The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-19
,.aL;ns Was on Trial for Murder
r..ouoh Abortion on Miss Wheat.
orHHR PUT A BULLET IN HIS BACK
} the -. Was Disarn1ed by the Judge-A Short
History of the Case.

to his relief His mother and two sisters
had rushed to his side and were eagerly
plying him with questions. nasty ex-
animation by the physicians brought the
assurance that there was hope for him ana
the distracted relatives all become quiet
He was removed to his boarding house
and a thorough examination made, DIS
closing the fact that the wound is NOR
tai one, although he Is resting well To-
night.
The crime charged to Dr. Jenkins was
the murder OF Miss Mary Wheat, who dieo
in the city hospital in Waco OCTOBER ..
She had been entered at the nospilai w
DR.. jenkins as Mrs. White ana ner case
was recorded as dysentery by Ut. Jet,n' !
She grew worse and the city physician
was called in consultation. Her death was
reported as resulting from perfora.ion Oh
the bowels. Circumstances created sos-
picion and DR.. jenkins was irrestea' 'u-
vestigation developed the fact that ABOUT
ten days prior to her death an abortion
had been procured and 1t was from tne Ell
fects of the operation that the y'rl aieu.
Accordingly the grand jury indicted Or.
Jenkins. charging him with abortion and
murder. The trial, which began last III
| day. has been one Of intense interest,"
| Mrs. Smith at whose house the apost'oh
was procured. testified to the details, stat-
| ing that DR.. jenkins performed the oper
| alton. He had engaged board for the glrl
| and brought her there in buggy .sN
| days before Other witnesses tesihed 10
| the same facts. The evidence deVeicFeu
| the fact that deceased had ooaided at seN :
eral other places in the city AMI thas Dr.
| Jenkins was a frequent caller. There Vas
apparently but one person IN the city eN-
cept DR.. Jenkins who knew the real ape
of the girl This was Mrs. :. ". IariN
and, hearing Of her critical condition, sEe
called at the city hospital. Toat wa on
the morning of October g. Just ~" MN
utes after the girls death. Mrs. Hardy
testified that she met DR.. Jenkins There
and that he told her the girl was dead
She asked If he had notified her parents
and he replied that he had not; ina i
was the girls request that they be not in
formed of her death Mrs. Hardy protest
ed against such course and declared sh'
would notify them herself. She had know
deceased when little girl was an init
mate friend of her mother, and she sent
telegram to the parents at Holland, BEL
county. A return message came, asking
her to have the remains shipped home
which was done An autopsy was hell
there and the physicians were witnesse
for the State.
While the defense had not introduces
any Witnesses. the State not having I'm
ished the cross examination, counsel In
. dicated that defendant would not den,
performing the operation, but woul
maintain that he did so as a professions
, duty to patient to save her life, that tn
child was lead and that all other rene
dies had failed. making an operation nee
essary; that his concealment Of her RICH
name and his expressed desire TO bury he
without notifying her parents was in pur
, suance of request of the girl and va
done to shield her name rhe State
therefore, was Placed in the attitude {
having to rely upon circumslantial evl
dence to prove criminal intent
The defense seemed to be we'll aitlsie
with their showing so far and public opli
r ion had changed considerably in favor {
e the defendant since the trial, when c
: course was abruptly ended by the shooting