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‘CAD” CATCHERS CAUGHT.Their Examination Still Continues Before Esq. Ryan, in the Grim* inal Court Boom.Doctors V anBuskirk and Sommers Placed on tha Witness Stand to Help Their Case.The Former is Troubled With a Bad Memory; Not So the Batter, Who Knows “What’s What.”Tire Defease Will Be au Alibi.Tbe examination of the alleged body snatchers was resumed in the Criminal court room yesterday morning before Esquire Ryan. The interest in tbe case is nnabated, the room being crowded' with spectators the whole day long.The examination ofHEKSCHEI. MYERSwas continued. He testified at some length as to the body which he saw at the medical college on the night of the 23d of November, describing the appearance of the “stiff;” he thought the skull was fractured; the wound or sore on the head did not appear to be a recent one; part of the hair had been removed from the scalp; witness said be had been at the dissecting room of the medical coR lege frequently, but had not seen the body in question before the 23 of November.The witness was cross examined alt some length.He said be was a student but not fc graduate; he gave particulars as to tbe appearance of tbe body; he denied telli ing Mr. Lipes on Thursday, before Squire Ryan’s office, that he knew nothing about the case; he told him he did not know Wright; the conversation between Drs. Myers, Clark, Van Buskirk and Moffitt was a general one; Wright’s name was not mentioned; witness was before tbe grand jury; he answered all the questions asked him; told what he saw on the 23d of November; Mr. Hench did not examine him; Mr. Nelson examined him; Mr. Nelson was mild and not very smart; witness said Chief Diehl, Mr. Robert Stratton and Mr. Morrison had pumped him on the subject; they had not offered him any of the reward.Re-direct—Witness said he answered all of the questions asked him in the Grand jury room; the only conversation with Diehl was yesterday, when they talked about the appearance of the body which witqess saw at the college on the 23d of November. ■Chas. Feltz was recalled by the de fence for the purpose of asking omitted questions in the cross-examination. He admitted that he had testified before the grand jury that he never hauled in a package from Lindenwood Cemetery; he did not recollect of swearing before the grand jury that he knew nothing about the matter, nor that he did not see Dr. Van Buskirk on the night in question.On re direet examination, witness explained that before the grand jury he swore that he knew Dr. Myers,Clark andWoodworth, and that he had never been with them to Lindenwood or any othercemetery after bodies; Dr. Van Bus-kirk’s name was not mentioned; witnesshad sworn at the grand jury that he never went to Lindenwood Cemetery after packages; witness said he had hauled something from near the cemetery; could not swear that it was Wright’s body or any one’s body; the package was brought to him near the cemetery but from an opposite direction.At this point a recess was taken until 2 p. m.AFTERNOON SESSION.The Court convened at 3 o’clock p. m.Am a btndent of the Medical College; Dr. Van Buskirk is professor of surgery and anatomy, and has charge of tbe dissecting room; saw no body on the tables on the head of which were ulcers; was not in the dissecting room on the 22d or ’23d of November.Here the state rested.DR. WOODWORTH sworn: The abcess on the head ofWright extended over one-third of tbe cranium; it was not very plain to the eye, but was discovered by the touch; lanced that abcess; evidences of abcess were not very distinct; do not recollect the num her of abcesses which he bad had; the first time he came to my office where I treated him; the abcess in the neck probably caused convulsions to which he waB subject latterly; some of the abcesses reached as low as the temple; discovered no indications that these ulcers had effected the Bkull.Cross-examined—The abcesses on the head were not apparent to the eye; think there were no sores on the back of his head; do not know that he was ever injured by a blow on the back of his bead; when I last saw him most of the ulcere had healed, except the one on his neck.SAMUEL BENCHsworn; W as present at the last session of the grand jury; heard the testimony of Charles Felts; I examined him, also several of the grand jurors did the same; he said at that time that he knew nothing of the matter, but later said he knew Clark I N Myers and VanBuskirk; he said he_____1___4 I J________wood cemetery that night; said be was not west of the St Mary’s bridge on that night; am as certain of that fact as any which I have stated; the doctor said hewent in the direction of the cemetery that night; said he did not know any-, thing of the body snatching affair; said he had not been out that night with Drs Clark, W H Meyers, I N Myers H C Myers and VanBuskirk; he Baid he hauled no body in from the cemetery that night; I neverdiscouraged this prosecntion, but said that it would have been better policy not to have brought the case before a Justice of tbe Peace; have no feeling in the case; have no personal feeling against Gapt. Diehl; we have had no tronble whatever: have criticised his action; I did not offer to assist in the prosecution of this case, but did say if wanted would assist; the officers of the cemetery have said that they would not pay the reward of $1,000 should the case be- settled by a J. P., where the penalty would be a mere noms inal sura.Re-direct—knew nothing of the evidence in this case; bilt a few days since I expressed the epinion to Capt. Diehl that a preliminary examination would, be damaging.R. F. i.IPES, sworn—Live at Hellers’ Corners; know Dr. Sommers; be had no beard on his face on the 22nd of November with the exception of a moustache and goatee; he bad shaved that day.Cross-examined—Am an iniimate friend of