The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-12-20
THE MoeNING SESSION.
onicer Snyder aud DR.. Megran Give
Their Testimony.

onicer Snyder aud DIR. Megran Give
Their Testimony.
1t was shortly after 0 o'clock when
court convened. The number Of spec
tators was very large even at this early
hour, and many were turned away, as
none were allowed to stand in the aisles.
The taking OF testimony was commence
ed at once, the first witness in the case
being Police Officer Snyder, who 10 sta.
toned In the First ward, and was called
in at the Briesach house alter the MUIR
der had been committed.
Officer Snyder told that in the after
noon Of the day Of the murder he was
standing in front Of the Vigilant hose
house, when colored woman, Mrs. Bar
bara sly, came running down street and
told him that there was trouble In the
Briesach household. He went there
Immediately and found Mrs. Briesach's
dead body lying on the kitchen floor.
Looking around he saw Briesach trying
to wash of the club that had figured in
the tragedy, and that then he arrested
Briesach, taking him, first, to the hose
house and then to police headquarters.
The cross.examination was conducted
by Colonel Arnett, Of counsel for the
defense. He described the scene again
and said that Biresach asked when ar
rested:
"What's the matter?" and also denied
having killed his wife. In the course OF
the cross.examiuation the witness said
that at first he saw no blood on the club
or on the cloth that the defendant had
used in wiping the club. He mad taken
both with him, however, and later had
found stains on the cloth. The posi-
tion OF the murdered woman's body was
the bone Of contention throughout
large part Of the oross-examination, but
the officers testimony on that subject
was practically unshaken. At the time
OF the tragedy the defendant had refused
TO talk to the officer, who. said Snyder.
had been drinking, but was not in an
intoxicated condition. To Colonel
Arnett the witness identified the win
dowstick that was one OF the weapons
used. Witness said he did not see tho
whip which also figured in the murder.
The second witness was DR.. w. 7.
Aiegrail, the oounty's physician. He
told OF the post mortem examination OF
the body Of the murdered woman, and
how the body was found to be bruised
black and blue, showing where whip
and club had been used with terrible
effect. The detailed statement OF the
injuries received by the victim, covered
almost every portion Of the body, and
AZ the physician was testifying 4 per-
ceptable thrill OF horror swept over the
audience that at this stage was so at
ten,ive that a pins drop would have
been audible, almost When the skull
had been examined, said the physician,
nearly pint OF blood had been found,
indicating that the cause OF death was q
hemorrhape of blood vessels. When
the stomach had been examined there
had been a faint odor OF alcohol, but
the doctor was not positive that there
was alcohol in the stomach.
"Whas caused that woman's deathr
asked Mr.. Howard.
'She died from compassion OF the
brain, but there may have been an Gle.
ment OF concussion in 1t"
"Could II have been produced by this
largo club?" said Mr.. Howard.
~ think it could. ! know 1t could"
was tho reply.
Colonel Afnet. handled tho cross-ex.
animation OF the witness and suggested
that death might have been caused bya
ialI, to which Dr.. Megrall assented. As
TO the woman's possible death by heart
disease the witness said that might not
be determined. Further on the witness
said that the black appearance OF the
wounds indicated they were not new.
Al tho close OF Colonel Arnetts ques-
tioning the witness said death had come
from two to six hours before he saw the
body, and that il would be difficult to
tell which wound caused death.
70 Mr.. Howard. DR.. Megrail said that
tho womau's wounds could not have
been the result Of a fall and that there
was IN indication OF heart failure at
the time of tho port.mortom examina.
,iou. The witness also thought all the
wounds could have been inflictedin one
day.
falls could not have produced tho