The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-24
DIED WITHOUT A WORD.
CHAS. N. ERICH DIES AND MAKES
NO SIGN.
Au Inquest Held by Coroner Cole.
man-TestimOny Of the
Witnesses,


nope OF the most sauguine was abau-
Toned yesterday morning. At neon
MS temperature had fallen to l0l9, his
was GO, and his pulse lao.
He had not taken any nourishment to
amount to anything for twelve hours,
and did not speak word. He died
with bis secret locked in his bosom,
and, though the doctors were able to
find the fatal bullet, the Coroner's
Jury could fud no witness to the mid
night tragedy.
DR.. W. B. Rogers performed the
operation OF trephining. He made an
incision in the back of the skull with
such unerIing precision that the bullet
was touched at once by the instru-
ment. 1t had struck the back Of the
skull, become hAttened about half,
and was firmly imbedded in the brain.
THE INQUEST
At 4 o'clock Coroner J. NJ. Coleman
was summoned to hold an inquest and
impaneled a Jury of seven men, as
follows: Jesse T. Brown, d. II. Hay
den, L. P. Jehl, A. M. Stoddard, ]. H.
Fisher, r. A. Odlum andM. B. Hayes.
The inquest was held in the bedroom,
where The body of the suicide lay
upon the bed upon which he was
fouud with bullet hole in his fore
head last Sunday morning. The
spectacle was sad one, and all who
were present were visioly affected by
it. Seven witnesses vera examined
Drs. Erskine, Nall and Rogers, Hem
nings, Mrs. Rosa Cox, Flora Williams
and Richard Custer. The two oldest
boys of the dead man were also exam
ined. Mrs. Erich was not present,
DR.. Nails TESTIMONY.
DR.. Nall said he was cent for early in
the morning. He fastened to the
house and found Eich laying on his
back, with his right hand paralyzed,
the bed saturated with blood and a
hole in the center Of his forehead. He
continually raised his left hand, srok-
ing his forehead with il. He spoke to
Erich, who was in a semi-conscious
condition, and he opened his eyes and
groaned. DIR. Nall also discovered
that he had vomited quantity OF
milk, grapes and smear case over the
right hand side OF the bed on the floor.
There were several drops OF
blood in it, showing that he
had leaned over and vomited
after he had been shot. Just under
the edge of the bed lay Smith &
Wesson pistol, with one barrel empty.
His theory was that sitter Erich shot
himself he became sick at the stomach
and reached over to vomit, and that
in bis struggles the pistol dropped of
on the floor. The bolster, which had
two powder burns on the further end,
was pulled over and doubled around
the pistol to mutfle the sound.
MRS. ROSA cox,
who lives disgonally across the street,
about ninety feet away, was sitting up
with sick husband, heard pistol fire
about 3 O'Clock and ran TO the window
She imagined that the report was
down the street. She remained at the
window some time, but everything re-
NAMED calm and quiet.
FLORA WILLIAMS,
the colored cook, testified that she
lives in South Memphis, and got tc
the house about o'clock Sunday
morning. When she entered the
dining room she said Mrs. Erich wa!
very much excited aud confused
Mrs. Erich, who was undressed, said
to her tba. she thought Mr.. Erich was
poisoned. 1t was instantly discovered
however, that he had been shot, and
Mrs. Erich Immediately sem her ioi
DR.. Nall.
RICHARD CUSTER,
colored, who lives in the neighbor
hood, arrived on the scene shortly
after the shooting but was able tc
throw no light on the affair.
Drs. Erskine, Henning and Rogers
who arrived after DR.. Nall, could ado
nothing to his testimony.
RRICH's SECOND soN
was not put under the rule, but was
examined closely by the, jury. He toC
a plain, straight story. The member
of the family, he aid, were not in thu
habit OF going to bed at the came time
They all slept in the same room, bu
retired when they fe,t Disposed. HI
slept in one bed with his father, hi
two brothers and mother sleeping IL
another bed close by. Saturday nigh
his father came home about or II
o'clock, and soon afierward went t
bed. His mother and brother
retired soon after, and in abou
half an hour he, who YVES last to retire
went to bed with his father, A few
minutes aftarward his father got on
of bed and put out the lights, leaving
the room in total darkness. The pisto
was usually kept in the dining room
but whether he went in there and 60
it he did not know. After the light
were put out be remembered nothing
nothing more until far in the night
when he was awakened by a sount
which sounded like the report OF la to.
cannon. The windows, which werr
projected by wire screens, wer
open and he imagined tn
noise came from the outside
Directly aiterwsrd he heard his fathe
vomiting and groaning. but as that wa
not unusual be paid no attention to i
and dropped of to sleep again. II,
was the frs. TO get up in the morning
noticed that his father was Wild,
throwing one frm about, and that hi
face was bloody, and gave the alarm
Toe eldest boy hear d-Actliug, and til,
little follow, who is a mere infant, wa
not examined.
MRS. ERICH,
as state d, was not pre!ent. Had sh
been wltoess 1t is likely she wouIt
have testified about as follows: Fo
some time p'st she has susp scteC
Erich OF infdelity of The backes
type, her suspicious amounting to con
vittion. They often had violen
quarrels but he did not reform. She
tried to get proof but flied. !
short time since che went I,
Judge Morgan, and telling hin
that her life with Erich wa
a burden asked him 10 procure her
divorce. She mad nothing to give q
reasons except suspicious. Judge Nor
gan told her he could not proceed
without proofs, and she employed De
tective Prvde to obtain it for her
He traced Erich to the house OF Mne
Adeline Clark. and also discovered