The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-11-26

bodies were found. Had known Annie
Burt five or six years, and knew her well
by sight As he went in the room at
Miller's undertaking establishment DR..
Graves came out. The body of Mrs. An
ME Burt was in the room. He knew it
was Mrs. Burt's body.
Cross examined by Taylor Moore. Mrs.
Burt's hair was dark brown and her eyes
blue. Did not identify the body from
the color OF the eyes, but noticed the hair.
Her cheeks We're discolored and her face
a great deal enlarged. Her eyes were
swollen together; could not see them. The
body had very offensive odor. No
worms were in the face that he saw Did
not examine closely enough to swear that
worms were not crawling over the face
and body. Could not say that he saw
any blood. The hair and temples were
discolored, but he could not say it was
by blood. He could have identified the
body even in Mexico had he made close
examination. Did not remember whom
he first told he could identify the body.
He identified her by her face, which
plainly showed who she was. From the
nose up; her forehead and head plainly
proved her identity. Excused.
Dr. r. s. Graves was the next witness.
Had been city and county physician for
eleven years. He was called
into Monroe Miller's undertaking estab-
lishment on the Saturday morning. July
20. Saw Mrs. Burt's body there. Her
skull was fractured and upper bones of
the face were crushed. She had hand
kerchief tied as tightly as possible around
the, neck and throat. The handkerchief
her finger and called the attention Of the
undertaken to it. The body had been
dead several days. Decomposition had
taken place. Either the wound In the
head or strangulation with the handker-
chief or the immersion IN the cstern
would have caused death. He knew Mrs.
Burt in life and positively identified her
after death. She had on night gown
or chemise in addition to the blanket.
1t was torn down some in front.
Cross-examined by Maj. w. NJ. Wal
ton: He was well acquainted with Mrs
Burt; had practiced in her family; did
not remember the color of her eyes. Her
hair was dark brown and medium long,
He made a medical examination Of the
a wound in the head on the right hand
side running from the ear to the eye
1t was mashed wound 1t was one
continuous wound. The wound of itself
could have caused death. He could not
say II that wound Of itself did cause the
death, but 1t would have caused death in
ten minutes time; but in the meantime
the handkerchief might have been tied
around the neck and death followed by
strangulation. He thought the wound
in the head would cause death in ten
minutes because of the hemorrhage that
would follow the crushing in Of the bones
into the brain. The handkerchief around
the neck would have caused death. The
neck was swollen one-sixteenth larger
than in life. Death might have followed
from drowning The handkerchief
around the neck would have produced
death alone in about twelve minutes He
noticed no symptoms of the effects of
strangulation upon her, such as bulging
eyes and protrudipg tongue. But IL she
had been hit and stunned before the
handkerchief was tied around the neck
then she could have been strangled with B.
out the usual symptoms showing. He
did not cut down into the lungs nor open
the brain. Could not see in Mrs. Burt's
body any of the different symptoms that
would come from blow, from strangula-
ton or drowning each one separate and
distinct. Excused.
Bob Ehlert. He was embalmer and
funeral director for Monroe Miller He
remembered the adult person wrapped in
a blanket brought to his establishment
July 20. He had tied rope to her while
in the cistern and helped get her out
He removed the blanket from the body
at the undertakers room, and II then had
|
the. right temple. 1t could have been
made with a hatchet. She had hand
kerchief tied around the throat very
| tight. Found three rings on her hands:
one on right hand and two on left. He
removed the rings and then gave them
to Roscoe Burt. (The rings were pro-
dncedEone wedding ring and two
jewels set in them.l He recognized and
identified them. The wedding ring had
in 1t ITO A., Sept. o, 1881"
| Cross-examined by Maj. Walton and
Geo. Walton. He felt sure they were
the same rings. Identified the wedding
ring by the inscription In it, given before.
around the throat, while the wagon went
to the undertaking establishment, but he
did not cut the blanket. There were
some worms on her person, but her face
was not disfgured by them. Her face
was not swollen even, all the way across,
and he could easily see her eyes. He
eyes. Her nose was fattened out by
the blanket being drawn over 1t 80
tight, and was swollen. She was not so
disfgured that he could not have recog-
nized her had he known her well In
life. Excused.
Miss Agnes Powers was the next wit
ness. She saw her sister, Mrs. Annie
burt, Tor the last time at o'clock on
the evening of July % at Mrs. Burt's
home. Her sister had three rings. They
had been given to her (Agnes Powers)
after her sisters death, by Roscoe Burt.
She described and then identified the
rings. Said the. date in the wedding
ring was that of her sisters engagement
to Eugene Burt. Last saw them on her
sisters hands in the front yard the last
evening she bade her goodbye. Her
sister would have been married six years
next January. She visited her sisters
house very often and knew her sisters
clothing and that of the little children.
(The three boxes were again brought in)
She identified the clothing of her sister
and the children, calling out the names
as Mr., Burleson held up the articles.
Then she identified the bed clothing and
the bloody piece Of ticking taken from
the mattress. One Of the blankets was
marked Burt" in red sewing thread.
She saw Burt on July % on the street
and upon her inquiry he said "Annie was
at home" Recognized hat in one of
the boxes as her sisters made at Scar
brough & Hicks. She had gone to
Burt's house the Sunday before the kill