The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-19
HOW HE KILLED HIM
BRIDGEwATER TELLS THE STORY
OF THE MURDER OF WHARTON.
Says He Did Not Know He Was There
How He Came TO shoot
His Wife.


his direct examination, and chung TO his
story throughout the long and rigid cross
examina ton conducted by States Attorney
Witsie. Bridgewater maintains that Whar-
ton, his victim, struck the first blow. 1t is
on this contention that his attorneys have
built their case All the evidence in the
trial is practically in and the argument will
probably begin this morning. 1t is ex-
pected the jury will get the case before
night.
The trial began Yesterday morning with
the opening statement of John c. Ruckels-
haus, who is assisting in the defense Of
Bridgewater. The attorney spoke for
nearly an hour. He set up the line of de-
Tense which the prisoner expected to prove.
I'VE are not here to ask you to release this
man on the ground Of sympathy" he said
to the jury, but we are here to ask you
to release him because the facts viii justify
it. We will show to you that William
Bridgewater was a loving and dutiful hus-
band and man of good character. We
will show that he was a peaceful and quiet
man who had been in trouble but few times
before and on these occasions the cause of
his trouble was the great love he bore for
his wife, man who thinks more Of his
wife than he does of his own life and will
take the hazardous risk this one has to
protect her honor is certainly one to be
commended by the community. Such are the
men that build up our happy homes. These
are the kind of men we are glad to have
with US We will show you that William
Bridgewater had perfect right to take the
life of Ollister Wharton.
Imagine, gentlemen, his SURPRISE imag
inc how thunderstruck he must have been
when he went to step up towards the kit
chen door OF that Woodruff Place home,
only to be struck down by vilainous and
murderous would-be assassinS Not being
satisfied with trying to rob him of his wife,
gentlemen, this villain makes a deadly as
Sault on this defendant Such is what the
evidence will show. 1t will show, gentle
men, that this man Wharton was the in
stlgator of this assault. We will show to
you that he delivered this blow from the
rear; that 1t was delivered will such force
that 1t left a large lump back of Bridge
waters ear for over week. Now, after he
had made his deadly assault, what does he
do? The evidence will show that after he
mas assaulted Bridgewater he grabs him
and scuffies with him. In this scuf-
tie, gentlemen, Bridgewater, not knowing
his man, nor not knowing what to make of
such a Vlllainous assault, goes down into
his pocket for his knife to protect himself
oh, gentlemen, they will say to you, If
ne was innocent why did he run away?
but the evidence will be clear on that
TO Chicago, never tried to escape. went by
ms right name, went to cousin of his
by the name of Bridgewater The evidence
will show that he told that cousin that he
nad been in a little cutting scrape which
he thought would soon blow over; that he
had not injured his man severely But
When he finds that his antagonist was Sc
rlously injured he prepares to come home
and give himself up. He knew that he
could prove himself innocent. The testi-
mony, in addition to what | have stated
viii show that on that eventfuI Sunday a
crowd of colored people had a picnic and
trat instead of going home to her husband
as EdrS. Br1dgewater had promised before
she went to that picnic AT that picnic we
will show you that Ollister Wharton had on
him a dangerous-looking knife, sharp as a
razor. The evidence on that point will be
positive, for the reason that the picnickers
had used that knife many times during the
day, borrowing the same from Ollister
In conclusion, allow me to say that
Bridgewater's troubles can readily be
traced to one source, and that source is
protecting the honor of his wife. I might
also state here that there is not a case in
the books of English jurisprudence where a
jury has ever convicted q man for protect
ing the honor of his wife or family
BRIDGEWATER ON THE STAND.
Bridgewater was put on the witness stand
directly after court convened yesterday aft
ernocn. He said he was thirty-nine years
OF age. He spoke Of having been in trouble
before-once in Kentucky and again in this
city. He was asked to give in detail what
transpired on the Sunday Of the tragedy.
My wife left home that morning about s
O'clock said Bridgewater. II did not know
that she was going to a picnic and we
talked about her coming home in the after
noon. 1 stayed at home until o'clock,
when l went out to Irvington, to the home
of Henry johnson, where l expected to see
a. relative from Louisville. | left there
about o'clock, Mr.. Johnson walking lit
tie way with me- 1 took car and came to
the. city, getting off at Randolph street,
which runs by the Girls Reformatory. l
came down Randolph street to the middle
drive of Woodruff Place. l walked across
the drive to the alley that runs in the
rear of Mr.. Thomas S house. where my wife
was employed. When l first turned down
the alley / saw a woman a short distance
ahead of me. She appeared to be going into
the house. | took this woman to be my
wife. l walked TO the rear of the house
and to the back steps l saw my wife
sitting on a bench and stepped UP on to
the porch to speak to her. Just then L got
| lick back of the ear. At the same time
| some one clinched me and / threw him off
| He came on again and stepped backward
| he seemed to have one hand behind him
and got out my knife and struck at him
| We had struggled out into the yard and
! both fell over pile of sand. AS he fell
on top of me 1 tried to cut him in the
back. He let loose of me with one HAND
| and tried to put the other into his pocket
! | kept striking with my knife. Finally we
/ got on our feet and / walked away. He
seemed to be reaching toward the ground
for something. Afterwards / came back fol
| NY lat, Dul uiN ilOi Huu II anu went nome
1t was dark on that porch and l had seer
/ no man ON the premises. | didn't know
| there was any one else there except my
wife until ! was struck behind the ear.
| did not then know who the man was"
| Bridgewater told of his flight to Chicago
| where he had a cousin. He said that aftel
he reached his home he went into the hous,
and lit the lamp. Then he sat down ant
began to think. AT length he arose. put GU
the light and locked the door of the house
He walked to the Monon Railway track!
| and went out the railroad TO the station
known as Mayheld He remained there un
| til Monday. Tuesday he caught a freigh
| train and started to Chicago. He told hi
| cousin why he had came away from In
| dianapolis. On cross-eXamination Bridge
! and of his arrest on the charge of assault
! and battery with intent to kill. He dene(
that he was arrested in West indianapolis
| while in the act of cutting a mans throat
| He shot his wife about year ago and lai,
| in Jail from April until June before he wa
| tried.
WHEN HE SHOT HIS WIFE.
Prosecutor Wiltsie asked him if he did no
remember that it was almost impossible t
get his wife before the grand jury to testif,
against him in that case. Brdgewater sai
| he knew nothing about it. He was let OF
with ten days Imprisonment i'm this case
| Bridgewater related the circumstances o
this shooting He claimed he shot his wifi
accidentally. He and his wife formerly live
in West Indianapolis in the house with an
other colored man. Bridgewater becam
! jealous of the attentions of this man to hi
| wife and after they came away from tn
| suburb he still harbored some lingering sus
picions. one evening his wife Informed hin