Weekly Messenger, Volume 1, Number 92, Vevay, Switzerland County, 15 June 1833 — Page 2
WEEKLY MESSENGEIt.
cthr. The jury which met on Friday, not having agreed, they met on ' S iiurday, mid having- found a verdict,
the body was biried about I o :!ock. V- M- On Monday the coroner, in iViSequcncc of the letters foUnd in her
try .;K, ".d the paper-found in the band
hV, cdf-reu the body b be taken up f r nolh;r i:quet; it was remoteU to thetara tear the buri'g ground, and exslined by Dr. Hooper and Dr. Wilbur. I did not myself examine it par
ticularly; the jury did. nnJ it was bu:ried .taia the same dav. It was again
disinterred on the 251h January, 1 be lie ve, end examined by the same me dical mn
, Au-iixiu General Where were von
nbiui f'i!-et on Thursday, the 20:h Pceml t : last, the day befoie you saw lie bd fVilncss-l was near my house driving Qiy cattle to fodler them for the eveniHg, a Sew niinaVs before sunset, and saw a Gi in jrbo'Jt iVs rorl from where I found the body, an 1 about 80 rod? from where
I stoo:! ; !p was stanlwg s'lll facing west wan!; I couid t see hi? fare, but he was a tall man. wesiing a surtont coat of a dark colour, and a hat with a broader brim and higher crown than common. My attention w.as c.Vied in that direction bv hearing a rock biow up, and this ex
plosion was succeeded by another raeie l-"ld; the blasts occurred in the distance between tne man aa V village of Fall
River toward the north. the.sijr!; 3:1 Would command a view of the vitiate.
Cress (ztnufnei iv ."-. RawMah. 1
d-nt know who first recog. ized tne body
to bo that of Sarah M. Cor.iell ; but I was
d:st to'd who it was by tia H?v. Mr
Bid we'd, the minister of Fall lliver. I did not unhook the cloak when I lowered down the body, though one hook may IiHve opened in lowering, for if Appeared
more open when the was lyng on the ground than when hanging I will not
swear two hooks were nt ui. hoiked be
fore she was taken down. Mr. Hicks,
the coroner, came to hold the secnd in
xmesi on Monday, in consequence of my
showing or telling him on Sunday the
contents of the small slip of paper which
wa frond in the bandh-.x: it was the
same jury as before except two menhi r? who nt being freeholder, were with
drawn for others. When I cut the body
down. I left th part of the string which
was fastened to the stake hanging there
but it wa remit ed the next d ;y .s'.ita
went to look ("r it: I am certain there
-are
when I left it there.
By the. Athrnrv General. 1 am tw'
-.certain tru se was more than one hook ot the cloak open at all. It was from Dr. 'Wilbor, I heard she had letters in her tiunk. for he said he had seen one which she hid. . I know the piece of paper externally, by is countenance," from its bung rather dirty. Bv Mr. Mison I never said I khe w it
by the pencil writing inside. All 1 said about a pencil was that I saw one near it, in the bottom of the box. - 2. William Durfce-l reside at Tiver tou and did so on the 20th Dec last. 1 w as called to be one ef the jn.ois on the
four ends h inging from the slake
best of my recollection both now and then. During the examination of this
witness, the prisoner placed a piece ol
red tape in various forms on his hands.
with an air ot abstraction 1 measured
the distance of the cord a round her neck
from the ears, and it was about an inch
nnd a half from each. I sneak to the
best of my recollection, and if you want to get more from me it will not be evi dence. 3. Sdh Darling Described the poi tion and dress f the body, state of the cord around the neck and stake, and other circumstances'; precisely like the previ oils witnesses, adding her hair was a good deal frowzelled" and dishevelled
over ner lace ana ner cnian was nent
back on the left side: both hands were
under her cloak, the right raised up to
her breast, and the left down by her side.
