The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-26
Wife Dead in Crimsoned
Night Robes.
HUSBANDHALFCRAZED
f" Some One Has Attacked Me and
Shot Fannie" McCue Cried. "My
Darling Wife," He Groaned
When Told That She
Was Dead.
(B vthe Associated Press

Charlottesville, Va, Oct. 25.-Tht
attorneys for ex-Mayor McCue, charg-
ed with the murder of his wife, vS1o
announced late yesterday that because
of illness of MIR. Harmon, chief coun-
sci for the defendant, they felt they
could not proceed further, stated at the
opening of court today that they had
decided to go on. Mr.. Coleman, an at
torney from Lynchburg. has been re
tanned in Mr. Harmon's place.
Dr. Frank McCue, a brother of the
defendant, was the first witness. lie
was called to the home of accused
about 9:15 on the night of the tragedy.
He said when he got inside the house
he met the brother now on trial at the
staircase, who said to him that there
was some one in the house who had at
tackled him and probably had snot
Fannie his wife. He detailed the
finding of the dead body of Mrs. Nc
Cue, clad in a night robe in the bath
tub on the second floor and described
the wounds there being one on the
right ear, another on the left side OF
the. nose and a gunshot wound in the
breast. The water was running in the
tub at the time On coming out of the
bath room. he told his brother of the
finding of the body when the latter ex-
McCue Bursts Into Tears.
GAS the witness repeated this the ac-
cused buried his face in a handker-
chief and burst into tears.
The witness also told OF the finding
Of gun and a baseball bat in the
both room. the latter bearing a red
stain near the end. The exhibits were
identified by witness. The gun is a re-
peating shot gun. Witness believed
his brother came into the door Of the
bath room and saw the dead body. Or
entering the bath room the odor OF
burnt gun2Gwder was present witness
said. On meeting his brother in the
house he asked where his wife was
when the accused he said, told him tC
''go look for Fannie"
He said he could get no replied to hi!
questions from mis- brother, that h'
seemed dazed, and that when he wen
to attend his brother, later he Offered
him a stimulant, which was declined
The witness said he observed a wount
ON his brothers. cheek, from which
blood was dripping on his shirt.
MIR. McCue said on cross eXamina
tion that his brother complained o
poin in his head and that blood wa
dripping from his nose. which woul'
result from an injury to the head, AM
that the wound on his brothers heat
was such as would be made by blum
Instrument The witness was question
ed as to the nature and the effect o
the wounds produced by sandbag.
DIR. VenabIc's Story.
DR.. c. S Venable. who was at tn
McCue residence shortly after the trag
edv occurred. criticised the wound OIL
the defendants head as an abrasion
He found no other wounds on McCue.
head He too was questioned regard
ing sandbag wounds.
DR. Venable sa he was holding tn
defendants hand when the latte
asked DR. McCue If his wife was dead
Being Informed that she was he CAV
utterance to an exclamation Wines
said he noted no change in his conc
ton after receiving the announcement
that his wife was dead. He said h
was surprised that McCue did no
know his wife was dead up to tina
time. The defendant in reply TO bin
had explained that some occurrenc
had disordered his mind, and that
all happened 50 quickly. numDe
Of people had gathered at the nous
when he arrived. The accused. he saio
complained of pain in the head, bu
ON examination he found no eXterna
marks of violence. He did not observ
hiood coming from the defendant
nose. and in reply to counsel, SAID
wound such as appeared on the de
fendant's head would not produce un
consciousness in his judgment. Whe
he saw the accused the day after tn
tragedy he was perfectly ration9i. ID
Venable said that Mrs. McCue's nigh
robe was not blood stained until afte
l;er body had been turned over. III
wound on the back of her head, n
said. nj ghl have been made by con
tact with the bath tub, but the one b
the ear he thought to have been mad
With some blunt instrument The gu
snot wound in the breast he said. wa
;ln inch long. and badly powder mark
ed. indicating very close range. 1t wa
Of such a character that death wa
possibly instantaneous. Part of tn
She'll had lodged in the spinal column
He gave it as his opinion that tn
wound could not have been inflicted b,
Mrs. McCue in the position in which
she was found. and said he did no
believe she could have stepped into tn
tub after having fired the shot, as ht
did not think more than half doZel
heart beats followed after the shot en-
tered the breast.
The witness was closely examined
nv counsel for the defense as to tht
presence of a piece of blood-stained
cloth in the barroom. Witnesses sale
there was none, though he would no
cav that such a piece might not hav,
been present and escaped attention
during his investigation that night