Direct examination by Mr. Wilentz:
Q. How long, Doctor, have you been a physician
licensed to practice in the State of New Jersey?
A. Almost 35 years.
Q. And in addition to your license to practice medicine in May, 1932,
did you hold an official position in the County of Mercer?
A. County Physician of Mercer County, yes, sir.
Q. And in your capacity as County Physician, were you called to perform
an autopsy upon the body of a child on May 12, 1932?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. By whom – and where did you go as a result of that call?
A. I was notified by the Coroner that he had sent a body into the
morgue in Trenton, known as Swayze's morgue on Greenwood Ave. I called
there about seven o'clock in the evening of May 12th to or perform an
examination and autopsy on that child.
Q. When you saw the remains of this child, was it recognizable?
A. The facial expression was quite good. The facial muscles had not
deteriorated, although the body generally was in a bad state of
decomposition.
Q. Have you seen pictures of the Lindbergh child?
A. We had a picture of the Lindbergh child produced at the morgue that
evening, and I made a comparison, the best I could, and I was very much
impressed with the fact that it was the same child.
Q. Now, Doctor, that was the only autopsy you performed at that morgue
that day?
A. Yes.
Q. How many autopsies would you say you have performed in your
experience?
A. Oh, probably a thousand.
Q. As the result of your examination, can you tell us what caused the
death of this child?
A. There was no question as to the cause of death. The child died
of a fractured skull.
Q. Can you tell us whether of not that fractured skull was the result
of external violence?
A. It had every indication of it, in my estimation, from my experience.
Q. What was the nature of this fracture – was it extensive or not?
A. Quite extensive. The fracture extended from a point about an inch
and a half posterior to the left here, it extended forward, well,
probably three to four inches; it extended upward to one of the
fontanels; it extended backward around the back of the head. In other
words, it was a very extensive fracture.
Q. Will you please tell us, if you can, your opinion as to the
relationship between the fractures that you have just described and the
time of death?
A. I would say death in this case occurred either instantaneous or
within a very few minutes following the actual fracture occurring.
Q. There were some parts of this body missing when you performed this
autopsy, were there not?
A. Quite a lot of them, yes, sir.
Q. Did that prevent you from ascertaining what in your judgment was the
cause of death?
A. Not by any means. I come to my conclusions as to the fracture
occurring during life by virtue of the fact that on the inner wall of
the skull at the point of fracture there was still the remains of a
blood clot. That blood clot could not come there if the child was dead
when the fracture occurred. That fracture occurred on a living child. It
bled. The clot was still there or part of it. That indicated in my mind
the blow was struck or the damage done, however it happened – I can't
say – but it was done prior to the death of the child or at least some
time during its life.
To the effect that I think it occurred immediately is proven by the
extent of the fracture. It was so great, covered such an area, in my
estimation, that proved conclusively it was instantaneous or almost so.
Q. What you are giving us, Doctor, is your best judgment on the basis
of your many years of experience, is that not it?
A. That is all, sir.
Mr. Wilentz: That is all I have with this witness.
Cross examination by Mr. Reilly:
Q. Where did you graduate from, Doctor?
A. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Q. Are you on the staff of any hospital?
A. I have the privileges of every hospital in Trenton, but I am not
actively on the staff of any of them at this time.
Q. How many autopsies have you performed on children under the age of
two years?
A. It is rather difficult for me to tell you, but I have performed, I
think I can say in a conservative way, at least two a week, on all sorts
of cases. Now, we will allow out of the entire lot ten percent for
children. I can safely say I performed a hundred on children, or more.
Q. Of all ages?
A. Oh, no – yes, of all ages.
[Mr. Reilly pursues a list of possible causes of
death, e.g. cardiac conditions, kidney conditions, lung conditions,
liver..., and elicits a response from the Doctor that none of the organs
in question were present, or, if they were, were so far decomposed as to
be useless from an analysis standpoint.]