050 Page – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

Here is the translated text as follows:

X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS

I found him to be tolerably well, though he seemed low-spirited. I thought it best not to prolong the conversation, so I said to him, "Mr. Gordon was a co-laborer of mine on the railroad, and he was a near friend of mine; please state whether he suffered or not after he was shot?" His reply was in these very words: "I can assure you, sir, he did not suffer." I was not present at the finding of the body, but I arrived just afterwards, and before the coroner was called. I did the writing for the coroner at the inquest. I personally and particularly examined the body. I found a wound on the left side of the back of the skull. Young Mr. Briscoe was called on to probe the wound. It was a gun or pistol shot wound, about 4 or 5 inches deep, ranging from the left ear to somewhere about the right eye. His hair was full of coagulated blood, which made it difficult to find the wound. I have seen many gunshot wounds. I was in Captain Weightman’s Company at Sacramento when we buried 350 men. It was a pistol shot. I think this ball of a cavalry pistol (showing one) would be the mate of one found in that wound. If the head was severed from the body, his death could not have been more sure than from that wound. I have seen others shot in the same way, and they did not live a minute.

**Cross-examined:** I have seen wounds made by the same kind of pistol. From the mere aperture, I believe a pistol with a conical ball would make exactly such a wound. A round ball would not. I examined the body particularly and found a diamond pin on it. I took it off, along with several things, a notebook, a foot rule, etc., and handed them to Major Walker; also some keys.

**Re-examined:** The diamond pin could not be seen when he was found because his coat was buttoned over it. His head was uncovered. He had no gloves on. One hand was bent under him. His cap and gloves were missing. I don’t think there was any money found on him. There was no watch found on him.

**William Park, M.D.:** I am a physician and have practiced very little as a surgeon, but I have seen a great number of wounds. I have heard the testimony describing this wound. In the way the last witness described it, it must have produced death, but often where a straight wound goes through the head, the person may recover, and neither death nor insanity ensues. The oblique direction of this wound must have produced instantaneous death.

**Dr. Childs:** I have heard the examination. The testimony has not been sufficiently definite to pronounce on; it seemed to be conjectural. If the ball passed through the brain to the right eye, it would have produced instantaneous death.

**Cross-examined:** I have heard no definite testimony as to the range of the ball. I understand Mr. Taylor to say he supposed the ball took that range, not that it was so. I think the wound would produce death, but without a post-mortem examination, I don’t think anyone could pronounce definitely. I don’t think one could pronounce without knowing where the ball went to with certainty without an aperture.

**Re-examined:** A wound in the

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