The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-13
DEATH CAME
FROM INJURIES
MaIiciouSIy Inflicted by John
Duncan on His Wife.
so SAID CORONER'S JURY
Autopsy Held Yesterday
Showed Conclusion of Spine.
WHICH CAUSED HER DEATH
John Duncan Is Now Charged
With ManSlaughter,

''From the testimony given, we. the
Jurors in the coroner's inquest do say
that Sailie Duncan came TO her death
from injuries maliciously inflicted by her
husband John Duncan
The above was the verdict Of the coro-
ners jury after the inquest held over
the body of salie Duncan, who died
Wednesday morning, and the verdict
was signed by ". a. Belts. A. c. Ter
rell J. F. Littell. Geo E. spaiton, E.
W. White and r. Hodges. A war
rant viii be sworn out in the city court
this morning and John Duncan win be
brought before Judge Harvey for his
preliminary hearing at an early date
The verdict of the jury fixes the blame
on the husband and makes him liable
for manslaughter.
Yesterday morning Drs Jordan and
Farmer held a post norton examination
o. the woman and they found an abra-
sion over the spine and between the
shoulders. They did not find the broken
rib as Dr. Farmer stated he found. They
could not find it by external process,
ard even after making the incision they
found nothing but an accumulation of
bone tissues, which probably gave rise
to the Doctors statement that a rib
was fractured.
At / o'clock yesterday afternoon the
Jury was sworn over the body Of the
woman 1T Dunbars undertaking rooms
and after the examination OF the body
by the jurors and the explanation by
the physicians an Adjournment was
taken to the court house, where the
testimony was taken.
County Attorney Comfy conducted the
examination for the state, whfo John
Duncan appeared in his own behalf
DR.. Jordan was the first witness called
He, with the aid of DR.. Farmer. had
made the autopsy and he stated that
there was an abrasion on the back Just
above the spine and between the shout
ders. This abrasion was about three
inches long and an inch wide. and
showed that some violent blow had been
struck there. The doctor was of the
opinion that the blow that was neces-
eary 10 cause that abrasion was suffI-
4
and this was the cause OF the woman's
death.
DR.. Farmer was next called. He at
tended Mrs Duncan for d week before
her death and he stated that he dag
nosed the case-as spinal meningitis as he |
did not know of any violent blows or
external injuries which the woman
might have received. He treated her for
~ a
was a conclusion and then il was too
late to save her life. He made the post
tive statement that Sanie Duncan's
death was caused by a conclusion Of the
spine, caused by a violent blow. He
went on 10 fell the result Of the autopsy
as given by DR.. Jordan.
He stated that on two days he asked
Mrs. Duncan how she came TO have that
broken rib, but the woman refused tc
tell him. One time" he said when /
was making the examination, her hus-
band was with her and when I asked |
her how she was hurt she said she did
not. want to tell. and then her husband |
broke in and asked her if she did not
get that broken rib when she was get |
tins into box car or into buggy. and |
she told him he knew very well how
she got those wounds. and there was no
use in him asking her questions. but she |
absolutely refused to tell noe how It /
happened"
The prisoner here began asking ques- /
tons. and he asked the doctor for a |
more explicit explanation Of the aues-
lions and answers. and when the doctor |
told all he knew John Duncan asked II !
the doctor "a not hear him ask his /
wife If ne had ever struck her and she /
replied mo- The doctor said he had 4
not heard the question and answer. and /
the prisoner thought that was enough, /
and sat down.
Jeff Thompson. a policeman, was next |
called. He stated that two weeks ago +,
Monday he arrested John DUNCAN on the /
charge Of wife beating. He said that /
that afternoon Mrs. Duncan came 20 him /
and asked that her husband be arrested, I
SIS he had beaten her that morning and !
she was afraid 10 so home. He arrest i
ed the man and locked him up. but the /
next morning when the case was called /
in the police court the woman was too 1
sick 10 appear against him and Duncan +
was released. He stated that Mrs. Dun /
can told him that her husband made her /
get out on the streets and get money /
for him. and that morning he told her 10 1
60 ont and SET a dollar and as she had /
failed she was afraid to go homo, as he
would beat her
Rebeeca Brown. Mrs Duncan's sis
ter, was the next witness called. aud 1
she stated that her soster complained
OF 3 dreadful pain in her back and head
week sgc last Saturday. and Mrs.
Duncan told her that Johu hurt her.
''7sy sister" ssid Mrs. Brown. had
big knot on her head and she complained
of her back hurting her. ard put mus
tard pouluces on her hack SATURDAY =
week sgo she told me that John Dun
tan beat her and that he struck her
with stick. and that il was AZ their
home az go North Main street. that be