The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-01

when now and again particularly
harsh arraignment or reference to some
telling circumstance of the crime would
cause the accused to cast his eyes in
quiringly into the jury box to see what
effect 1t had on the jurymen.
Mr. Jones opening was one Of the
most forcible and eloquent speeches of
that character ever heard in the Lacka-
wanna courts, He graphically told the
narrowing story of the crime and de-
nounced the perpetrator in most bitter
invectve. Even the heretofore stolid
and Indifferent prisoner was visibly
moved and that he frequently WINGED
under the terrible arraignment was
evidenced by repeated nervous shrugs
of the shoulders.
MIR. JONES STRONG WORDS.
After dwelling upon the gravity of
the crime and explaining the different
degrees of murder, Mr.. Jones went on
to describe the crime as the common
wealth viewed 1t. He declared 1t to be
the most atrocious and Cowardly muir
der that had ever occurred in Lacka-
wanna county. Van Horn, he said, laid
in wait for the victim of his malice and
killed her In a most bloody and brutal
manner. He then told that the com
monwealth would produce witnesses to
show that Van Horn had threatened
to kill Mrs. WesCott and that he even
exhibited his razor in a house on the
West Side some weeks previous to the
crime and declared he would use it on
Mrs. Wescott. Van Horns confession
to his captors, when he was being
brought here from Iowa, would also be
offered in evidence. the district attor-
ney said, and great stress would be
laid on the flight and hiding of the
accused which the law ALWAYS pre-
sumes a strong evidence Of guilt. He
concluded by saying that a verdict of
murder in the first degree would be
demanded by the commonwealth.
The testimony of the physicians who
had dealings with the case was first
| adduced to show the murderous char
acter of the wound and to establish
! the death.
The coroner, 5. =. Longstreet, as
! usual was the first witness. He ex-
amined Mrs. Wescott's body in the hos
| pital morgue the morning following the
crime and shortly after her death. He
found a wound across the throat fully
/ six inches in length and of sufficient
depth to half sever the windpipe.
/
were the causes of death. on cross
examination he testified that it was the
anterior jugular vein and not the main
! jugular that had been severed. The
| deepest point of the wound was in the
front of the neck, where the cut ex-
tended just above the natural position
of the Adams apple.
DR.. John Burnett testified to having
been called to Mrs. Wescott's house
and of having arrived there late, ow-
ing to his having been out at the time
! the messenger came for him. The
| wound had been dressed by the physi-
clans who had preceded him, but from
| the blood on the carpets, bed and the
womans clothing he saw that she had
been badly wounded and advised her
removal to the Lackawanna hospital.
CHARACTER OF WOUND.
At the hospital. where the wound was
redressed, he made a minute eXamina-
tion of the cut. He described it to be
a cash about six inches long, with a
depth of an inch to an inch and a
half at front of the throat. In his
judgment it was inflicted with a very
sharp instrument, drawn across the
throat by strong arm.
DR.. w. f. Blanchard, who was the
house surgeon of the Lackawanra hos
pital at the time of the crime, also
gave evidence of the character of the
wound, and on cross-eXamination ad-
mitted that it could have been inflicted
by Mrs Wescott herself. A slight buzz
through the court room followed this
question and answer, which We're the
first indications of what might possibly
be the contention of the defense.
Deputy Coroner e. NJ. Pennypackel
gave testimony similar to that of DR.
Longstreet, regarding the post mortem
Then began the forging of the chair
with which it is expected to faster
upon George X. Van Horn the killing
described above.
| The first witness was Frank GehrenS
a 13-year-old boy who lived near the
scene of the killing, and who, with &
number of other boys, was playing
about the Wescott house on the nigh
| in question. He was very much excit
ed and nervous at first, but gradually
became more composed, and told his
story in a straightforward manner
which must have carried conviction
with it in the minds of the jury.
He said that he was at the Linder
street side of the house playing on th,
roadway when he saw Mrs. Wescot
come out of the cellar in the rear o
the house with blood flowing from he
, | throat, and Van Horn closely behinC
acting as if he wanted to get past her
Mrs. Wescott turned aside and wen
into the house and Van Horn jumping
over the fence ran down Linden street
| Mrs. Wescott came out by the from
way half minute later and address
ing herself to the boy said: "Georg
! Van Horn did it, frankie. Go get
doctor" The witness says he thel
went for DR.. Burnett, but not findinl
t him in started to get DR.. Everhart
DR.. Everhart was also out, so the bo.
: went to Lackawanna avenue and toll
a policeman about the affair, askinj
= him to get a doctor. The boy also de
: scribed his visit to the cellar the mex