The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-14
W|LKES-bARRE.
WINDISCH MURDER TRIAL.
Some Dana ging Evidence Is Given by tho
Children Of the Accused.


Yesterday. morning. when court was
called to order at $50 o'clock, the work
of completing the jury In the Windisch
murder case was begun at once, and
Edward Gunster, ST., was chosen as the
twelfth and last Juror. Mr.. Fuller then
gave the jury brief history of the muir
der, which accurred in Hughestown. a
small village just east of Pittston. on
April 4, 1895, when George Windisch
killed his wife. For some time previous
to this Windisch has frequently made
threats against his wife. On April 4
Windisch did not go to work. George
the 17-year-old son. went to his work
at z o'clock that morning. and Mrs.
windisch got his breakfast for him,
and Sophie, the youngest girl, went to
school about 8 o'clock, leaving her
mother and father together. About IL
O'Clock the child returned from school
and got her own dinner She returned
to school at 1890 and when she left her
father and mother were quarreling. At
1245 a young woman named Mary Hef-
feran came in to buy some vegetables
which Windisch often sold to neigh
bors. She knocked on the door and
Windisch opened the door short way,
and said he had no vegetables to sell.
While the door was open, Miss Heffer-
an says she heard muffied cries of q wo-
man. At 1.30 or 2 o'clock, Windisch
dressed in his best suit Of clothes and
overcoat and went to Pittston. That
was the-last seen of Windisch until he
was brought back from Virginia, where
he had gone.
Then Mr.. Lenahan. for the defense,
moved to withdraw Juror for the rea-
son that the district attorney misbe-
haved himself in that he stated in his
opening that he had no doubt what the
opinion Of those jurors was who were
challenged because Of their opinion.
This motion was based on the decision
of the Supreme court in the Holden case
where they knocked out q verdict OF
5000 for Holden because the attor-
neys used some such language before
the jury. Judge Woodward denied the
motion and sealed q bill for the defend
ant. -
George Windisch, jr., the eldest son of
Che prisoner, was the first witness of
any Importance to be called. He is II
years old. and on the morning Of the
murder went to work at 2 o'clock with
Ills younger brother. Returned home
ut 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and saw
no one there. Got supper for the chill
dren, and saw nothing Of his parents.
On Sunday, his sister hunted the house
hut could not get into the room where
hrs. Windisch kept her baskets.
Dchmaltz, q man who lives near, broke
che door. leading to this basket room
snd found my mother under the car
pet, dead. Beside the body was chisel
some twelve inches long, which was
all covered with blood and hair. In
my mothers room found q pair of
pants, shirt, and q pair of gum boots.
There was blood on them. They were
my fathers. The cross-examination
was long, and did not develope any
thing new.
Frank windisch. the 1S-year-old son
cf the defendant. told about the same
story as his brother, but In q much
more intelligent, straightforward man.
ner. In describing the finding Of his
mothers dead body, the boy broke
down, and cried bitterly. and the scene
was one Of the most affecting that has
ever been seen in the court house.
When the child began to cry, the
prisoner was much affected, but soon
recovered himself, and turned his face
away from his child.
When court convened after dinner
Sophie Windisch. the little 11-year-old
daughter OF the prisoner, was put on
the stand. She seemed greatly fright
eued, and cried nearly all the time.
Her story was substantially the same
-. that Of her brothsfs. Mr.. I.enahan
otoss:exaafDed her IN vssy gentle
Msy but ~ cnll6 Woe evtdeutly eFeat..