607 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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Here is the translated text as follows:

ALEXANDER WHISTELO

575

Alexander Whistelo followed the profession of an attorney, or a scrivener, who had a very amorous wife. However, he did not have the leisure to attend to all her gaieties. Once, unable to free himself from her importunities in any other way, he upset his ink bottle into her shoes while toying with her. She subsequently bore him a black child. He reproached her, but she reminded him of the ink bottle and his awkwardness. There is also the story told by Malebranche of the woman who saw a man broken on the wheel and bore a mangled and disjointed child. If such changes as the last are true (and there is strong authority for it), then the mere change of color or complexion is not difficult to believe.

The cross-examination of Dr. Mitchill was continued by Mr. Sampson and extended to a variety of topics, producing much anecdote and repartee. The subject of albinos was fully discussed, including their feeble structure, weak eyes, leprous appearance, and their being found chiefly in low latitudes. The Chacrelas of Java, the Bedas of Ceylon, and the white Indians of Darien were instanced; all are within the eighteenth degrees of north or south latitude. Mr. Buffon’s opinion was cited, that they were not a distinct race, but individuals degenerating from black to an adulterated white, supposing the blacks to have degenerated originally from white to black. However, as it was admitted that the whiteness of this child bears no resemblance to that of the albinos and cannot be explained on the same principles, it is unnecessary to pursue all the details of the examination on that point.

The proximate cause of the fairness of albinos was stated to be the absence of the rete mucosum, which gives color to black men. The dots and redness of the eyes in albinos were supposed to be owing to organic debility, which admits of extravasation of the blood and its lodging in the globules in the iris. The want of the rete mucosum, which fortifies the eye of the negro against the sun's glare, is the reason why the eyes of an albino are unable to bear the sun and are more fitted to see by night.

Mr. Sampson mentioned the two children of Chamouni, or albinos of the Alps, with whom he had frequently conversed. He compared their eyes to those of owls and other animals, fitted for night or long twilight, which called forth an anecdote from the witness of a numerous flight of white arctic owls that had visited this city some years ago, remained for some time, and then disappeared, having never been heard of before or since. Dr. Mitchill also mentioned the white sparrows of Sweden, the hares of Albany, and a white bird with which he had been regaled in Canada, whose flesh was very delicate. However, in response to a question put by the counsel, he answered that he had never seen a race of white deaf dogs.

Mr. Sampson: "Doctor, since your opinions were likely to be unfavorable to the side I am to advocate, I must avail myself of the privilege of cross-examination. It would be necessary with so learned a witness to say that the adverb 'cross' was not to be taken in the vulgar acceptation. 'Cross' was in contra-distinction to 'direct';"