Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-23
IT WAS NOT MURDER,
ALTHOUGH THE CIRCUMSTANCES LOOKED
VERY SUSPICIOUS.
The Almost Instant Death Of Wel-Known
ColOred Citizen, Just Before Noon
Yesterday.


A case which bore upon its face a good
many of the elements necessary to first
class tragedy, and which for i time induced
the belief in many minds that murder
had been committed, occurred in the
eastern portion of the Second ward, yester-
day morning, and gave rise to many sensa-
tional stories upon the streets during the
day and evening. The summary arrest of
two persons as precautionary measure,
and their incarceration in Jail to await the
finding of the Coroner's jury, gave color to
the stories aflOat, and the impression OF
foul play was further strengthened by the
prolonged examination had by the jury
under the supervision of Coroner ]. w.
Schultze.
For some time back Augustus Brown,
well known cOlOred man, q driver, we be-
lieve, for the firm of BOdley Bros, has
been boarding at the house of Mrs.
Mary Williams, No. 1890 Morrow
street. Yesterday morning he arose lit
tie late, ate his breakfast, and then about
Ii o'clock, at the suggestion Of Mrs. Will
lians, went down street and purchased
some meat and half 4 pint Of whisky for
her. Returning, Brown drank some OF the
whisky, and Mrs. Williams finished the
bottle. The woman lay down on the floor,
and claims to have known nothing until
aroused by the screams of one of her chill
dren, who said Brown was dying Brown
was at that time very sick and apparently
suffering intense pain in the region OF the
stomach, and messenger was dispatched
for DIR. Stillyard, the cOlOred physician.
Before he could arrive however, the at
tack proved fatal, and his skill was OF no
avail.
The affair produced, as q matter of
course, the greatest excitement IN the
neighbOrhOOd, and soon almost the entire
cOlored population of the Second ward,
with scores of the white citizens of the Vi
cinity, were cOngregated about the portion
of Morrow street upon which the Williams
residence is located The police were at
once notified of the suspicious cIrcum-
stances of the case, and Coroner Schultze
was sent for, arriving shortly after noon.
Before Jury had been impannelled, 1t was
deemed best to arrest Mrs. Williams and
one George Hoffman, who was known to
have made threats against the deceased, and
who was further known to have been a
rival of the deceased for the hand of Mrs.
Williams. Hoffman was arrested on Main
street, by Officers JunkinS, and lodged i'll
iail, while Mrs. Williams was found ut the
house of Thomas Johnson, and also placed
behind the bars to await the finding Of the
jury.
The remains of the dead man were re-
moved to Mendel's furniture factory, on
EOtl street where they were placed i'll u
coffin, and thither the Coroner repaired, and
proceeded, about 1 o'clock, to hold an in
quest, the jury consisting Of the following
gentlemen: C.. X. Tracy, foreman, T.. Nj.
Rolls, jeremiah Crawford, Robert Strange,
James Jones, George X. McNlechen, Ham.
Davis, George Prayer, John Mooney, VIM.
Darrah, Robert MCGEE and Thomas New
man. The witnesses examined were VIM.
Ruffner, Mrs. Mary Williams and daugh-
ter, George Hoffman, Gabriel Jackson,
Dennis Gardner, DR.. Stillyard and County
Physician Wilson.
The testimony adduced was very con-
flicting in some particulars, it being stated
by Mrs Williams that on coming in the
deceased had poured out about two table
spoonsful of whisky and drank it, while
her daughter testified that her mother
had poured out the liquor and handed 1t
to him. 1t was shown, that both Geo. Hoff-
man and the deceased had been in love
with Mrs. Williams, and that the former
had been arrested ut the instance Of Brown,
in June last, which act had induced llOit-
man to make threats against Browns lito.
II was also shown that Brown had been i'll
perfect health in the morning, having
eaten hearty breakfast. DIR. Sullyard
testified to having found 4 whisky bottle
in the room where Brown died. Mrs.
Williams told him there were no other
bottles in the house, but the Doctor made
search which resulted in bringing to light
two half pint bottles, each containing some
whisky, and another flask containing some
light liquid, either alcohol or gin
DIR, Wilson was the last witnessed call
ed, his testimony being desired Us an eX-
pert on the effects Of poison upon the
human system. The Doctor testified that as
far as he couldjud there was nOsymptoms
of poison present in the case. He thought
death had been caused by some heart
trouble. or from some natural arrangement
of the stomach or bowels, There was no
poison with which he was acquainted which
would fulfill all the conditions present in
the case. But one poison known to medi-
cine would cause such instant death, and
he doubted if there was any of that in the
city,
This ended the testimony and after same
consideration the jury returned verdict TO
the effect that the deceased came to his
death from natural causes.
The body of the deceased was then pre-
parcd for burial by friends, and the inter
ment will probably take place to-day.