Part 21 (1/2)
”No. But he is skilful and his office is very near to the house where the patient was. That fact was of importance in deciding whether to retain him or not.”
Mr. Munson seemed to strive almost in vain to outwit the witness who adroitly parried every attack.
”You have claimed,” continued the lawyer, ”that Miss Sloane administered morphine to herself?”
”I a.s.sert it.”
”Then at least you admit that a dose, a large dose, was taken by the deceased in your presence, on the day of her death?”
”Yes.”
”And though you, as a physician, were conversant with her troubles and aware of the danger of such a dose, you did not prevent her from taking this dangerous poison?”
”I endeavored to do so. I took the syringe away from her.”
”You took it away from her after she had taken nearly all of the dose?”
”She had taken all but five minims before I could reach her.”
”It was you who sent the nurse away, I believe?”
”I gave her permission to go out.”
”You told her to remain until nine o'clock?”
”I told her that she might do so.”
”And this syringe incident occurred at eight o'clock?”
”At eight thirty.”
”That is, half an hour before you expected to be interrupted by the return of the nurse?”
”You do not word your questions justly. I did not expect to be interrupted by the return of the nurse. To be interrupted, one must be occupied with some special work. I was not specially engaged.”
”You were supposed to be specially engaged watching your patient, in place of the nurse, with whose services you had dispensed. Had you done your full duty, that is, had you done what the nurse would have done, kept your patient under surveillance, she would not have had a chance to take the morphine, would she?”
”It may be that I was grievously at fault, not to observe her more closely. But I thought that she was asleep. An error is not a crime.”
”There are errors that are criminal. Your jury will judge in this case. Now, if you please, answer my question without further evasion.
Did not the nurse return half an hour sooner than you expected her?”
”She returned half an hour earlier than the time up to which I had given her permission to be away.”
”Exactly. Now, had she remained the full time, she would not have known anything about this morphine incident?”
”Of course not.”
”In which case, you would have kept it a secret.”