The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-16
THE INQUEST HELD.
Mr. Richards Tells the Story Of
His Wife's Death.
THE FATAL WOUNDS DESCRIBED.

Dtuu NOtlun anu w Ouuueu blun
Give Their Testimony-The Story
of Bran, the Suspect, Denied by
A Responsible Witness.
RISING Sun. Md, April 16.-The ex-
citement over the murder of Lizzie
Jenny Richards and the attempted muir
der of her husband, Granville Richards,
has increased rather than diminished.
AS the news of the tragedy has spread
into the more remote districts Of the
country the people have been slowly
focking in from all sides, until there is
a continual stream of visitors along the
Porter's bridge road leading down to the
house in which the tragedy took place.
Little work of any kind is being car
ricd on in the vicinity. Farmers have
left their plows and mechanics their
workshops and benches to come into
town, and even the women gather to-
gether in small knots to discuss the de-
tails of the horrible event. Many of the
older inhabitants have taken especial
precautions in fastening their doors, an
unusual thing in this quiet neighbor-
hood.
The Coroner's Inquest.
At 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon an
inquest was held ON the body of the
murdered woman by Coroner Perry
LitZenberg, of Elkton, and jury which
consisted of the following: Foreman,
III. III. Haines, president of the National
bank at Rising Sun; J. T. Hindman, w.
M. Moore, jesse A. Kirk, school COM
missioner; w. G. Brown, Milford b.
Richards, Stephen j. Murphy, ]. r.
Coates, B. B. Dunbar, of Elkton; George
Ash, editor of The Democrat, Ellfton,
and Charles f. Hinchliffe also of Elk
ton.
James Granville Richards was the
first witness, and he gave the story of
the shooting substantially MS published.
The Doctors Testimony.
DIR. George s. Dare, who made the
autopsy on the body Of Mrs. Richards,
said that the bullet had entered the
head on the right side of the brain, about
an inch and half above the ear, and
taking downward course and passing
through the posterior portion Of the
brain, had lodged against the skull on
the left side ut the base of the brain.
There was severe hemorrhage of brnin
ventricle and rupture of the brain sub
stance. Clots of blood had formed in
the brain, and small pieces of the skull
were scattered in the substance of the
brain.
Mr.. Richards Wounds.
DR.. Charles E. Turner gave corrobora-
tive testimony regarding the autopsy.
He was called to see Mr.. Richards at
$3.50 a. m. on Monday. He found two
bullet wounds, one ON the front of the
lower portion of the chest, through
which the bullet had passed along the
course Of the rib. The other had en-
tered on the side Of the chest and follow
ing the same course had passed out in
front. The ankle was not broken, but
there WAS q heavy crack of the ankle
bone. This wound might have been
made in falling down stairs.
This concluded the testimony and the
jury passed into the parlor to sec the
body. The dead woman was lying on
an improvised trestle, covered with a
sheet which was stained Win blood. The
"face was fearfully distorted and showed
the agony undergone before death re-
heved her of her sufferings.
The Jury's Verdict.
After consulting for few minutes the
jury returned the following verdict: 1--WE
find that r.. Jenny Richards came to her
death on Monday, April 13, 1891, at the
residence of her husband, from the eff
fects of pistol ball that entered the
brain, fired by the hand of some person
unknown to the jury"
A sensation was created when Con-
ductor W. F. Haller, of the Philadelphia,
Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad,
came forward and stated that he had
talked with George Bran, the suspected
man, at II A. M. on Monday at the Per-
ryville depot. This contraiicts entirely
the story told by Bran, who says that
on Monday he was in Baltimore.
The board of county commissioners
will to-day offer a reward for the arrest
and conviction of the murderers, which
prominent citizens of this district have
promised to increase to 5000.