The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-23
THE FRIEDRICH CASE.
Hard Fight by the Defense in
the Murder Trial.
A PECULIAR SUIT ON A NOTE.
rnteresting Business and Social Rela-
lions of the Parties-Huron Lum-
Der Company Case.

inch of ground was to be stubbornly contested
nv the attorneys for the defense, who kept up
he same tactics pursued the day before in
the selection OF jury. After the witnesses had
been sworn they were excluded from the room
~ await their turn TO take the stand. The
persecution had time to introduce but portion
"A their witnesses, and each one of these was
.uhiected 10 most scrutinizing erossexamina-
ron by Triedrich's lawyers, who took advantage
AZ every opportunity to except TO the admission
OF testimony.
During the course of the trial Friedrich main
tafned the same composure OF appearance as on
the opening day. Save an occasional whispered
suggestion to his attorneys, his interest in the
matter did not appear 10 be OF any great extent
His bearing was either that of an innocent man
of complacent turn of mind who is confident
az acquittal, or OF a hardened criminal without
the slightest twinge of conscience aud with the
most perfect control over his feelings.
Prosecuting Attorney Miller in his opening
statement to the jury said that from the testi-
mony OF the states witnesses 1t would appear
that on the evening of the murder Friedrich
persuaded Scherbring TO take a walk on the
Grant street bridge. They walked to the saloon
kept by Conrad Brehm, where they took several
glasses OF beer. Between and 9 O'Clock they
left the house and started towards town, and
Brehm watched them until they came to the
first turn in the bridge. Not long after people
living in the vicinity heard two pistol shots and
aman crying for help. They ran to the bridge
and discovered scherbring with bullet wound
In the head. Friedrich was nowhere to be
found That night he did not sleep il his room,
and on the following day he was seen by two
witnesses out on Madison street, a mile and a
half from town. The sheriff and posse started
10 pursuit of him and captured him at slaugh-
ter He was brought to Seattle and taken into
the presence OF the wounded man who declared
that the prisoner had done the shooting
CIV. Tyler, leading counsel for the accused,
followed with an outline of the case for the de-
tense. He stated that it would be proved that
the two men were great friends at the time
Friedrich had a shoemakers shop The walk
was taken at Scherbrings suggestion. When
they left the saloon on the bridge Friedrich de-
cisred that he must hurry up to attend the
Turn Ferein, and went on ahead turning up
The railroad track to the left in the direction of
Commercial street. He came upon Joe Jandos,
who was fishing for crabs. Jandos accom-
panied him to town. Friedrich changed his
mind about attending the Turn Verein, and
went TO his room TO make few preparations
ior trip he was to make up the railroad TO take
orders Tor boots. He then went out, and in the
lower part of town met a woman of his acquain-
lance, who persuaded him to go to her room,
where he stayed all night. The next morning
ne started on his trip up the railroad, but was
arrested at Slaughter. When charged with the
shooting, Friedrich wished to be taken into the
presence OF Scherbring to prove his innocence.
II would be shown that the shooting was done
by two tramps. who tried to rob Scherbring.
The wounded man made this statement to
physician, who Is now the coroner.
At the conclusion of the opening statements
the first witness for the state, Dr. G. f. NJ.
kriegk, was called. The substance OF his testi-
mony was as follows:
! am a practiclng physician in this city. I
sew Julius Scherbring at Providence hospital
on July l5 1887 He had a bullet wound in the
head, just back of the left ear. He died from
the effects OF this wound, which caused in
narnmatIon OF the brain. 1 attempted to take
out the bullet, but 1t was wedged in so tightly
that 1t was necessary to remove pieces of the
skull with it.
At this iuncture the prosecuting attorney
introduced into evidence a human skull as a
means of demonstrating the location of the
wound. Several bits of lead and bone, which
have been In the keeping of the court, were
also produced and the witness identified them
rs the pieces he had taken from Scherbring's
skull.
The DISCRIMINATION was q most searching
one that entered deeply into the surgery and
diseases of the brain. The witness was required
by Mr.. Tyler to mark with lead pencil on the
skull the place where the ball entered He tes-
titled that the bullet had penetrated to the
depth of about an inch. 1t had not actually
pierced the brain, but gone deep enough to
allow the fluid between the brain matter and
the outer membrane to escape. Inflammation
did not set in for twenty-four hours. The res-
soning faculties OF man with such a wound
would be clear TO the last.
Prosecuting Attorney Miller took the witness
aud had him explain the difference between the
cebelum, or small brain, which lies at the
base OF the skull, and the cerebrum, in the for
ward and upper part The cerebellum controls
the action of the muscular systems, while the
eereorum is the seat of the reasoning faculties.
In sthsrbring's case the wound was next to the
ceebelum.
The defendants attorney again took the wit
hess and subjected him 10 a long questioning
10 snpposittious conditions in injuries to the
brain. The result was statement that in
small percentage of cases, where reason was lost
iron an injury To the brain. the injury Was done
to the eerebelum instead of the cerebrum.
The next witness called was Conrad Brehm,
the keeper of the saloon on the Grant street
bridge, where Friedr CHI aud Scherhring were on
the night of the shooting. He testified fol-
lows:
kept a saloon on the Grant street bridge.
hear the brewery. saw Friedrich there aud
scherbring was with him. 1t was between aud
20 CLOCK. ibey drank few glasses OF beer to-
eether, sitting on the outside OF the house with
n man named Mcdonald IL WIS about sun
down when they started for Seattle together
came outside TO SIT down and watched them till
they came 10 the FIRST turn in the bridge.
ON cross-examination the witness said that
the men appeared friendly. He could see them
alter they left, nearly 10 the first turn lie had
knowa Friedrich for two years previous, but
was not well acquainted with Scherb-iHg.
Angus Mcdonald swore that he was at Brehm's
saloon on the evening of July Ii. 1887, and took
glass Of beer with Scherbrlug and Friedrich.
The three took chairs and sat on the outside of
Tie saloon. After a while they got uo and
started In the direction 81 Seattle, and the wit
hess went the other way toward home. The
men appeared friendly toward each other.
I'll Miner testified IS follows:
Twas out driving with nay wife and little
esnshter on the evening OF July IL, 1887, on the
bfant street bridge. ! saw Friedrich and an
oher man together. A.terward saw the other
Fiah at the hospital lie had been shot. We
overlook the men when We were going down.
Ay Iltte girl was driving and neary ran over
hem. We also met them coming back
Cross examinaton-Ne drove down TO the
head OF the bay. Coming back we met the men
before they reached the saloon. Nv attention
MAS called Co them because they appeared angry
when my daughter came very near running into
them.
Al the conclusion of Mr.. Miners testimony
the court took q recess Cltil I:S0 O'Clock
William krouse, ST, was the first witness
called at the afternoon session He testified in
substance that on the evening Of the murder he
was at his home near the Grant street bridge.
when he heard two shots 10 the south He ran
across a small bridge which led 10 the Grant
stsest bridge and heard q man cry out He
then went south till he met seherbring who
was shot in the head. Scherbring said he had
clothes. There were other persons there when
the witness arrived
William Krouse. the son of the preceding wit.
UaN ~ ..1g.. .nx-a.4