Trial of Thomas O. Selfridge, counseller at law : before the Hon. Isaac Parker, esquire ; for killing Charles Austin, on the Public Exchange, in Boston, August 4th, 1806 / taken in short hand, by T. Lloyd, esq. reporter of the debates of Congress, and Geo. Caines, esq. late reporter to the state of New-York, and sanctioned by the court, and reporter to the state ; copy-right secured.

  • Selfridge, Thomas O. (Thomas Oliver), -1816.
Date:
[1807?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Trial of Thomas O. Selfridge, counseller at law : before the Hon. Isaac Parker, esquire ; for killing Charles Austin, on the Public Exchange, in Boston, August 4th, 1806 / taken in short hand, by T. Lloyd, esq. reporter of the debates of Congress, and Geo. Caines, esq. late reporter to the state of New-York, and sanctioned by the court, and reporter to the state ; copy-right secured. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    26/174
    passed the handle of it about three inches into the wound ; I might have gone further, but I saw the direction was such that it must have passed through some principal blood vessel; the wound was upward.and on withdrawing the hammer the blood flowed very freely from it; every circumstance satisfied me that he died of that wound. Parker J. Did you know the person ? A. I did not at first. Q. When did you recognize him to be Mr. Austin ? A. I found it was a young man described to be a Mr. Austin, but I did not know him at first—I instantly after, however recog* nized him. Sol. Gen. Did you ascertain the direction of tjie wound ? A. Yes—-It was oblique and diagonal with the trunk of the body, inclinging upwards towards the right side ; it must have pass- ed through the lungs, but not the heart, for it lodged above it. Parker J. Have you any doubt of the death being occasioned by that wound ? A. Not the least in the world. Sol. Gen. From the best opinion you can form, of the nature of that wound, are you of opinion which it would produce—instant death, or a temporary suspension of muscular power. A. It is a nice question, which cannot be answered definitively or directly; we judge frequently from circumstances which have occurred—I should say, that the immense flow of blood would have produced syncope, and death; a wound of a large blood vessel might not be attended with instant death, but would produce syn- cope, and death afterwards. Sol. Gen* Is it your opinion then, that if the ball had pierced the heart of the deceased, he would have retained muscular motion, or not? A. None of the cavities of the heart could have been pierced, as no muscular action could take place after wounding a large vessel of the heart. Att. Gen. Must not a wound of the kind of which the deceased died, produce spasm ? A. A momentrry one, a sort of convulsive action, but it must be involuntary. James Richardson, Esq.—Sworn. Sol. Gen. Please to state to the Court and Jury what conversa- tion passed between the Defendant and you on the fourth of August last, immediately preceding the death of Mr. Austin. A. I was in his office some little time before the event happen- ed ; he gave me some short account of the cause of the controver- sy between him and Benjamin Austin—— Parker J. You need not state that.