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550

x. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

THE TESTIMONY FOR THE DEFENSE.

Ruth Willard. Was in Stiles’
family 26 norse, about a fort-
night, six years ago last Decem-
ber.__While there, Stiles was sent
to Worcester one morning on
business, and was brought home
at night apparently helpless, We
got him into the room where his
wife was, and at last she got him
to bed and said if be went to
sleep he would do. All at ones
he jumped ont of bed and went
to ihe secretary and seized some
razors, She took them away and
got him back to bed, He soon
grasped his throat with his
hands,—we unelinched them with
diffeulty and he seemed almost
lifeless, ‘There were marks on
his throat next morning, as if his
fingers had slipped while he was

ping it. He was frequently
intoxicated, and when he waa, he
was very violent, and wished to
kill himself; knew Stiles for 15
or 20 years—he always com-
plained of poor health and short-
ness of breath,

Gideon Harlow. Was acquain-
ted with Stiles, and used to see
him freqnently. He used to
come home deranged and very
noisy. At one time I was called
in to assist his mother,—he tried
to get hold of his throat and I
assisted his mother to prevent
him,—he said repeatedly that he
wanted to die, I was with him
three times in similar turns,—at
each time he was very violent;
never saw Stiles drink any thing
stronger than water, but should
judge from appearances that he
was intoxicated.

Rudotphus C. Edwards, We
told De Wolf that he had better
not tell the doctor that he had

been on a spree with Stiles, be-
cause it wouldn’t sound well, but
that be found him out doors
eomewhere, drunk, and took him
in te get him sober. Nathaniel
‘Watson and # Boston man were
both with us at the time—Mr.
Watson joined in this advice.

Nathaniel Watson. Joined in
Edwards’ advice—think I did not
merely give my assent to it, but
repeated it myself,

Thomas B. Eaton. Live in
Worrester,—was sexton from
1821 to 1836,—have frequently,
almost always, observed dark
blood settled on the neck after
decease,

Dr. Rufus Woodward. Ama
physician, Saw the body of
Stiles about twelve days after
death, at the tomb, in company
with Dr. Benj. Heywood. The
coffin was removed to the door,
and the door left open; looked
at the neck carefully, but saw no
red mark. We took out part of
the trachea and the larynx,—ob-
served no indentation or wound.
‘There was a redness on the back
of the neck extending behind the
ear, but I thonght it nothing un-
usual.

Dr, Joseph Sargent. Have
been in practice most of the time
since the fall of 1837; have been
acenstomed to make post-mortem
examinations. I have never eeen
a case of strangulation, and ean
speak of the symptoms only aa
they sre represented in Medical
Worka, In strangulation the
blood is said to be congested on
the lungs,—it is my opinion that
the amount of congestion de-
pends upon the amount of force
applied, and the length of the

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