Part 19 (2/2)
”So that there was sufficient morphine solution left in the syringe, to have enabled Miss Conlin to taste it, as she claims to have done?”
Mr. Bliss asked this question, because at last he had discovered the full intentions of the Doctor. It is very often the case in great criminal trials, that, either upon advice of counsel, or by direction of the accused, vital points are left unexplained, or else related with variations which convince the jury that a lie is told. The prisoner having heard all of the evidence, sees that certain acts of his have been viewed, and accepted as proof of his guilt. He becomes afraid, and when asked about these, he denies flatly that they have occurred. Then the prosecution, in reb.u.t.tal, brings c.u.mulative testimony to support its first witnesses, and the jury, seeing that the prisoner has lied, conclude that he is guilty of the crime charged. Yet it may be that a man may lie in following a badly conceived line of defence, even though he be an innocent man. Still, it takes a brave man, and a cool one, to go upon the stand and admit damaging circ.u.mstances as Dr. Medjora was doing. But Dr. Medjora was undoubtedly courageous, and not one to become confused. Therefore Mr.
Bliss, admiring his coolness, decided to give him a chance to relate the very occurrences which when told by the nurse had seemed so conclusive of guilt. Dr. Medjora replied:
”I have no doubt that she could have tasted the morphine in the water in which I washed out the syringe.”
”Can you tell how your wife obtained possession of the hypodermic syringe, and the morphine?”
”I did not know at the time. But as it was the aluminum case which has been placed in evidence, it must have been left by Dr. Fisher, unless she abstracted it surrept.i.tiously from his bag.”
”Do you know how much morphine she took at that time?”
”No, not positively, but I have no doubt that the estimate made regarding the missing tablets closely represents what she took.”
”You mean three and one half grains?”
”She probably took between three, and three and a half grains, as some was left in the syringe.”
”Then that self-administered dose was sufficient to cause death?”
”Oh, no. I have known her to take twice that quant.i.ty.” This statement was also received with much surprise.
”The experts told us, Doctor,” said Mr. Bliss, ”that a sixth of a grain has caused death.”
”Has been known to cause death. Yes. But that does not prove that it will always do so. The _habitue_ becomes wonderfully tolerant of it.
The records are replete with histories of from twenty, to even a hundred grains of morphine without fatal result.”
”Then you do not think that three, or three and a half grains of morphia would have caused the death of your wife?”
”Not of itself. But if a quant.i.ty of the drug was in her system, this added dose may have contributed to her death.”
”In such a case where would the morphine be chiefly found after death, by chemical a.n.a.lysis?”
”In the intestines mainly, because there the stored quant.i.ty would have been. But also in the stomach, because of the recent administration.” This view was entirely agreeable with the expert evidence.
”In your opinion then, your wife died from the acc.u.mulation of morphine, all of which was self-administered?”
”Certainly all the morphine that she took was administered by herself.”
”But you are charged with having administered morphine, or other form of opium, which caused death. What have you to say to that?”
”I deny that during this last illness, or at any time, any such drug was administered to my wife, Mabel Medjora, by me, or at my order!”
The last speech was electric, partly from the manner of its utterance, and especially because, for the first time during the trial, the dead girl was called by the name of the prisoner. Mr. Bliss felt a.s.sured that he had won his case, and yielded the witness for cross-examination with a smile. Mr. Munson begged for an adjournment, that the cross-examination might be continuous, and not interrupted as it would necessarily be if begun late in the afternoon. This request was granted, and the shrewd lawyer thus obtained time to read over the Doctor's evidence, and be better able to attack him.
CHAPTER IX.
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