The Nome Nugget

Man May Have Died Before Injection

MANCHESTER, N. H. (AP) - Dr. Herman N. Sander's claim that a cancer patient died before he injected air into her veins still stood after a stiff attack.

Attorney General William L. Phinney tried hard Friday to have a star defense witness say Mrs. Abbie Borroto was "practically dead" and not entirely dead when he saw her last Dec. 4. He failed.

The witness was Dr. Albert Snay, who said he found Mrs. Borroto dead a few minutes before Dr. Sander put air into her veins in an apparent gesture of impulsive mercy.

Phinney put the word euthanasia into the 10-day-old trial record for the first time with a suggestion that young Dr. Snay favors such mercy killings.

"I have no opinion on euthanasia," insisted Dr. Snay.

The rapid-fire order in which 23 defense witnesses took the stand Friday led to a defense prediction that testimony might be over by Tuesday. Thus, the case might go to the all-male jury by Thursday.

MANCHESTER, N. H. (AP) - Dr. Hermann N. Sander testified in his murder trial today that "there was no indication of life, no reaction," when he injected air into the veins of Mrs. Abbie Borroto.

He also said "I never had any intention of killing Mrs. Borroto."

Under questioning by one of his attorneys, the defendant said he believed she died of cancer and he so signified on her death certificate.

Asked, then, why he dictated the entry in Mrs. Borroto's record that disclosed the air injection, he replied:
"I think it is the duty of every doctor to put down on the charts what he has done for every patient whether it has any effect or not."

The 41-year-old country doctor on trial for murder in the death of the cancer-ridden woman said he called for a syringe the morning of last Dec. 4 after he looked at his patient and thought she was dead.

"It is my opinion then that she was dead," Dr. Sander testified in a calm voice. "I can't explain exactly what action I took then. Something snapped. Why I did it I can't tell. It doesn't make sense."

"Did you have any intention of killing Mrs. Borroto?" asked defense counsel Ralph Elangdell.

"I never had any intention of killing Mrs. Borroto," replied the doctor.

Q. Did you ever agree to kill Mrs. Borroto?
A. I never agreed to kill her.
Q. Did you know what you intended to do with the syringe?
A. I do not know what I intended to do. I remember trying to get into her vein.
Q. Was there blood on her arm?
A. There was never any blood anywhere. I tried to get into the vein. I did not use a tourniquet to bring up the vein. Her veins were collapsed.