The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-18
MURDERED MANS HEART
GRUEsOME SIGHT FOR THE JURY IN
THE BRIDGEwATER CASE.
Nature of Wharton's Wounds Demon
strated-The Wife Tells the story
of the Tragedy.


terday. Along the line of direct examina-
ton there is but one other witness to be
examined. This is the superintendent of
police of this city. who secured statement
from Bridgewater after his arrest in Chi
cago and transfer to this city. The testi-
mony of Detective Thomas Stout yester-
day and the evidence which it is expected
the police superintendent will give to-day,
indicates something of what the defense in
the case will be- The courtroom was
packed yesterday, but the crowd or
derby. Most of the spectators are colored
people, and they have given the bailiffs
very little trouble.
The heart Of Olister Wharton, the MUIR
dered man, was exhibited to the jury yes
terday evening. DR.. Servoss, who, with
Deputy Coroner Dodds, made an examina-
ton of the body on the night of the murder,
exhibited the organ to the court and jury.
DR.. Servoss was put on the stand to testify
as to the character of the knife wounds re-
ceived by Wharton. He testified that in
making an examination of the body he had
removed the heart and abdominal organs.
Although the state did not ask to introduce
the heart evidence, it was thought
proper, as the physician had brought it
with him, to use the organ in demonstrate
ing the character of Wharton's wounds.
DR.. Servoss unwrapped the heart from a
piece of paper and showed the jury where
the knife had entered the right ventricle.
The physician thrust an ordinary toothpick
into the wound in pointing it out to the
court and jury. The organ was almost
white, from having been subjected for four
months to a solution of formaldehyde. 1t
was about the size of mans fist Deputy
Coroner Dodds produced the coroner's rec
ords of the case, and testified that he had
assisted in the autopsy. He described eight
wounds found on the body of the murdered
man.
Helen Bridgewater, wife of the accused
man, was the most important witness
called by the state. She denied she had
ever been divorced from Bridgewater. She
was employed a domestic in the family
of Arthur Thomas, in Woodruff Place, at
the time Of the tragedy. She testified to
the picnic trip to Grows Nest" the day of
the tragedy Wharton, the murdered man,
was one Of the party. Mrs. Bridgewater
said Wharton was Lizzie Gaddie's com
pany They took a case of beer with them.
1t was after dark when they returned to
Woodruff Place in the surrey. Wharton
took Lizzie Gaddie to her home, and then
returned to the surrey, where the others
were waiting. The party then drove to Irv-
ington and returned to the Middle Drive of
woodruff Place, where Wharton and Mrs.
Br1dge Water left the surrey and walked to
the home of Arthur Thomas, where the wit
ness was employed. They went to the back
porch and the witness sat down Wharton
stood near her talking. They had been
there but few minutes when the witness
saw man coming toward them through
the the yard. Wharton saw the man an, and asked
stepped UP to the porch and started as if to
go toward the kitchen door,
COMBATANTS DID NOT SPEAK.
"The next I KNEW" said the witness, 1.-THE
man and Wharton were fighting" The
woman did not hear them speak She cried
out to them: Don't do that" and ran from
the porch around to the front Of the yard.
She waited there few moments, and was
then admitted to the house by Mrs.
Thomas. The witness said the hat which
the police found near the scene of the trag-
edy belonged to her husband. On cross
examination Mrs. Bridgewater said her
husband had been living with her mother,
on fandes street. He was living there at
the time of the killing The witness said
she frequently went there and remained
over night He had asked her to come
nome on the night of the tragedy, but she
uecllned 10 make any promises She adj
mitted her husband did not know She was
GOING to Crows Nest that day Mrs
brldgeWater, when she walked to the wit
ness stand, recognized her husband and his
mother Mrs Mary Wheat of Dark qe COUNTY ,
MMenlu fl1.I sat with her son yesterday.
pand We're married in Kentucky She met
wharton at Irvington, July 4 last.
partment of the L. E. & w. RAILWAY. was
one or the witnesses yesterday mornff.r for
Inc Inc state He lives at No. 154 woodruff
rage, and it was Immediately in the rear
or his home that the tragedy took place.
lie testified that Helen Bridgewater who
.T s. employed in his home, was known as
nIL!!z5zle Johnson until after the murder
Neither Wharton nor Bridgewater came to
see her during the six weeks she lived with
nothlng OF the murder until after the arri-
val or the police that night. He said Mrs.
Br1dgewater said nothing about the fight
or murder when she was let into fine
house. Lizzie Gaddie. a colored woman an
resumed she was one of the party that
went went 10 Crow's Nest on the fatal day. The
RED, Wharton had been paying her some
attention for about a year. She did NOT
witness the tragedy having left the picnic
party early in the evening after the return
from the country -
Bicycle Patrolmen Holtz and Wallace tes-
tlhed to being called to Woodruff Place the
night of the killing. They arrived after the ti,e
death of Wharton. Patrolrnan WaI1ace
TOOK 2 ocketknife from the hip pocket of
the uead man. In one of his coat pockets
the patrolman found a Woman's handker-
chleI ana pocketbook, containing a small
aInount or change. The knife found on
wharton and the one taken from Bridge
water when he was arrested in Chicago
were both introduced in evidence.
BRIDGEWATER'S CONFESSION.
Detective Stout was called to tell of his
trip to Chicago after Bridgewater The de-
stective related the story told him IN
Bridgewater after the tragedy. The priy-
oner in giving his side of the case to the
detective said he had been to Irvington on
the evening of the killing. He had friends
In the suburb, and went out in the after
noon expecting to meet a relative who was
to be there from Louisville. On his return
to the city in the evening he alighted from
an Irvington car at State street and walked
over to Woodruff Place. He crossed the
park to the rear of the residence where his
wife was employed and stepped up to the
porch. Some one struck him a blow in the
back Of the head or neck, he claimed, and
he found himself scuff1ing with a man. Dur
ing the struggle they fell over pile of
sand and his opponent came down on top of
him: He threw the man off and cut him.
AS he ran from the place the man seemed
to be STOPPING forward. Detective Stout
was asked if Bridgewater did not tell him
that the man on the porch had pursued