J. Coyixouax, a sailor belonging to the s.s. Kent, was charged on remand with having stabbed another sailor on board that vessel on Saturday night, Dr. Bunce was first called. Before being sworn he asked to be allowed the customary fee for giving evidence.
His Worsuir asked what the customary fee was.
Dr, Borog said in England. it was o linea in criminal cases; but he did not now what it was here. He believed Dr, Little once got fifteen dollars, His Worsurr said he had no objection to allowing a feo, if the man had wages due to him.
Dr. Bunce said he did not wish to press for payment; he only made the application on principle, because one might be called to give evidence in a large number of cases.
His Worsuty expressed the opinion that it was only. right that professional men should be paid for giving medical evidence.
Dr. Burox, having been sworn, said he had attended the complainant and had found an incised wound about three quarters of an. inch long on the head of the right arm bone, He had been told that the wound had been caused by a sheath-knife, and that it had required considerable force to withdraw the knife. If this were so, the knife must have penetrated the bone, though, as it would not be proper to probe auch a wound, he had not ascertained this asa fact, At present the wound was, progressing favour: ably, but it might even yet result in los of the arm, blood poisoning, or abscess of the bone.
From the evidence taken at the first hearing, which was to-day read over to the witnesses, it appeared that the two men had quarrelled, that the complainant, had challenged the prisoner to fight, and that the latter had then driven the knife into the complainant's shoulder. The complainant, who admitted that he was drunk at the time, said he never felt the blow, and did not know that he was stabbed till ten minutes afterwards. The man was taken to the saloon, where the knife was withdrawn with considerable difficulty, The Chief Officer stated that he afterwards said to the prisoner, "Do you know what you have done? If it had been an inch either way it would have killed him and the prisoner replied, 'I wish it had.'
Capt. Mircueit, master of the Kent, before signing his deposition, added that he had held the complainant's shoulder while the mate and carpenter pulled out the knife. They had made some attempts to pull out the knife before that.
His Wousute said it was too grave a case for him to deal with as a common assault, He would have to commit the prisoner for trial.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.