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570

X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

De. Hosack. From the appear-
ance of the father, the mother,
and the child, and the laws of

nature which I have uniformly

observed in such cases, I cor
tainly would not take it for the
ehild of a black man; would say
it was that of a white one, or at
most of a very fair mulatto.

Mr. Vanhook. Has it not
some of the features of a no-
gro? If its features, in my
Judgment, were those of a ne-
gro, I should not have given the
opinion I did. Dr, Hosack,
might it not be possible, judg-
ing after your reading or expe-
rience in such mattera, that in
the early stage of pregnancy, the
agitation of the mother’s mind,
irritation, terror or surprise,
might alter in some degree the
nature and appearance of the
ehild? Iam not of that opinion.

Mr, Morton. What is the pe-
riod at which a mother becomes
sensible of her pregnancy (as the
witness calls it}, by feeling
lifef From three to four
months; but four more com-
monly than three—et three it
very Yarely happens.

Dr. Post. From the appear-
ance of the child, would suppose
it the offspring of a white man
and 8 mulatto woman, or of two
Tight-colored persons; could dis-
cern none of the features of a
negro in it; there were instances
of black men with black women
producing children as fair as
this; but they were exceptions
to the general laws of nature;
any opinion is, that this was not
the child of Whistelo; what con-
firms this most of all is the color
and straightness of the hair; as
to albinos, have never seen any
of them, but from what I have
learned from books and conver-

sation, am convinced there is no
analogy.

Dr. Seaman. Should not be-
lieve the negro to be the father
of that child.

Dr, Titary, Am fully of opin-
ion with the other gentl
¢an not conceive this the child
of a black man; have no prinei-
ples of physiology nor philo-
sophieal data to lay down touch-
ing ticks of this aor.

Dr. Moore and Dr. Anthon
declared themselvea of the same
opinion,

Dr, Secor saw the child in
question at its birth; it was then
quite white; from its appear-
anee at that time and now, am of
opinion that it is the child of a
white man.

Dr. Williamson. Have seeu
and observed both the man and
the woman; if this waa the child
of thet woman by that man, it is
a prodigy; do not believe thet
prodigies happened, though daily
experience unfortunately proved
that perjuries do.

Dr. Osborne. From @ Tong
residence to the southward, have
had most ample means of ob-
serving all the varieties that
these mixtures of race occasion;
Dut have never seen any fact that
could warrant me to suppose this
the child of a black man; hava
seen albinos, but this child bore
no resemblances to them; they
wore always distingnishable by,
the red dotted iris, and the trem-
ulous movements’ of the eyes;
never have seen the produce of
Afriean parents with hair suck
98 this; have seen some with fair
or yellowish hair, but that was
peculiar.

Mr. Furman, ‘Am keeper of
the Almshouse; received an or-
der to take the child and Place

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