The hoagy grass aiound did not appear
to have been trodden on, and there was no appearance of a struggle either in the
tack yard or near it. I acted a Pos'
Master, at Fall River, on Monday, the
19th of November last; I made up the
mail for Brutal that day, the only day in that month I did make it up; it contained
but one letter, and this was directed to the Rev. Mr. Avery. I recollect this, and the entrv which i made in the office
book and in the way bill at the time; I can produce a copy of the entries which
I then made; I took the copy in the month
of March, when this trial was expected to come o:.. Mr. Mason here objected
to the admission of this copy as evidence.
saying the witpess must either depose to
the fact from memory, or from the original entry. The Attorney General repli ed that as the original was wKhin his
reach, he would for the present chance the correctness of witness's memory.!
Another letter was put into the box with this oie directed to Mr Grtudall Kawson, South Woodstock, brother-in-law to the deceased the water of which was wet
when taken out of the box, Letter pro
duced, maiked Fall River, Nov. 19th
be. 10, whu.h witness identified by his
own mark on it. I was standing about
two feet from the box, which I had clean
ed out about hall a minute befoie, when
I heard two letieis dropped in, but I took them out immediately, and they were those I have mentioned. Cross examined In a most protracted
cross eXrtUiinati'Ui of 'his witness, tespecting his being a member of the Committee of Vigilance, at Fait River', and his means of recollecting the above letters, nothing of importance was elicited except the following: " It was the custom of the officer to mark letieis with red ink, but
in acting for the I'isl M-ster that da),
who was sick, I maiked the letteis with black ink; one reason also of the name ol Avery be:ng impressed upon my mind
w as that it occurred to me at the time he was the methodisi minister at Bristol,
although I did not know him personally."
Recess of Court till 3, P- M
4. Lemuel Briggs 1 have been the
Post Master at hi isle I lor ten years;
recollect the enliy of a letter from Fall
River on the 1 9th November, addressed
to thi Rev. Mr. Avery; has some recol
lection of the letter independently of the
but could not swear
so; it was of a reddish black color, diy, and presenting the appearance of parch
ment; on the rghtide ot the indenta
tion, the cuticle or scarf skin lay in fine pregnancy this woman died, the witness
shrivelled plates, as though the cord had was cress-examined for nearly an hour
been drawn very swiftly, and they had land a half upon several of (he most deli
convinced that violence was" exercised gainst him of 6 cents each, one on the upon Sarah M. Cornell before her death lV2th and the other on the 19th of No-
In Older to determine at what stage of vember;" (he letter of the 12th waJ the
only one in the mail from rail River,
on that day; -vl'-have no recollection
that these letters, were delivered to A."
been pinched between its strands. Thejcate branches of medical science, and -inihirmelf, though he keeps a box at the
indentation crossed the thyroid cartilage 1 which it was evident the examining coun
and tht. spioos process of the ecnd ver- sel had made curiously minute research:
tebra of the neck, and was an inch and bat unless we had time to clothe this te an eighth below each ear. On the right timony in more highly technical language
heek and temple there were irregular than it is expressed in our botes, it woulf
indentation, perfectly colsrlesi, as tho' be utterly unfit for general publication, occasioned by pressure against some hard Notwithstanding these authorities f substance afiefcirculalion had ceased, determining the age of a foetus bv i
1 v -
office. .. I never saw aietter in the office
directed to Bctsry Hills, (C0) and I do
not know any person of that name. Cross-ciamincd. I have no recollection of the dates on which these letters7were received except from the records fthe office, but I believe it from them;
ifi-letlers are always entered, nuddf,
Phe itomachteppeared perfectly healthy, length and weight; I am convinced tha. ( know 'of no deviation from the rule.
but the lungs were engorged with black foetuses of the same age differ in both, as venous blood; on the knees were several often as children do at their birth. I do
scratches and abrasions which had drawn not think the woman was so far gone as
blood; they were also dirty, and stained I at first supposed.
ereen as with the juice of grass. There 7. Dr Thomas Wilbor A member of
The waybills are sent to Washington
quarterly, and there kept. 1 he entry
on the 12lh of November is in my hand
writing; that on the llmi is my son s;. the letter charged to Avery could not
were a few scratches on the left leg be the Society of Friends, and a physician of have come more than 30 miles.