Van Buskirk and Sommers.s. D. SI.EDD, sworn—Live in the city; am studying medicine at the college; Knew Sommer; aaw him on the 22nd of lastNovember at 8 p. m. at my boarding house, where we studied until between 10 and 11 o’clock; do not know what lime he left my room but think it was about 1:30 o'clock the next morning.Cross examined—Sommers lived at corner of Washington and Broadway: do not know who procures stiffs; never heard that Sommers was connected with the Wright affair; I live at 336 S. Broadway; it was the night that the body was said to' be stolen that he was at my room; he quit readiug at about 11 o’clock that night; it was 1 o’clock or after when he left my room; can not state how much we read in that time; Sommers went to sleep at about 11 o’clock; judge of the passage of time by the amount we read.DR. SOMMERS sworn: Live in this city; am a medicalstudent; have been a pharmacist for 8 or 9 years; on the night of the 22d of November was at Sledd’s room; went there at 8 p. m. and staid there until 2 o’clock the next morning; know nothing of' this affair; never stole a body; did not ride in from the cemetery on tho night of the 22d of November; had no whiskers at that time; am not sure at what time I was in tbe dissecting room previous or after the 22d of November; heard H. Myers' testimony; saw on the tables at about that week a new subject; saw no tumors the head, which was a male subject, ;but saw a tumor on the throat, but no other tumor or fracture; do not know who furnished the subject.Cross-examined — Left my room at about 7:45 o'clock the night of tbe 22d of November, then went to Sledd’s room, which is about three blocks south of the Pittsburgh road, think the night was cloudy: looked at my watch at my room and on the way to Sledd’s, staid there until about 2 o’clock the next morning; we read until between 10 and 11 o'clock when I laid down and went to sleep; had been to his room many times; remember it waS the 22d of November when I was at hiB room, as I saw an account of the stealing of the body of Wright that night; I was at. Sledd’s room about every night that week; looked at my watch when I left his room when near his place; have a distinct recollection that I looked at my watch at that time; ^ent direct to my room; did not see Dr VanBuskirk that night; he did not lecture that day; never was at Powers- k Fletcher's stable; have not been to Lindenwood for about one and a half years; am positive I had no beard at that time; have given this case considerable thought; would have been a fool had I not done so; knew at the time that my face was shaved clean except the mustache and goatee, that I was at Sledd’s room the night of the 22d of November; was not at the College the night ot the 22d of November; might have been there on the 23d, though not positive: might have seen Myers at the college the same night in November; saw a subject on the table some time during November; do not know what night; it had a large tumor on the neck; did not give it a careful examination; cannot fix the time of seeing H. Myers at tbe college room; saw him there between 7 and 9 o'clock in the evening; when I came back from Sledd’s room I went to bed; am one of the defendants in this case, so it appears.DR. MORRISONsworn: am an M. D. and medical student; on Friday and Saturday nights tbe college was not open to students; the dissecting room is not open generally on Saturday nights; I attempted to get into the dissecting room Friday night at about 7 o’clock; found it closed; immediately went home; the dissecting room was not open Saturday night nntil midnight; remember when tbe alleged Wright body snatching affair took place: know where the students were tbe night of the 22d of November; we make it a point to be able to do so when there is anything exciting occurring; don't know wbat was done the night of the 22d of November after 8 o'clock at the dissecting room.VAN BUSKIRKsworn: Have lived here since last spring; previous lived at Monroeville; am pro- ____A 4____ __hour of the night than any other time; do not remember of hiring a baggage wagon at any time since I have been connected with the college; do not know whether during that time haye hired any wagon or not; could not tell: whether or not I ever tried to conceal Wrights body, or whether that subject was dis cussed; know Clark, W. H. and I. Myers and Moffatt; do not know that I met them in front of Myers’ house and talked with them about the concealment of Wright’s body, or 'taking the head from the body; did not-koow Wright; I furnish subjects for dissection and dissect; generally examine subjects; see them all; at some time during the winter have seen at the tables a male subject with tumor on the' neck; noticed nothing particular about the head except a fracture of the skull; saw this subject probably in November; have seen H. Myers in the dissecting room two or three times; do not remember seeing him examine the subject referred to; that subject is still at the college; hair is generally removed from the head of the subject; did not order of Fletcher k Powers a baggage wagon to be used at a late hour on the night of the 22d of No-vember, nor of M E Woodward; that is to the best of my recollection; nor did I uae or pay for any such wagon; suppose I am as certain of this as any fact I have stated; do not recollect that when with Myers and-others in front of Myers’, house a short time after the body of Wright was stolen that anything wtjs said of the reward; have met Felts.Cross-examined—Know Clark; met him at noon to^day, said to him that he would be wanted here.Court adjourned at this Doir.t this morning at 9 o’clock.untilMf)fi£Y ANfl nnMMFRf.F
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Fort Wayne Morning Gazette
Fort Wayne, Indiana, US
Sat, Dec 29, 1877
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