The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-22

orlppinR from her nose. Inc men IN the
room had been talking about a cash that
extended from the middle of her forehead
half way down her nose, but she had not
felt 1t. She wiped the blood off her face
with the same wet rag she had used TO mop
her dying husbands brow. She refused TO
say how she had been hurt. In every way
she delayed the departure.
IF you was gentlemen" she said. you
would go out of the room while L dress"
She had only to put on an overskirt and
the clean waist she had taken from the
drawer to be fully dressed. but it took her
ten minutes.
who is this Annie Watts?" a policeman
asked her.
You ought to know her better than me-"
was the reply. shes an Indianapolis wom-
an. I'm a Louisville woman"
She pinned her skirt behind carefully. 1t
would not have been surprising if she had
hummed a blithe tune while she prepared
for the street. She would not talk of her
quarrel with her husband. At 6 o'clock she
was ready to go, and the police led her
down stairs and through the lane the crowd
made for them to the patrol wagon. When
the wagon rolled away the last attraction
was gone and the crowd broke up into trios
of Mountaineering men and women.
Mrs. Birch was taken to the City Dispen-
sary, where the cash in her face was sewed
up. Particles of a broken plate were taken
out of the cash. She was then taken to the
female department of the station and put
under the care of Matron Reisner. DIR
Christian examined the woman's arm, see
ing the sleeve was bloody. and discovered
a bullet hole. 1t had not been known before
that the woman had been shot. The wound
was bandaged and the woman sat down on
a chair in a corner and buried her face In
her hands. She seemed dazed.
She thinks her husband is alive yet"
said one of a group of men In the room.
Mrs. Birch caught the last words.
Amt he dead?' she cried, springing up.
All right, then. I'm ready to be searched"
She was smiling, she had shaken off the
coma of liquor, her eyes were bright. IF
Jim amt dead, why, it's all right" she re-
peated.
The matron wrote on the slate the wom-
ans name and her age, thirty-one years.
suddenly Mrs. Birch broke out into an ex-
cited harangue.
You treat me like a dog" she said.
Don't you think I've got any feelings?
Don't you think l love my husband? There
| was a mopin' his face IN 70 one would
help me keep him alive. L don't know
whether he's alive or dead"
The lifting. of the cloud of drunkenness
mad brought her TO some realization of what
had happened. She burst into a spasm of
sobbing. The matron led her into a cell
covered from her sobbing she took on a
SNUG. shrewd air. She refused to talk
about the shooting or the quarrel that led
s said To- FER l won mt Isf s yon ia noth hi me- A sna
that was the end.
wARREN'S GOOD RECORD.
Patrolman Warren has been a member Of
the police force eight years. He is we'll
liked and is known as an active, intelligent
man and a good policeman. His is one of
the prettiest homes belonging to members
of the police department. He has a wife
and a three-year-old daughter, besides the
son that was with him just before his mar
row escape from death. When DR.. Christian
and Warren arrived at the latter's home.
2312 Ash street, Mrs. Warren and the chill
dren were in the front yard. Mrs. Warren
became anxious as soon as she saw her
husband IN the doctors buggy. Warren
waved his right hand at his wife ard
stepped out of the buggy gaily.
asked.
ITS nothing at ALL he replied. ST got
into a little fuss and was hurt in the left
arm. I'm all right"
He. took the baby by the hand and spoke
playfully to IL.
There is something else the matter with
you" said Mrs. Warren.
49, 40l oDd III HUT
a little in the large muscle on the left side
Of the breast. but it doesn't amount to any
Warren smiled and DR.. Christian smiled
and Mrs. Warren, succumbing to the arti-
hces of the two men, put her fears at rest
1t was a very clever play, as DIR. Christian
At the police station the tragedy was the
sole topic OF conversation. 1t was known
the afternoons business VIZ WAS heartily TiiltSe ap.
proved. 1t was we'll known that Warner
was shot by Birch before he pulled his own
revolver. 1t was more than Self-defenSe
it is believed, because Warren knew he had
been shot in the left breast and might be
dying, and the fact that he shot Birch five
been inflicted, 1t is pointed out, shows the
Little is known of the Birehs. They
men employed as peddlers by commission
houses. Mrs. Birch said her husband wa,
thirty. years old and they had been mar
two years, it is said. Birch was hurt july
4 in a fight on the bridge over White river
o orde M%lSsn respestab street fellow. He eoli sssmsa w az
knew him say, and evidently had the conf,
dence Of his employer. for he was NIGH
Waterman at the commission house. Mrs
Birch will answer to the charges of assault
and battery with intent to kill and belns
drunk in Police Court this morning. He
husband, Ii Is supposed, will have to bt
has relatives at Louisville or friends here
VINO Will pay Tor the burial.
THE OTHERS LOCATED.
Last night the police located Anna Watts
Carl Humphrey and his wife and Franz
Hart, who were in Birch's room just befor
the trouble, and it was suspected they nigh
have witnessed some of il. The Watt
woman and the Humphreys were found a
No. 3 North Blackford street, at the HON
of ]. j. Keller, who is the father of boil
Mrs. Humphrey n the Watts woman
They were all brought to police headquar
tiers and "sweated" by Captain Kruger an
the detectives. Humphrey and his wifi
both said they had gone to Birch's to tr.
to rent a room, and had found Annie Watt
and Frank Hart there, with Birch and hi
wife. There were not enough chairs in tn
place. and Hart went over to the window
and sat with Mrs. Birch, while Birch re
NAMED on his bed, where he was lying
they said. AS soon as Hart took his seat Il
the window, Birch raised up and ordere,
him to get away from that window" a
the same time drawing a revolver. TIL
alarmed them, and they went away. The
declared they saw no trouble between Bircl
and his wife.
Annie Watts said she had been in tn
Birch's room all day, and that after tn
wife ten cents with which TO buy beer
When she returned, without any prov oca
{ ton, he struck her a blow in the face. an
when Hart would have interfered drew
> pistol and ordered him from the room
She says that when the trouble started sh
> ran from the place, and could not remembe
anything about IL. Hart. when question:
by the police, said there had been no 1
2 feeling between him and Birch, and denie
= that he had left the place at the point G