Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-21
Confronted With the Charred Frag'
ments Of Ruth Whee|er's Body---De-
fence Obtains Grand Jury Notes
In the Swope Murder Trial.
HEARTRENDlNG TESTIMONY.

New York, April 2o.-No prisoner on
trial for his life in the New York
courts is ever remembered to have
faced such an array of facts and heart
rending testimony with such a stold
Indifference as did Albert Wolter to-
day. when confronted with the charred
fragments of the body which once was
Ruth Wheeler. charged with having
lured to her death in his flat not
month ago.
Philip OCailahan. q coroner's ply
stefan, testified that Ruth was attack
ed before she was murdered and that
there was still life in her body when
it was soaked with kerosene. iammed
up the chimney of VOTERS hat and
set afire. He found human hair not
her own. he said. adherring to the
burned fingers. Therefore he knew she
fought for her honor. There was SCOT
in the lungs. A corpse does not breath
Therefore he knew a living and still
sentient body inhaled smoke and
| flames.
During this appalling testimony.
which made the jurors fidget in their
chairs, Wolter sat there and listened.
scanning indfferently the jurors. the
grewsome exhibits themselves. and his
lawyer. He gave no sign of emotion
when Adelaide Wheeler, 10 years old,
and said to bear an extraordinary re-
mblance to her dead sister, took the
stand.
With self possession the girl ldenti-
fled the braid of artificial hair. which
was her sisters. the undertaking,
that she knew by it's texture, jewelry
that Ruth wore and lastly. what was
a surprise to the Defence a seal ring
engraved with Ruth Wheeler's initials,
and found on the body. The prosecu-
ton will contend that this clnches be-
You'd doubt the previous Identification.
which it had been thought the defence
would attempt to overthrow.
Nor did Adelaide Wheeler falter
when she told how she knew the dis
memhered body of her sister, even
though the arms and legs We're miss
ing by the lines of the bust. the con-
tour of the skull and the perfect teeth
| IT. was too much for the mother. who
| tainted and had to be carried from the
court room, but the sister went brave
| ly on.
| Objections from VOTERS counsel
were CONSTANT anu DIS constantly over
ruled. His cross examinations were ag-
gressvc. but brief and they shook none
| of the witnesses. There was no indica
| ton what the defence will be. The au
| dience today was rather more mixed
| than heretofore. Twenty or more wo-
| men. couple of clergymen and per-
| hapS 200 lavmen succeeded in getting
| by the guards but hundreds more
We're turned aside
| New York, April 2O.-Wolter did not
| cross the Bridge of Signs from the
| Tombs today, his attendants taking
| him early by another route to the
court room and avoiding the curiosity
seekers The mother and the two sis
| tors of the murdered girl were in
| court and among the witnesses present
| was Jennie Fisher. the salesgirl, who
! is alleged to have sold can of paint
| to yVolter the day the crime was COM
mitted and which the state seeks to
show was used to obliterate traces of
incncration from the fireplace in
! which Ruth WheelerS body was burn
| ed.
| When Miss Fisher was called to the
witness stand she testified that on the
day in question she sold a can of paint
and a brush to a person whom she pos
itively identified as Wolter.
Police Captain Edward p. Hughes iden-
titled memorandum book taken from
one of two trunks which had been
brought to the station house after the
discovery of the body. In it was found
the entry Ruth Amos Wheeler, aged Is.
American, lives with parents" This was
presumed to be the book which the pros
ecution will seek to show belonged to
Wolter
| CAPTAIN Hughes also identified gar
ment claimed to have been taken from
| the fireplace in which Ruth Wheeler's
| body was incinerated. Some pieces of
| charred wood adhered to it and the cxhi-
bition of the stained bit of cloth appear
cd to make profound impression upon
the jury Captain Hughes also identified
the rope found twisted around the young
victims neck and other articles found In
the gunny sack, including the braid of
hair which Ruth Wheeler's mother had
| testified looked like her daughters. VOL
ter maintained his attitude of stoid conf
posture through this testimony.
WoIter manifested no signs of nervous
ness when at the AFTERNOON session HE
of men brought in number of additional
gruesome exhibits in the case, among
| them portions of human ekeleton.
Coroner's Physician O'Hanlon was call
ed to testify to the facts brought out at
the autopsy. He said that death had
been caused by strangulation and burn
| ing.