low the knee, and at two places skiu was great experience, who had assisted in the
knocked off about the size of a four penny examination of ihe body, described its piece (61 cents ) The right side of the situation' and appearances precisely like abdomen wa of a livid hue, but the livi- the last witness, and expressed the same dity wa so diffused that it appeared more opinions concerning them. He proceeded
like incipient putrefaction than the dis to say " I had seen the deceased several
coloration of biuise; on the leltstde bow- times before her death, for she had conever, iust above the hip. there was a suited me about her health, and wished
considerable contusion which could cot to knw whether she was in a state of
K. IVilliam Allen, corroborated tho testimony of the first two witnesses, as it respects the position and peculiarities
of the body when found.
:J. Benjamin Mamiester, also deposed to the same facts, adding, From the 6tackyard, I went to my labor, and about 18 or 20 rods from where the bo-f
Tecum to obtain
hndm of 'virah M Cort.eW. alier .t was entry, oui couiu not swear posmvejy
11" icA nf fu rwfees: I examined without the books and way bill, which he
the neck to see if it was brok-n, but could had ntgiected to bring. And Mr. Mason
not discover that it was. I could not at couiuiiuiug . ii.u...UJ .vu..u v., Jirst perceive any cord, it was so deep in memory refreshed by wntlen documents, Ihe neck, but on turning to one side 1 saw could not be ev idence unless the origin, I a little knot and string near the right ear, documents were produced to coroborate
but nat on lerit It was what is called u, me .-mumcy wn.t.ai """f '
by farmerstwo hitches; but we who hare for a subpoena Ducis
),Dcn t.- coo ru it !i 11 rlove hiuh.' We them.
H V- - l W CV'l) '.OH - it -in lii imp catvei. nans
ingtbe cord twice round the neck, tak dersea 10 me s.u.awon, c. o, lHe uy ing the hitches, and then one (person) when found, the proceedings of the inpulling one way and the other another, quet, and his custody of the letters im Farmers sometime call it a 'cow hitch.' mediately alter they were found in her hnrizonlall v. and will trunk, &c.
not draw if pollr d in any other way. .It Cro examined a long time, and with wis exictly round her neck, as near In amazing difficulty, being an old man of one ear a- to the other; I tried to get imtable temperament and rather deal -hold of it with my fingernails, but could I don't know to a certainty whether I no' ar.d called Job Cook to help me gel swore the jury or not; charged hem . c.i fr.,! iose a knife lest at the stake; I have held halt a dozen
. ? .1.1 cL:. however we were inqnetts before wilhout swearing a jury,
l-.pa , ihVord and when we and one on which you (Mr. Randolph)
.u n,U we jrradoallv whs concerned
.1 it roivnl the ne k till it was un
llrt "C'l 1
s
1 A
be mistaken. We discovered a fains, pregnancy; I com not form a decided which at first appeared to be about half opinion the first visit, but afterwards told
ffrown. but it reouned a minute insnec- her she was undoubtedly so. This was
tion to ascertain its sex, which preved to 7 or 8 weeks prior to her death
he female, and wa returned to the body. Attorney General. If it please the
We did not at this tiae examine the low- Court I propose to ask the witness whe
est parts of the abdomen, for some of the ther the deceased made any cbmmunica
jury objected to ihe removal of the cloth tion to hitn in reference to the author ef
with w hich they were covered. The er situation, ana wnai the conversation
countemru c of the deceased was not was that passed between them. I did not much distorted: the eyes were closed, ask the witness this question, because I
and the face pale, which is not often the knew Ihe learned couftsel opposite intend
cae in bodies wnich have been hung, ed to ebjecj to it: but I propose that the The tip of the tongue was a little between conversation be slated to prove the facts:
the teeth. At the second examination 1st. I hat she did inaite known her situa
on the 2Sth January we found he body on and 2d, that she did name a certain
.,. nparlv as ffood a state cf nreservatiou individual as ihe cause ot her situation.
