January 6, 1894..Felton's Murder

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As published in the Evening Journal; 

Jamestown, NY,  Saturday, January 6, 1894.

FELTON'S MURDER.
INVESTIGATION AT THE BUFFALO STATE HOSPITAL
By the Commission on Lunacy - The Case Reviewed- Testimony Given Corroborates That Obtained at the Coroner's Inquest.

BUFFALO, Jan. 6. - The state commission appointed to further inquire into the circumstances attending the death of George Felton, late of Poland, Chautauqua County, convened Friday at the Buffalo state hospital.

Deputy Attorney General McMahon conducted the investigation and on behalf of the state lunacy commissioners, which was represented by Dr. C. E. F. McDonald.

George Felton died at the state hospital Oct 9, 1893, and it was alleged that his death was due to injuries inflicted by a brutal attendant at the hospital.

An autopsy was performed by Post Mortem Examiner Hewitt, assisted by Drs Mafinger (sp?) and Kidder. Dr. Hewitt's certificate, it is claimed, did not show the true extent of Felton's injuries but glossed over the whole affair. The body was then shipped to Bemus Point, 17 miles from Poland township, but when it arrived there no certificate was found with it. Drs Schofield of Bemus Point, Wilson of Dewittville and Rice of Jamestown made an autopsy to discover the cause of death, so as to give a burial certificate. This was done on October 11.

On that occasion the found 17 ribs broken, and so reported. The body was interred by Coroner Van Dusen of Chautaugua county. The Chautaugua county report differed, however, from that of the Buffalo doctors, and it was decided to hold another and a more through examination of the body. It was exhumed and this time 22 ribs were found fractured and numerous abrasions of the skin were discovered. The fractures and abrasions were sworn to as ante mortem in character. 

Friday Special County Judge Peckham of Chautauqua county was present at the investigation. So was Dr. Wilson, Dr. Schofield, Dr. Rice, Coroner VanDusen and one or two other parties interested in the case. 

The first witness was Dr. Rice who gave exactly the same testimony to the commissions as he did to the coroner's jury. The thorax of the dead man was exhibited and the fractures pointed out. Dr. Rice gave it as his opinion that the death of Felton was due to undue violence. 

Drs. Schofield and Wilson gave similar testimony, which they have previously stated.





Another article in the same paper, same day

The Head will be Exhumed.
BUFFALO, Jan 6 - There is a mystery so deep about George Felton's teeth that the only way to solve it is to dig up the body and have the head examined.

Drs. Rive and Scofield are from Chautaugua county and Special County Judge Peckham accompanied them to assist in the examination. These two doctors testified that Felton's teeth were knocked out, and in support of their theory, swore still sticking in the jaws of the dead man when he was buried. 

In rebuttal of this testimony, Dr. Kidder swore that the assitants at the hospital had found most of the teeth in Felton's room before the latter died and tht he found two of the himself. The doctor sad that Felton spoke to him of his teeth being out on the morning of the day he died, and on examining the mouth he saw that the patient had had several teeth pulled out during the night. Later in the afternoon, when he was making another call he found a tooth on the floor. On hunting further he got another and looking in the mouth he saw that two of the teeth that were in the mouth in the morning were gone. He recognized the teeth he had found as the ones he had seen in Felton's mouth in the forenoon.He gave it as his judgement that the teeth were pulled out and not knocked out, and a dozen or so of the teeth were poured out of an envelope on to the table for the commission to examine. These, Dr. Kidder, swore, were Felton's teeth. 

It was a puzzler and the commission decided that the only was to settle such a question was to dig up the body and have the head brought to them for examination. 

The commission adjourned to the call of the president, which will probably be one week hence.




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