The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-10-16
THE VAN BAKER TRIAI.
No New Evidence Adduced in
Yesterdays Proceedings.
DIR. OWENS ON THE STAND.
He Testifles, on Cross Examination,
Much the Same MS lie Did in the
First Tria1--James wriGht's
Tcstimony-Thc Evidence.
Little was accomplished in tho Van

Baker trail at Wellsburg yesterday.
DR.. Owens was called to the stand first
for cross.examination by Braddock. He
said:
Fourteen years since l practiced
medicine; saw bodies on Tuesday at 9 p.
M. Baker not present at medical exami-
nation; DR.. Morris and myself heard OF
n suspicion resting on Baker before the
examination" After describing position
OF bodies, wounds, condition OF clothing,
ETC., he said his theory was, "that Mis-.
McWha was first struck by the AK and
afterwards hit by the bolt"
'NIrs. Baker had four wounds on her
head made by the ax; after that day
made examination as to blood spots on
window and floor; there tho witness de-
tailed at length where the blood spots
were found and their appear
ance, fully corroborating testi-
mony by former witnesses. The
blood spots on the kitchen floor went
towards the front ROOM"
Maps shown witness. u recognize
this rs plan OF the kitchen. (Braddock
pointing to the blood spots) yes, this in.
dicates where the blood spots are and
they run towards the sitting room door
from where the body appeared TO lay on
the floor; examined this kitchen floor
from the light through the kitchen door;
am color blind and might get fooled on
colors; | think We found the bodies
rigid; don't remember examining bed
or under the bed; don't recollect any
chamber being shown jury.
"Don't recolleCt whether there was 3
wound on the back OF the head OF Mrs.
Baker, yet it seems to me there was:
will not say there was not"
A. &. Lee-Live at Burgettstown,
Washington county, Pa, have lived
there the past four years; knew Mrs.
McWha and Mrs. Baker; am son-in-
law OF Mrs. McWha; remember when
they were found dead was there aweek
or ten days before; heard OF the murder
about 4 o'clock p. m, Tuesday, and took
train about twenty minutes after; when
arrived Mt the house met Baker and he
said he wanted to talk to me; ! said l
would see him again and passed on into
the house; examined bodies; Baker
came to me while in the room and said
he wanted to talk tome and said /
would sec him again; next morning he
came to me the third time and said he
was going out into the yard to feed some
chickens and he wanted to talk to me.
helped make search OF the premises
with my father, Robert Patterson, and
the constable; first examined bureau ;
found watch and other iewelry; found
silver watch in case on the wall; sill
yer ware was found in clothes press ;
did not search any other room that
day, but returned the next day;
found Il great deal OF blood on the
kitchen floor; it had run towards the
stove, daming up under the zinc and
then running over the zinc under the
stove.
On the table there were impressions
OF two bloody fingers; the windows in
kitchen were both darkened there the
witness described how these windows
were darkened); examined sill OF door
leading from kitchen to sitting room; it
had blood on it which had trickled down
over it; there was blood on the left OF the
door. Baker remarked to me on Wednes-
day, 81 wish you would look after bonds;
YOU ought to have detectives to look
after the bonds" We found in Mrs.
Bakers room, on the left hand of the
chimney on a shelf, chemise rolled up
and thrown back that had blood on.
We found a celluloid collar that had
spots on unsurpassed to be blood found Il
pair ofboots, also pair ofshoes under
Eliza's bed; considerable blood on one
shoe, but very little on the other; ex-
amined other rooms and found nothing
Of importance except drawer of bu-
reau that had not been molcsted; when
in kitchen l took down sun bonnet
hanging on wall; this is the bonnet;
noticed these spots OF blood Showing
them to jurors); found the bed clothing
in n cupboard, pulled out, but not un-
folded; found a Dashboard box in q
trunk in which was Mrs. McWha's will,
note and mortgage for $500 on gold
necklace; the hasp OF this trunk was
twisted as though it had been forced
open and the lock broken.
made a further examination OF the
kitchen either on Wednesday or Thurs.
day; we found what seemed TO be roll
of charrcd paper that had on it "ofthe"
and another piece that had on it CAPT.
tai "W"; my attention was called to the
sitting room and found quite number
Of spots OF blood on the windows ofthe
lower sash upward OF 80 spots; I'VE found
quite large spot on the ceiling near
this window; the mirror hung between
the windows; there were spots
OF blood on this mirror; also spots on
the wallnear it; we found aspot Of blood
six or eight inches in diameter under
the carpet; the carpet had stains under
1t and the blood had soaked apparently
from the head OF Mrs. McWha through
this carpet and straw; l knew their hab-
its; they were very neat and tidy; on u
further search OF a bureau the day the
bodies were prepared for the funeral, we
found the bonds las described by Pat.
tersonl there were nine OF one thous.
and dollars each; found them about
o'clock p. M; Mr.. Patterson and / inn
mediatel y took them to Steubenville and
deposited them with Sherrard, Mooney
& Go.
At this point the shawl, apron. &C.,
was shown witness and identified, and
he was requested to show to the jury
how they were fixed to blind the win
dows, which he did in satisfactory
manner.