as ot 'aisl. and there was no more smell I bese tacts 1 propose to prove because I
but the fice apparently in places where UBderitaud one of the principal grounds
the fiosl had bitten it-was covered with 01 eeience in mis cause is, mat me ae
a white mould, and enderneath by mak eeased committed suicide; and these in an incision we found the substance facts, if proved, will show that ihe usual
which resemble spermaciti. Dr. Wilbor motives to suicide uuder similar circam
and mvself directed our attention to cer- stances, namely the fear of disclosure,
lam iarts for the purpose of ascertaining could not here have impelled her, lor
whether any violence had been applied they will how that she had already dis
tn tboe narticnlarlv. Oo removing tbv clesed both ner situation and Us author.
cloth we perceived the discoloration to Mr. llandolfk The real object, if it
he much lower than we had before ob- please the uouri, wun which the Attor served it The lower abdominal muscles ney General proposes to get io this con
had evidently been bruised, for they were versatioo, 19 to implicate my client as be
mixed with extravasated blood; and on ing the father of this woman's child, and dissecting the cuperficial muscles of ihe thus to prove a very important pait of
. . 1 1......
back.cn each side of the spine, just above ihe case uy second hand declarations ot
itsiuncti in with the pelvis we found thejherewn: but by no rule of law can such
same appearances, but a little higher on testimony, be admitted: her declarations
the left nde than the other, and each I have not the aumority ot dyiog testimony, hrnise was about two inches over. The and wete not made under oath. The
bruises in front appeared to extend from fact thai she applied for medical aid may
one groin to the other. We then care-1 be evidence, but ner declarations are not,
fully dissected out the part refeired to; the cavity of the oterus appeared as usual,
hut its orifice was nearly black and open
and the upper part of the vagina around
it was dark livid. These appearances induced us to apply the test of washing,
to ascertain whether they were the effect hot delay the trial at preseut by contin
of force frorh a hard substance; we ac- utng to discuss the question of evidence cordingly cut the uterus into small see raised last evening, but should proceed
lions, and found that its dark and livid with the testimony
portions wonld wash white, whilst the Dr. Thomas Wilbur, (cross-examined.)
parts which bote a healthy appeerance Hlien 1 first saw the body, the day would not Wp applied this established after her death, the tightness of the test to some pieces of the large and small string round her neck, her cloak being ir.testins. but these not having been hooked throughout, and her arms and
hrnised would imt wash white. I am hands under it with gloves on, were cir-
unabletosay whether these peculiar dis cusmtances which looked like homicide, J . .. . i. rl 1 1 J 1 i 1 L!l
cnlora ions an oidinanly the result 01 ana caused a aouoi on my mina wuicri
r tv,i. w.vi.. fnB.r fT;ffrnr ! death bv straniiulalion, I should think not. 1 could not dispose ot. Alter a mailt
a.,linilIJl.nJ,-(v..... ,1.,l.f.,n!mnni.,MnH..An1 Mn Vnry
in COnsC('ienr.e Ol luuioia iiini iiic 1 igui iuuc ui uuniijwi iuui ijucoitvita, 111 arm ot IrW deceased was broken, we e- dolph eaid on your last eXHmination amined it, nd found it was not. We of the body was there any thing appamp:iured sad weighed the festus a4 ac rent from which you would swear in a
curately as possible, and found its length case of life and death, that a hard in
to be 8 incites, and it weight 5 ounces. Utrument had uecn mtroducea lor tne
rhP umbilical cord attached to it was an purpose of producing abortion? it-
inch and 3 .hid f in length. I am of upin-Hess 1 here is a dillercnce in tceling
ion that although some of the riiscolora- certain ota tning ana aote 10 swear 10
tion were partly occasioned by incipient it: it but to the best ot my Knowledge
.1 1- r 11 t I ,r.
.utrefaclion. there wns one bruise at least and Dclier me dtscioranon which was
which-could not be doubted. I am ot lotlnd on ine parts, couiu not nave ans
opinion that the cord around the neck en from any other cause." A pretty
dy lay I found a piece of a woman's-
and they must die with her
The Court adjourned till moriiog. FIFTH DAY. Friday iMdy'O. The Com t met at 8 o'clock, A. M.
