Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-06

There wal but one verdict expressed
by citizens of Wheeling, who were
shocked yesterday by the details of the
Staying of M. F. Dryden by his aged
father-in-law, and that verdict justified
the surviving principal in that awful
early morning tragedy. The story of
the wrongs suffered by the patient wife,
at first only whispered, was now a mat
ter of public information, and though
a human life was a terrible price for the
wrong-doing, there were few, if any,
who condemned Workman for his deed.
Workman remained in the private Of
fee of Chief OF Police Clemans until he
was taken before Justice w. w. Rogers,
charged with homicide. Hon. John 0.
Pendleton, who had been retained as
counsel, secured the consent of Judge
Hugus to the release of Workman upon
nominal bond. 1t was accordingly fix
ed at $500, and Samuel Johnson was
! given as seruety. Workman went over
TO the residence of Mr.. Laupp, and re-
manned there during the day with Mrs.
Dryden and her children.
According to the evidence of DR.. w.
C. Etzler, which was given at the in
quest last evening, it appears that the
first story of the shooting was slightly
incorrect. DR.. Etzler remained with
Dryden until Mr.. Workman returned
from the pharmacy. When he left Dry
den was still in his room. DR.. Etzler
reached his home at 2:3U O'Clock, and
was called out the second time about 3
O'Clock. 1t seems, therefore. that dur
ing his absence, Dryden must have left
his bed to renew the abuse of his wife.
The clothing which she wore was torn,
showing indications of rough treat
ment, and it was probably only when
Dryden attempted TO choke her that the
aged father determined to shoot.
The autopsy was conducted at Dry
den's home about ten o'clock, by Drs.
Megrail and Schwinn, assisted by a
number of other physicians. They
traced the bullet through the heart, but
were unable to locate 1t, as it probably
lodged in the muscular tissue in the
back. A very interesting discovery was
the diseased condition OF the brain, re-
ferred to in the testimony Of physi-
clans at the inquest, given below.
Richard Donahue, Thomas j. Bail,
Charles A. H~elmbright, ]. Alex. Bebout,
John w. Scarborough and P. B. Zane
were summoned Upon the coroner's
jury. The inquest was held at seven
o'clock, and after hearing the evidence
o. witnesses, the jury found that M. F.
| Drx,da, my IN h,1 daoth frora a IN
shot wound on August 5th, at No. SO
North York street.
Dryden's body will probably be buried
in Steubenville to-day or tomorrow.
The examination of witnesses was
conducted by Prosecuting Attorney w,
P. Meyer.
Hugh Hawkins, a neighbor of Mr..
Dryden's, was the first to testify. He
repeated vile epithets which he heard
Dryden apply to his wife, for which
the witness reprimanded him. This
took place about two weeks Ago.. Wit
ness heard enough of Dryden's reputa-
ton to make him determine to keep
out of his way. He knew nothing about
the shooting or the events which i'm
medistely preceded it.
Mrs. Hawkins testified that her first
knowledge of the Staying of Dryden
was CLEANED from reading the morning
newspapers. She frequently heard
noises in the Dryden home, and had
heard stories of trouble there from the
neighbors.
I. c.. Stevenson was the next wit
ness. He lives two doors north of the
Dryden residence. He was sitting al
the bay window of his home when the
trouble commenced. Mrs. Workman
came to the house about two o'clock,
saying that Mr.. Dryden was crazy, and
asking witness to call DR.. Etzler TO give
him something to quiet him. Witness
te%lephoned to DR.. Etzler and then re-
tired. A little later he heard a noise
in Dryden's home, as if somebody fall
ing down the steps. He went to the
window and could hear Dryden's voice
/ applying vile and indecent epithets to
his wife and accusing her of u%nfaithful-
ness. What sounded like a scuffle fol-
lowed, and witness heard a shot a mo-
ment later. He looked out and saw the
members of the family leaving the
house. Mrs. Dryden had her hands
over her face and she cautioned Work
man not to return to the house. Wit
ness went to his neighbor, Mr.. Park,
and told him he thought the neighbor-
hood had suffered long enough and it
was time to act. He and Mr.. Park dis
cussed the ACCESSIBILITY of going after
officers. At this time he did not know
of the tragedy. In company with Mr..
Park witness entered Dryden's house
and found him partly clothed. lying
with his head on the steps, dead. The
body was carried upstairs, placed on
the bed and covered with a sheet.
Mr.. Stevenson testified to frequent
disturbances at the Dryden house, ex-
tending over a period of three years,
at all hours of the day and night. II
was not unusual to see the women OF
the house driven out by Dryden in the
dead of night and not permitted to re-
turn. The disturbances were most ag-
gravating and annoying to the neigh
borhood within the past few months
Witness said that the women would re-
main outside until they thought Dry
den was asleep. He formed that i'm
preston from the fact that they al
ways tip-toed back to the house. Wit
ness told of Dryden's frequent use o.
the vilest possible language, and of his
threats TO kill on sight a neighbor who
protested. Witness and Dryden was
very frequently under the influence OF
strong drink. He sometimes went tC