The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-21
THE COURTROOM CROWDED
INTEREST IN The RICHMOND TRIAL.
Important Medical Witnesses IN the Wood
Blount Case-The Post Mortem Exami-
nation of the Unfortunate Patient
Described at Length.

Described at Length.
RICHMOND, Jan. 1S.-[Special. The
trial Of Wood began today. The first wit
ness called was Harriet C. Blount, widow
of the deceased. She stated that the last
time she had seen her husband was in the
afternoon of Sept. 2S, 1890. She saw him in
asmall room of from the main dOrmitory TO
the north, down stairs, in the hospital.
At that time he was IN bed, weak and
PROSTATE. and scarcely able to speak, in
contrast to his condition when he left
home, when he was able to walk about
and eat as heartily as for the past three
months. She stated that when she saw
him his face was discolored and swollen
and his eyes bulged out. The same night,
shortly before l. o'clock, she went into
the bedroom and found the ~lifeless body
of her husband, and at that time there
were some seven or eight persons present.
She next saw the remains in the dor
mitory, the next morning shortly be-
fore train time, where they had been
placed in the cssket. She next saw the
casket at Millville, whence the remains
were taken to Moreland, where she saw
them Sin her house, then again in the
church at Brownsville, and then again at
the grave. half way between the east and
west fences and near the south fence OF
the church-yard. She has never seen the
remains since they were inferred.
RICHMOND, Jan. 14.-[Special EThetrial
of A. j. Wood for the murder OF Thomas
j. Biount at the Eastern Indiana hospital
for the insane is now absorbing pubic
interest, and the courtroom is crowded at
every session. The first witness called
this morning was Albert K%ennepohl, a
draughtsman in the office of Architect
Hasecoster, who testified to the correct
ness OF some drawings Of ward I'D" The
next witness was Charles G.. Tompkins, an
attendant in the asylum, who testified that
he had been an attendant at the asylum
for a year and a half in wards "C' and
Cd" His duties at the time Mr.. BlOunt
arrived, were TO receive. examine and
battle all the corners to the asylum as
patients. He saw Mr.. Blount on the day
he arrived, shortly before dinner. He was
quite unsteady in his gait in walking TO
the ward, was quite ~talkative, talked very
much through his confinement. His
physical condition was good, except
for a nervous temperament. He had
bathed Mr.. Biount on his arrival at the
asylum, and noticed no injuries or discol-
o~rations on either side of the chest, and
no injuries on The body except a small
scar, almost healed, on one leg. Witness
knew James Hannah, who was a patient
at the hospital on the arrival OF Mr..
Blount. Witness saw Mr.. Blount on
lNn1nncA1u nnrnTn norlv IN tho A0Rs-
ROOM. He noticed no change in the pa
TENTS physical condition on Wednesday.
On Wednesday night Mr.. Blount slept in
the side room off from the main doTmito-
~. Witness saw Mr.. Blount in the day
room just before he (Blount) retired on
Wednesday night. Attendant Marsh took
him up stairs to his room, where Marsh
and Wood undreSsed him. Witness saw
him again on Thursday several times and
noticed no change in his condition since
Tuesday. He did not see Mr.. Blount at
the table any time on Thursday. He did
no see any one take him up stairs Thurs
day night, but he occupied the same small
room as the night before. The room
Blount occupied was furnished with a bed.
a high, broad-bottomed chair and a night
vessel. There is a door in the room which
swings toward the west, and a window op-
posite the door. The door into Mr..
Blount's room was locked by Wood on
this Thursday night. The door has two
panels removed, three feet by five inches.
About 9 o'clock witness went from ward
"D' to the doctors office TO get some med
icine for Mr.. BlOunt and was gone alto
gether about so minutes. Doctors Wells
and Druley returned with him and went
to Mr.. Biount's room directly and found
III II -4.--l
ants, in the room. Peterson and Marsh
were standing at the head and foot of the
bed while Woods was holding Mr.. Blount
in bed with his left hand on his breast.
Mr.. Blount complained that some one was
versation with Wood at that time and had
asked him if he tried to choke Mr.. Blount
and he Wood answered that he
had not, that it was simply one
of Mr.. Blount's delusions, that he
(Blountj had struck at him Wood
twice and that he had been compelled to
restrain him. Mr.. Thompkins stated that
he had never had a conversation with
Wood on this matter since. He also stated
that one OF BlOunt's delusions was that he
was making speeches, and another that he
carried in his body several bullets re-
ceived in the army. Witness stated that
this statement of a delusion about being
choked, as made Thursday night. was the
first one of the kind he had ever noticed.
RICHMOND. Jan. 15.-[Special. The evil
dence of Day Attendant John Marsh, late
Yesterday afternoon, and the substance OF
which was detailed in this mornings Sen
TINEL. was the first direct shot fired by
the prosecution, and has had a
tendency to deepen the already intense
interest of the public In the pro-
ceedings of the Wood murder trial, and
when court opened this morning the room
was crowded to its utmos and has con-
tinued so all day. Marsh resumed his ev-
idence this morning on cross-examInation
by Mr.. Robbins and was subjected TO a
rigid redirect examination by Mr.. Jack
son, all of which, however, brought out
nothing OF importance further than was
given last night.
John +. Peterson, one of the attend
ants. was next called. His testimony
was largely corroborative of that given by
Marsh, and in substance was as follows:
Am an attendant, have been four months
know Marsh, Harmon, Wood. ct al. was
assistant day attendant on ward &C" 10
Attendant Tompkins, and Marsh was
assistant on ward 3D." Wood was night
attendant on both wards, divided by a
hall the ward is about a block distant
from both the administration and
amusement buildings; L had charge oil
the dining room; saw Mr.. Blount about