The Attorney General said he should
comb, which has since been known to-
be S. M. Cornell's; the one produced is the same. 1 work on the land belonging to Andrew Robinson, about 50 rods N. W. of the stackyard; and or
the Attn December last, about sun-set.-Abner Davis and 1 started for the west end of the meadow towards the shores-
leaving a considerable charge of powder in a rock orr wnich we had been' -working to blast it. Near the west end of the meadow we saw a man set ting on the w all, with the skirts of hia
coat held up in his hands; he jumped
down, and as he was crossing where
we had passed, quite hi a directioa which would expose him to dnnger from the explosion, 1 told Davis to bing out to him, and just as he halted the pow der took lire, lie canted his head n little to avoid the falling stones, and if he had gone much further they would
have fallen very near to him. He w as dressed in a dark brown surtout coat,
buttoned up snugly, and a wide brim'd
black hat. His height was rather a-
bove the common standard, but I had
no opportunity to see his features; he first went square across the meadow,
and then hauled east. I have since seen E. K. Avery, and the dres, sta
ture and appearrnce of the man in tho meadow resembled in every particular those of the prisoner. There was a cart standing in the lot .where we worked, about 1(X) rods from the stackyardf into which we had put some bags we use to sit upon in drilling with some of
our tools, and these bags were sewn up with such cord ns that round the stake-Cross-examined. There is no wall between the stack nnd the place where
I found the comb; the ground is rough, and rather descending towards the
stack, There are no apple trees within 50 rods of the spot where I found
the comb, but now and then some rost
bushes and briars.
to be continued-
that of the colored wo
.. . 1.... 1 l-i:
man: ine veruici 1 iimeve was untiuc.
1-1
Col "ff : of ihe
1 '. II ... I -J i flwrtL IT H"Jd cinikOil ln till lh
" . -4 .1,0 -ulash vtr nirs wete under 11. ntu 1 g v
. ... rt-r.r.r hich sailots call jurors; three or lour s.gned it, but not
. rim- hoKh"...ue call it houz.ng mo.e than four; I don t know where the i. .... PKia is hke the string, vf i.nct is, I lelt it on the table and it has
V'r ' " ' ' i it ibau it been lost; I will go home and look for it.
.;!r ,i..a .,, .M,s 1., be the wn.de Ueluctantly) hut if I can't find it I won't
1 ' ' 1 i u 1 1 l. .t riVa hit hpon int'nrmprl itiia
rf i fX'rt two or three ir.caes wu.c. . U....R ... i" -
r . ? . lai inp rrniitsi 1 vpriui.1 wna ...
1 1 I gaie :vi. 1 . 1 - . , ...:,J 1.0. I . I'hp rlpreased. S. M. t,irnpll
he ninev uenern", ' - , -
mortp the clove nt'cn upon ins iuui... uiCU o - -r- --
. ; acted 1 Every boilv with the assistance ot a married man
i .. . rlove hitch m-i-t be drawn pbe second verdict I believe is in court
, -,. .'.iu. .-.in both hands, or vou will exr.ept the testimony of Dr. Wilbor
1 :.'. :(.,,.. i,pre th k-nnt U which he borrowed of me. and which
neferg'. ii'4",,;i ---- -- - . evJJL thr Jurvl want to ask has been published 111 the newspapers
the witnea my malefaction and th it VVitness put 011 his hat ai.d asked when
rf the i-v, whether that knot will not he shouui ne waweu again. J .11 .n a nerrendicular diiection, 5. Dr. Foster Hooper practise med
v?hen ti' ends are brought togetherl cine ai ran iviver, 1 mei ... i.,tr tho eirint nnd tihiw fter closine in v stud ies. and where I have
rvvune-? - o 1 . . 0 - .
ed ihe i.Ti"ossihility 1 So yon see, it will resided five ye rs
.... u fixed that war.
