The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-04-17
4HB HEARING
OF Dr. John R. Pipes and Tay,
Ior Foreman Last N gh'
CONTINUED TILL TONIGHT.
The Evidence of a Numb of Wit.
nesses Taken last NiGht...No
Particularly Important DOvel.
opments...The Evidence.

The case of Dr. John R. Pipes and
} Taylor Foreman, charged on the affidavit
otWilliam Branstroup, with taking from
grave in the Infrmary cemetery, on or
about the 18th day of January last, the
body OF Henry Wstsbecker, came up for
preliminary hearing before Justice Of
the Peace George Arkle last night.
At 1880 the Office was filled with a
crowd Of witnesses aud spectators, and
1t had to be cleared before the hearing
could begin. Capt. B. B. Dovener was
on hand to represent the defense and
Prosecuting Attorney Howard con.
Quoted the prosecution.
The frat witness was William Bran.
stroup, the engineer at the 1nfrmary,
and the man who made the affidavit
upon which the warrant Yves Issued. He
said: ~ am employed as engineer at
the Ohio county InGrmary; l was there
in January last; knew Watstecker; he
died on the seventeenth Of January; he
was buried in the cemetery OF the In
Urinary, about a quarter Of mile from
the building; saw the grave opened
last Monday; the body was not in it;
saw the body in the coffin in the grave
at the time 1t was placed there after
death am sure Of the grave in which
the corpse was placed; the grave was
opened on last Monday by Isaac Litter
and Joseph Campbell do not know
when the body was removed from the
grave; Taylor Foreman was superintend-
ent at the time the body was buried; l
know DR.. Pipes by sight only he was
there the day after Watsbecker died he
came out on the four o'clock motor and
walked to the InfirmGry; saw him and
Foreman coming from the hospital 10
tho house; Watsbecker was buried after
Pipes went away; Pipes was there once
after that; saw him talking to Fore
man; he came out in buggy with a
lady 1t was aboutR month laterI was
not 1t the graveyard the day the body
OF WatsbeCEer was buried: saw It the
next evening; we weDtout and dug the
body up and louud II there; I have not
seen the body since the body was taken
TO the graveyard in wagon; number
Of inmates OF the institution were with
it.
Cross. questioned by Captain Doyener:
"Did you ever see any other physician
from Wheeling out at the inirmary%
Eyes, sir"
"Was 1t not common for physicians
and others to come TO the infrmary and
make an inspection OF it?"
"0thers came when they cared TO. II
was the fact that Watsbecker died the
same day that made 1t look strange for
doctor to come out there"
Have there not been some changes
in the political complexion OF the infrm.
ary management within the past few
months?" ..-s
At this point Mr.. Howard objected,
and he and Captain Dovener argued as
to the sufticiency Of the evidence the
Captain wished to introduce. After
few minutes talk Mr.. Howard withdrew
his objection aud the question was al
lowed. Captain Doyener went on to
prove that there had been changes in
the politics Of the infirmary manage
ment several times within the past two
years and that tho managers and en-
pioyes who are now making charges
against each other are Of different poll
tics.
Upon direct question from Captain
Dovener as TO who robbed the grave,
Branstroup admitted that he did not
know who had committed the robbery,
and that he had no direct knowledge
that the defendants had any connection
with 1t. He was positive, however, that
the body had been taken and that 1t was
not in the coffin when the grave was
opened last Monday.
Captain Dovener then read the war
rant to Braustroup and asked him II he
had sworn to the contents OF II. Mr..
Branstroup admitted that he had, but
said that he did not know that the war.
rant unqualitiedly asserted that DR..
Pipes and Taylor Foreman had robbed
the grave. He said he supposed they
had done it, and had sworn out the war.
rant on that ground. He said that
Creighton and Higgs had led him to
suppose that these men had done the
robbery. There was then considerable
questioning as to the relations OF in
timacy between Branstroup and q Mrs.
Douglas, at one time a nurse in the In.
frmary, but 1t brought out nothing OF
interest to the caae.
Branstroup said that he first suspected
that the body was not in the grave the
night 1t was buried because the grave
was not filed up that night. He and an
inmate OF the Intitmary went down TO
the graveyard the next night and opened
the grave to see II the body was there,
and they found 1t all right. This, he
said, allaycd his suspicious and he had
no further reason to suspect that the
grave had been robbed till 1t was opened
this week and the body was found
missing.
Branstroup gave some further evil
dence as to circumstances and things
about the InArmary, but nothing that
had any direct bearing upon the case.
Thomas HigGs was next called: He
said that he knew DR.. Pipes and Taylor
Foreman, but did not know Watsbeeker:
Mr.. Howard asked II he had ever had
any conversation with Mr.. Foreman
about opening grave and taking q body
from the cemetery. Mr.. Higgs replied
that he had not. Mr.. Howard then
changed the form OF his question and
asked: "Did you ever have any conver.
cation with Taylor Foreman that would
indicate to you that he wanted you TO |
open a grave?" Captain Dovener oh.
| jected, and Mr.. Howard then changed
the form Of the question again.
"Mr. Foreman and DR.. Pipes are
charged with having taken body from
the grave yard at the IufrmRry. Do
you know anything about itH"
ItI do not
he then said: 81 had conversation
with Taylor Foreman about the time
WatsbeCker is said TO have died. met
him near the Elm Grove station and he
asked me II WANTED to earn So, Iasked
| .nk ~ 1 ,rnn IN dn Aklhnl mint wa RnrA