of hunting up testimony for the state. Yesterday Mrs. Sheedy communicated to him, through her uncle, Mr. [Biggerstaff?], her desire to speak to him and he was soon at her side. For some minutes she poured a whispered stream into his listening ear, and a study of his features failed to reveal the slightest import of her conversation.

For two days the state has been much worried over the inability to find the cane with which the deed was done. It was offered in evidence last week and left, as usual, in the custody of the stenographer, Myron Wheeler. The latter was called away on Saturday or Sunday, and before going put the cane away so securely that neither [Reporter?] Muilon, Judge Field or any of the court officials have been able to find it.

When court convened at [9:15?] Dr. Winnet was cross-examined and testified that he reached the Sheedy residence about 2 p. m. on Monday [?] was there about twenty minutes; the opinion [?] of the physicians there, possibly with the exception of Dr. Woodward, was [that?] death was due to pressure of the brain; was present at the autopsy; the examination comprised the brain, the organs of the chest, the liver, the kidneys and other organs and the stomach was [taken?] out; believed that Dr. Beachley took notes of the autopsy. Saw Mr. Strode there and remembered that an effort was made to exclude him or any one representing Mrs. Sheedy.

At this point Mr. Lambertson chimed in that Mr. Strode had been finally allowed to [remain?] upon the advice of County Attorney Snell and a wordy discussion ensued at once between the attorneys, which the court summarily abated.

Witness said [he?] saw no superfluous moisture [in?] the brain. He described the old bullet wound found in the back of the head and so the bleeding of the brain around it owing he thought, to the removal of the brain from the skull: also described an old and slight depression in the forehead.

"Did you examine the medulla [oblongata?] at that time [?]"

"I looked at it."

"Did you remove all of it?"

"Don't think all of it was removed."

"Did you examine the spinal column?"

"Not at that [time?]."

"Have you done so since?"

"Yes, sir."

"When?"

"About four weeks since."

"[Where?]?"

"At Roberts' undertaking rooms."

"How did you know it was that of [John?] Sheedy[?]"

"Because we removed it from the grave."

"Who were present?"

"Professor [Haines?] of Chicago, Dr. Everett, Mr. Roberts, a gentleman I [supposed?] to be his partner and the sexton at the cemetery."

"Who took any of the organs besides the parts you took?"

"Professor Haines."

"What [did?] he take?"

"The liver and the bladder."

"You have kept this a profound secret, have you [not] doctor, according to instructions?"

"Don't know as I had any instructions, but did keep it more or less a secret."

"Under whose instructions was this done?"

"Mr. [Snell's?]."

After some [further?] examination as to the condition of the parts when exhumed and the care with which they were guarded since, Mr. Strode dropped this branch without asking him as to what he had discovered and took up the discussion of a toxic dose of morphine.

Didn't think that the authorities taught that a toxic dose would manifest itself in from five to twenty minutes. His understanding was that it required from thirty to fifty minutes.

Mr. Strode pulled a book on him, had him read from it that it manifested itself in from five to twenty minutes, and then had him swear that an authority [so?] taught.

Mr. Lambertson objected to the examination of witnesses as to what was in the books, and a [squabble?] ensued.

"Doctor, will you give me a single authority which says it requires from thirty to fifty minutes."

"I attained that impression from reading a tabulated statement of 200 cases of morphine poisoning."

"What was that statement published in?"

"In the half-yearly abstract of medical science."

"Have you that table with you?"

The book was produced and Mr. Strode asked the witness to show him where it was stated that from thirty to fifty minutes was required for the manifestations, and the witness failed to find it.

He said that his impressions from his own practice were to that effect, and Mr. Strode hauled him over the coals for a time as to his own practice. Witness said that he had noticed no symptoms in Sheedy's [care?] which might not have been attributed to compression of the brain; the blow administered to Sheedy was sufficient to produce either compression or concussion.

The cadaver was then produced and the [?] explained the various fractures in the bones of the face, none of which were through the skull, and explained that it took a very severe blow to inflict them. He thought that the blow was sufficient to produce death, but he didn't think that it did produce death in this instance.

Witness said he knew of no postmortem evidence of morphine poisoning to the brain except that the blood is congested in the brain more than at other times.

"I noticed no special evidences of morphine poisoning in the examination of the brain, as I was merely an observer; but I examined more particularly the upper portion of the spinal column-"