UJI .1.- I , .. .. ,L M...lv. l'nllU;inO
Cross Exunined What I slated at theriiterreu, uui on me ......w...B that there mirht her death, in John Uurfecs barn. I here
' .V r..,i inrhPd nf the strioff hane- was a delp indentation ail round the neck
.i,,rn.rkhpnch-w.sciitdnwn fiom three-eighths to half an inch in
I V ,t thi k it wa Gve ioches, but will depth; it was nearly horizontal, and on
't swear tt was not.Bjx; I speak to thelcarryrng the head lack it Dcctne quu
Greenville, (JV. C) May 4. A strange
notion prevails among superstitions and illiterate people, that the human frame
is susceptable of gendering snakes, lizards, etc. and when a person is bitten by them, they are propagated, and formed within their system, and attach themselves to some viscus perhaps the liver or kidneys. We have known.
an individual, who was thus strangely
infatuated y who often said he could
feel the reptile coiling in his stomach,
and describes it as being of the size of
his arm. This person has, on numberless occasions, expressed a desire to un
dergo a surgical operation, in the belief, that the snake might be extracted i but was as often told he was laboring under an atlection of the liver; which he would become angry, and, persisting, declare the snake was eating out
A few days since, he died;
his vitals.
was drawn tight enough to have stopped warm debate ensued between the coun-land, according to promise, a surgeon ci."
the circulation not only in the veins but sel, towards tne conclusion 01 ur. wuin the caroled arteries. We passed a burs testimony, on the subject of depo
sing round the neck in the indentation, silion which he gave before the coro-
and then on tke outside "f il, arm the ner, and which had alterwards enlar-
difierance of circumterante if I correctly ged, and permitted to be published in a
remember, was an inch and a half; it Providence paper in March last. I he
would probably have been more had the witness expressea nis regret 11 6nouiu
head been placed back when we mea- have been published at that time, as it sured. for ihe diameter of that part of contained all the statements which the
neck is less when the bead is in that deceased had made to him with res-
pot-ition. - .-, Pect ,0 Avery; hut at the time witness Cross-examined. The eneorged state gave it to the Editor, he did not know
of the lungs to ght have been the same that Avery would return to thisscction
whether she died ol strangulation or of of the country IUr. Mason concluded hanging.- THe-hlood might descend to a discussion more than usually exciting
the abdomen find extremities by gravita by an attack upon newspapers in gch-
tion and Ihus discolor those parts, but this oral, which wc will not report, lest it
our town opened him. We witnessed
the post mortem examination, and, to
our astonishment, beheld tiie greatest
mass of disease in the liver, our eyes have ever seen. We could not per-, ceive a sound spot on his viscus; one. entire body of corruption and abscess;
and was four times larger than its natural iizc. Wc saw the abdominal, as well a9 thoracic viscera, examined; many parts of which were diseased; the heart on one side was unsound the pericardium coutaiqing considerable
water. ' ' ' The St. Johns(New Brnnswick)Ob
server announces the death of Mr. Paul
could occur onlv when the vessels had should utterly exterminate a class ofl who was wounded at the battle of Le .. . ..I ... .. l-t ! 1 il, C 1 iL.
I did not see the body
of Saiah M. Cornell, before it had been
become too weak to suspend it bv capil publications to which some persons
. "..! . ii. ,-. Hi
lary action: the cellular membrane would liave been largely liiueDieu ior tncir
become dark. but not the muscles. Some rcpulalion.
of the muscles were covered with extra- Lemuel Brjggs, Postmaster at Bristol,
vneaud hlond wbirh we removed with Mth witness) recalled. On the lUth
- . .1. . ' . ..
forceps, and Jhese being bruised would
ington, and fwed the first gun on thti British side on that memorable day. There were 17 deaths in the city of
Cincinnati, daring the week ending on
November one letter was received fromUhcSth inst. of which 7 were bv Chale
Fall River, postage G cents; there are! ra, viz: John Fosley, aged -45; Vm
wash white. I never delivered a lecture in Swansea in which Avery wai mention ed. lie mifht have been talked of in a
private conversation after tn'v lecture,
and this reported ae a part of iu I an he paid; there were twe charges a-' Mary Harden) 25.
several other charges entered against
Mr. Avery that month, and my son took
a receipted biP of them Io him, which
Conner. 27: Rebecca Mavwood. 51
- ? - j - -1
Polly Spencer, colored woman, ol; bdith Dugan, 34; Daniel Bachelor 09;
