Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-18
THE DEAD MAN.
CONOLUSION OF THE CORONER's IN
QUEST yesterday.

The Werner Family Repeat Their Tes:i-
mouy-A Decision Reached-The Fall
Stunned Him and Then He Frozs to
Desth-The Werner Boys Discharged
from Custody.
The inquest on the body of George Wer-
ner was resumed yesterday morning at II
O'Clock, at the residence Of the deceased.
The evidence Of the son, John Werner, Was
as contradictory as that Of the other mem
bers of the family. The following are the
proceedings yesterday:
JOHN WERNER, swoRN.
The deceased is my father; have been
away from the city since last March; returned
on December 7th, and have since boarded at
the New York hotel, at No. SO Minnesota
street; did not so home because l had
no money and did not want to make any ex-
pense; had some trouble with my father
last white dec. 7th, 1879 but it was all
settled by alawyer, and lived home until
last March: was at the house one day last
week, d. not remember what day it was
saw my father last alivs before went away
from home last March; saw my mother
when was at the house last week; my
brother August was present at the time;
met her on Seventh street near Hope
street, Sunday morning. she said she
was going to church: was coming to
the Harvester Works Monday morning,
when met my brother Henry, who told
me of my fathers death; went to the place
and saw him lying there; was in the vicinity
of the Harvester Works Monday afternoon.
but went back to my boarding house about 5
O'Clock, and was there at supper about 6
o'clock.
MARGARET WERNER,
wife of the deceased, recalled: Saw my son
John on Friday afternoon; went to town to
see friend, and stopped at his boarding
house on Minnesota street; he went with me
toward home as far a saloon on Seventh;
when he left he said he wanted to SEQ 8
friend in there; do not remember the
mans name; did not see him
from that time until Tuesday morning when
the body was brough to the house; did net
see him Sunday, either on the way to Or in
the factory to look for work Tuesday morn
A0S uAASAA LAO AA0S AAOAASs
JOHN WERNER RECALLED.
Visited the house Wednesday or Thursday
afternoon between and O'Clock; went
there to change my underelothes, as my
trunk had not arrived from the country;
do not remember whether I was at
the house Friday or not; my father
was at work when I was at the hoasa;
saw my mother Sunday morning near John
Basis saloon; said she was going to church.
DIR. DAVENPORT, SWORN.
Was notified of the finding of the body
by Henry Werner; when he saw it the body
was lying on the left side, the arms thrown
back, with the head doubled under him and
hat on one side; from the position Of the
body and the head being close to rock, was
of the opinion that he fell from the trestla
above. The witness then gave his
opinion as an expert and atsted
that there was no evidence
of fracture OF the skull, and his opinion
was that the fall produced conclusion Of the
BRAIN; and death was caused by exposure.
It was somewhat remarkable that the fall
only caused the wounds, bat he had known
of cases where death resulted from concua-
zion and no wounds were visible. The sb-
sence of blood from the wounds was owing
to the man having his hat on and the in
tense cold.
JOHN BITTRrCH, SWORN.
Keep saloon near the plow works; de-
ceased was in the saloon Monday morning
about II o'clock and drank three glasses OF
beer; went away at noon, came back soon
and waited to geo farmer named Schultz,
to whom he owed some money; complained
OF feeling sick, and, after paying Schultz So,
left the place; think it was about o'cloak
when he went away; did not ses
him alive after that time; know he
had some trouble with his son John
about year ago; he was confined to his bed
for some time after that; his sickness was
caused by blows he received at the time Of
the assault made on him by John and man
named William Proetz.
DR.sDEDo1rH,
who had made an autopsy of the head OF
deceased, then stated to the jury that he
found no fracture at the top or base of the
brain; noticed in his examination
an old meningitis of the membrane
of the brain, which was caused by blows on
the head at some time recently. The skull
of deceased was unusually thick. and fall
of that distance would not be likely to kill
him. His opinion was that the fall produced
conclusion of the brain, and his death was
owing TO exposure.
This closed the testimony, and the jury,
who were somewhat suspicious as to the
cause of death. owing to the contradictory
testimony of the family Of the deceased,
rendered the following verdict:
That the deceased came to his death by con-
cussion of the brain, supposed to have been
caused by falling from the railroad track.
TIE SUSPICIOUS THEORY.
Tho case has attracted some attention.
owing to the contradictory evidence of the
members of the family of the deceased,
which was brought out in the inquest pro-
oeedings as published in yesterdays GLOBE.
The fact that the son John Werner had not
been on good terms with his father and had
assaulted him about year ago, together
with the statement that he had been seen in
the vicinity on Monday afternoon, sroused
suspicion.
At the inquest on Tuesday the testimony
of Mrs. Werner and the two sons, Henry
and August, was very contradictory as to the
movements of the deceased on Monday.
The son, John Werner, had left the house
and could not be found, and Coroner Stein
concluded to hold the three boys until tho
matter could be cleared up, and accordingly
locked them up for the night. The evidence
yesterday did not help to dispel the sus-
picious circumstances, but the jury, aided by
the statement of the doctor who made
the post norton examination, and the fact
that Mrs. Werner and the two sons, Au-
gust and John, did not know the name of
one day from another "a fact which would
explain in manner the contradictory testi-
nony), found the verdict as above. In &C.
cordance with the verdict the three Werners
were discharged from custody yesterday sf-
ternoon.
DAILY WEATHER BULLETIN
OFFICE OF OBSERVATION. SIGNAL CORPS, q. 8. A.
INaERsoLL BLOCK, THIRD STREET,
Or. PAUL, MINI.
Observations taken at the same moment OF
time at all stations.
Meteorological Record V1ec ~ 1879 9.k6 % ~