Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-01-26
IHF MURDER Trial
A Jury Obtained without Much
Trouble, the Case Stated, and
Six witnesses Examined The
Taking of Testimony Will be Re-
suImed This Morning.


Takindaof Testimony Will be Re-
sumed This Morning.
Yesterday morning, at half-past 9
o'clock, in the Criminal Court, Judge
Hugus, the Ease of State VS.. Joseph
Driller, indicted for the murder of
Louis Dittmore, on the night of July
I'D last, was called, and the work of
securing a jury commenced. The
morning was occupied in this work,
with the result that when Court took
the moor recess the following men
were In the box: Louis E. Loef1er,
yobert Voehl, d. w. Miller, M. H.
Martin, Herman Rolf, Charles Gaus,
Alfred Orth, M. L. Hoffman, Thomas
B. Moore, James Merge R. B. Wyatt
and Jesse McCausland. The State was
! represented by Prosecuting Attorney
Meyer and ]. B. Handlan, while S. O.
Boyce and John Wilson were for the
defense. There was a fairly large at
tendance of spectators, mainly from
the South Side, where the parties to
the alleged crime are best known.
At the afternoon session Messrs.
Meyer and Boyce stated the case,
briefly and effectively, and then the
taking of testimony was commenced,
this work occupying the remainder of
the day.
The first witness of the day was
Bernard Metzger, a brother-in-law of
the deceased, whose evidence was con-
fined to an identification of the body.
He was followed by William Powell,
assistant at Becker & Sons undertake
ing establishment. He got the body
in the river and prepared it for burial
after the autopsy.
DR.. Alley, who conducted the post
morten, was next called, and detail
ed circumstantially the condition OF
the corpse, the nature of the wound
on the neck, the superficial wound on
the abdomen and other pertinent mat
tiers, as revealed by the examination
of the body. His examination was
quite long, and considerable time was
taken up in hypothetical questions as
to the effects of certain blows by
blunt or sharp instruments. The ply
stefan stated distinctly that the blow
on the neck had mashed the wind
pipe, and that from such a wound
death would result almost or quite in
stantly, as the supply of air to the
lungs would be hopelessly shut off. He
thought this blow was one from a
blunt instrument. The defense at
tempted to show that a wound of that
character might result from a fall
from a high place." but the witness
thought that an accident of that nature
would leave other evidences of it's oc-
currence.
An interesting witness late in the
afternoon was Adolph Smith, a boy
apparently about twelve years of age
After some controversy as to his ca
pacity, his testimony was admitted.
/ Odd you know Louis Dittmore?
Ayes. / often went to the boat
hor~se. I helped run the skiff.
Q,-Where were you on the Sd OF
July last? A.-On the skif.
Q.-At what time? About Il
o'clock.
o,-Did you see Louis Dittmore?
A.--No, sir.
Q-Understand me. When you
were there on the Sd Of July did you
see Louis Dittmore? Al saw him
going over the river.
Q-What time was it? About
o'clock.
Q-How was he crossing? AIN
a jsthnboat.
Q-Where was he going? Ito
thas side.
G.-Adolph, did you see anybody
fishing that day? (Objection.) You
we've there at IL O'Clock on the Sd OF
Julss,? Ayes.
G-Did you see anybody fishing?
A No, no one fishing. (Objection.)
Q-Do you know that man sitting
the~e? (pointing to defendant.) A.
No, sir.
TIE Court-Did you say you knew
hin or not? A.-No.
Q-You saw Louis Dittmore on July
8? Ayes.
Q-Where were you? A.-On the
bang.
Odd you see him again that day!
A No.
Q-You were at the boat house at l.
O'clock? Ayes.
Q-What were you doing? AIN
the skiff.
Q-On the house boat? A.-No, in
the skiff.
n-you saw IOuiS Dittmore at {