New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-06
TOO HoRRID FOR A JUROR.
Row GUNTHER wEcHsUNG WAS KILLED.
KRULIscH rs POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS THE
BOY WHO BOUGHT THE HATcHEr-
DID HE Use, IT.

4
BOY WHO BOUGHT THE HATcHET-
DID HE USE TT
The details of the killing of Gunther Wech-
sung the drug clerk, were. repeated in part yes
tcrday before the jury who are trying William
Krulisch for the murder. The trial has involved
an unusual amount Of description of wounds and
the display Of bloody weapons and clothing.
Juror Gifen, who is sufferer from excessive
nervousness, was sick on Thursday after some of
the witnesses had described the scene Of the
finding Of Wechsung's body, and yesterday he
had similar illness while DR.. Kelly was desorib-
ing the wounds found on Wechsung's head. The
hatchet with which the murder was committed
lay on the table in front Of the Juror most Of
the day.
Some excitement was caused in the courtroom
carly in the day by report which had its origin
with one of the court officers. BE said that
Juror named Hamerstein, who was serving In
Part of the court, builder having charge OF
the erection of the Harlem Theatre, had visited
the courtroom of Part II yesterday while DR..
Doepfner, the druggist was testifying before
Judge Gildersleeve. The juror watched DR..
Doepfner for time, and finally told the court
officer that he recognized the druggist as a man
who kept drug store at Fifty-secOnd-st and
remembered dimly that at that time there was
some tragic deed committed at the place. lie
could not remember the details, whether DR..
Doepfner WAS in any way implicated In the
affair, but it was brought to his mind by the
testimony in this case. Mr.. Hamerstein is said to
have an ofict in Bowling Green AS Part I
adjourned at ar early hour, he could not be seen
at the courthouse.
n;obk Trib ad IN r
Doepfner aud found him in a high state Of indig-
nation over the report. :" The story is untrue
from beginning to end" he said his eyes lazing
with passion. No such thing ever happened
before in nv experience Some years ago my
brothers Eugene and Carl and myself carried on
business at the store at Fifty-secOnd-st and Sec
ond-ave Ono night the drug clerk went to the
door Of the store TO clear away crowd OF young
roughs and girls who were creating disturbance
outside the windows As he, reached the stoop
one of the men jumped forward and struck him.
The man was arrested and locked up. The fol-
lowing day discharged the clerk for drunkenness.
On another occasion my brother Eugene was
knocked down one night in Forty-tourth-st ny
a drunken Waterman named Keene, who was
next day fined S25 by Judge Patterson No other
disturbance Of any kind-eXccpt the murder here
has occurred during the time l have Deen IN
business"
Mr.. Doepfner's statement was confirmed by bis
brother Eugene, and by B. X Kolb, the undertaken
who had charge OF Wcchs1HgS noGy sps T Tjfty
ssecond-st. PREMISE, now occupied BY @ & P.
Swezenberg. Captain Werts, of the Fifty .hrst-st
station, said know nothing about It.
THE PRISONER IMPAssIvE.
The prisoner maintained his impasslve de-
mcanor. II he is Of sufficiently bright intellect
fully to understand the proceedings, he Is certainly
possessed OF courage He Is apparently more
unconcerned at the testimony than any other
spectator Detective Price, who was on the
witness stand on Thursday, continued
giving his testimony yesterday. BE described
infinitely the aCtl of Krulisch while he was under
the watch OF the detectives. lie said that ne
asked Wechsung whether he had opened the door
leading from his room into the hall. Wechsung
aid that he had not. Krulsch also den'ed that
he had opened the door, On Friday Krullsch said
der, although the detective snid he, had denied
on the previous day that he had bought an.
The detective told OF his search for the person
a similar make at the store of IsidOr Freundlich7
at No. 1919 First-ave. Adolph SchlesS1nger,
was in the store when one. Of the hatchets
their confidence that they could identify the boy
who bought the Ratchet The boy was taken to
FreundHch's store, and Freundlich identified him.
The boy was asked:
He answered: You are mistaken. Why
should buy Ratchet. II had sixty cents /
wC4d have had my shoes .Ss M hSed d Krsob wash
ing his hands after he had washed the blood of
Of wechsung's face.
Was there blood on Krulischs clothes?' he
I could swear so by hearsay,' the detective
answered.
kind could not be admitted, and Detective Price
said that everybody had blood on their clothes |
and Krnli ch was among the number.
Dr. Kelly Of Bellevue Hospital test testified to the
were dozen OF them. Most OF them were on the |
top Of the head and on the arm. DR.. Kelly IL |
luStrated his testimony By the ne of q miniature |
skull There was no evidence Of any blows such |
as would be made by a mallet The blows |
showed that con iderable force was used. The /
weapon must have been used by man Of fair .
strength, he thought but not necessarily by q |
muscular man.
THE BOY IDENTIFIED.
Henry Weisendanger, the clerk who took
Wechsung's place after he was killed, testified
that when he was formerly employed W DR..
Doepfner he told Krulisch how 10 open the money
drawer in the store, so that the boy could give
rh" nCe TO customers.
Isidor Freundhch, the keeper of the small hard
ware storeI where the Ratchet which killed
was purchased, testified that he sold
il 10 Krusch the dav before the murder, He
Eas sure of the identity Of the purchaser. He
chase. he also told Of the sale TO another bOv Of
4 'imlar Ratchet He said that he had only three
hotchetS Of that kind, and that the one he sold TO
krulisch was the only one which had CO..
marked on it TO denote the price. lie said that rs
soon as he saw Krulisch with Detective Cuff he
him. AdOlph SchleSSinger, who was
n the store when the purchase was made also
testified that krulsch was the purchaser.
Mrs. Wilhelmina Loster and Mary Heimbuecher
who werc at the bakery where kruliSch uenaly
Fought his rolls, testified that the boy bought ne
oils on the morning OF tn murder " We admit
~ said Mr.. Purdy, he did not buy them at that
store" Police Captain WertS give testimony OF
light importance but on Gro S-eXamination ad- ,
nitted that detective had watched Krulisch in
MS CELL Further testimony for the prosecution
will be given to-day