Wichita eagle., 1886-12-21
IT IS MURDER.
Thos. W. Owens, the COroner's jury
Say, Came to his Death
From Blows Upon the Head delivered Win
Fe,onious Intent by John Jerrick' par
tender ~ John Nau's Germania
Restaurant Dive.

= Sunday NIGHT a man named Thomas W
O,vans died at the residence of Mrs A. N
Wilson. No. III North Exposition, "es'
Wichita. declaring upon his death bed thai
:, he ca me to his end by blow upon the head
) received from the hands of some one at the
Joint over John Nau's restaurant, corner o.
! West Douglas and Water street. He was
? man about so years of age, rather small o.
stature and partly blind, of a kind dlsposl
b ton, but given somewhat to dissipation. h'
had come to the city Tuesday from j. b
Carrolls. about eig bit miles southwest OF ths
citv. Upon receiving his pension money
for he had been soldier, and during the
war had almost lost his eyesight-he begar
the rounds of dissipation which
resulted in his death. Inc Causes
which lead to his death may be best CLEANED
from the evidence given at the coroners In
quest.
J. <. Thompson who had known him for
some time, had faith enough in his dying
declarations to call upon Coroner Wlngard
Yesterday morning, and after stallng Tue
case called for an inquest to be held upon dis
deceased friends body and to have the sup
posed assassins handed over to justice
TWAS unnecessary for him to concern
himself in regard to the latter, for the ponce
had the suspicioned man, John Jerrick. I'M
der arrest.
The coroner Immediately had Deputy Don
nelly summon jury, composed OF the fol-
lowing gentlememen: j. Meyers, ). Z.
Slavin, Perry Wilkins, Jas. Longmeyer' w.
NJ Grimes. John w. wilson,
and at o'clock they repaired
to the place where the corpse was lying HIS
face was badly swollen and discolored; upon
his head were two ugly gashes, one on the
ton. the other on the side about two inches
above the left ear.
After viewing the body the jury returned
to the coroner's office and the inquest COM
menced by the introduction OF the teStiihohy
of Dr. j. G. Fisher:
Nv name is J. S FisheL; l am physl-
clan of six years stanuinS
The first | saw of the deceased was Oh ',ie
morniug of the 18th MIR. Gould brought
him to nv office to have his wounds dressed.
| took hlm to Outs drug store ana dressed
his wounds the Tuesday night upon whlch ne
| WAS injured Some one had put cotton Oh
th. wounds. | put four stitches In one
wound and two in the other. Inc WOUNDS
were two in number, located on Top Oh Che
Uranium, one just to the ieiC VI tue Up ",
head After l told him to go nome sa"
| him no more until Friday morning, ne came
| to INV office was not at home. found
him At Caut. Tablers store. In the meantime
Tahler had called DR.. Ortt. Ortt ana
myself dressed the wound. Again someone
had put a chunk of fat meat on tne "ouhu.
II had become inhamed. After we
.iresssd the wound. the deceased said he
toud walk ND to Msr Wilson. DR. Grit
| took him in his buggy and to Mrs w llson;
| saw him that night the next morning ana
evening. The following morning "oTu cuhe
! 10 me. that the deceased wanted announcer doc-
tor. Thy called DR.. Brandon; when ne eA-
anined the wounds be told the friends tnaC
Dr. Fisher was doing as well as anyon@ I'M
dor the circumstances Sunday morning
DR.. Brandon and myself told him II he pre-
fered we would see him alternately each day
| be consented | saw him last evening ato:oo
u. m the last time alive. My opinion Is
that the immediate cause Of his deaih was
suffocation the result of the eryslpeiaS con-
dltion of the bruises or cut that he had re-
ceived. He may have received the cuts
Inv a blow or he may have received
them from a fall. The cut was
deep it was through the scalp, the skull
was not fractured | asked him how he re-
ceived the wounds, he said he was hit and
Knocked down stairs. He told me he was
robbed of SAL. He said the robbery TOOK
place across the street. from the douglas
avenue hotel. He had no other cuts nor
bruises.
Upon the conclusion of his testimony DIR.
E. l.. Ortt was placed upon the stand. HIS
testimony was as follows:
was requested by Captain Tabler to call
at his store to see the man When called |
found him, and upon an investigation L
saw that his face purple, the LETT eye
was swollen shut the right eye was badly
swollen but he could see out of 1t. bis face
had indications of bruises His head was
bruised and lacerated. | made further eX-
animation of his head and found there had
been piece of fat meat put upon the wound
| then took him to Mrs. Wilson's, left him
there and have not seen him since My opn-
ion is that the cut was caused by falling OF
| being thrown down stairs
The next witness was DR.. Brandon the
other physician who was called to attend the
deceased. He said:
have been practising physician for
% wears | found the deceased on the 18th
with two scalp wounds; one OF them seemei
to he a clean cut, the other was lacerated 10
L.
except some slight bruises on his face. When
saw the wound it was inflamed and badly
swollen, there was evidence of erysipelas; L
have not seen him since his death; L THINK
the main cause of his death was erysipelaS
supernduced by wounds or cuts on his head.
According to my judgment he was struck
With an Instrument; one cut appeared TO
have been done with a sharp instrument
while the other was somewhat larcerated q.
He made no statement as to how 1t oc-
Cured
John Garrison, real estate agent OF the
Vest Side, was the next witness:
was acquainted with the deceased, have
known him tor several years. His DISPOSE
ton was quiet, not inclined to be quarrel
some but he was somewhat disspated. On
the 10Th | went TO him, and i'll my presence
| he was asked how he came by the hurt. He
said in reply that he had been hit | asked
where it occurred he said on the corner op
po>lte the Douglas Avenue House. | then
asked who hit him: he said the bar tender
| inquired If he was sure of 1t
he said he was. | asked why
hey they struck him! For my money.
Did they get it!' Yes he replied, ''abou
. S3a'
J. +. Thompson. a farmer of Sedgwicl
county, was then called, aud after stating
his occupation and age testified as follows:
have known the deceased about sever
, years first saw him after be was hurt Oh
, the l4th | asked him how he was hurt! IL,
said he WAS struck and knocked down stair
Tuesday night, al John Nau's, corner o
4 douglas avenue and Water street. On tina
T day | came TO town aud stopped at Mr.
Nau's restaurant. | asked II he knew any
thirg of Thomas Owens, No" he said a
/ first; then thinking for a time he said, yes
Il hut / beieve he l. IN West Wichita Whel