The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-04-22
Pathetic Scene at Trial of
WOIter For Murder.
GIRLS DEAD HAND Is SHOWN.
In IL Are Hairs Of tho Man With
Whom Ruth Wheeler Struggled and
Who Burned Her In Stove
While Still Living.

the trial of Albert WOlter before Judge
Foster on n charge of Staying Ruth
Wheeler came when Assistant District
Attorney Moss showed by the testi-
mony of DIR. John Huntingdon, pro
fessor of anatomy at Columbia col
lege, that in the hand of the murdered
girl were clutched several hairs which
were not of the same texture as the
hair on the skull of the slain girl. This
indicated that Ruth Wheeler struggled
with her slayer before he put her to
death.
DR.. Huntingdon and DR.. O'Hanlon
testified that there was unmistakable
evidence observed at the autopsy to
prove that the girl had been attacked,
then strangled, then burned while she
was still breathing.
Dr. Huntingdon showed to the jury
the poor little shriveled, half burned
hand in the palm of which not all de-
stroyed by fire were dozen hairs and
not Ruth Wheelers hair. This same
witness also testified that in the
sweepings from the fireplace in VOL
ter's room which had been sent to him
for examination he discovered attach
ed "to some burned meat or flesh" a
gold ring, the ring which the murdered
girls sisters identified as having been
worn by Ruth Wheeler on the day she
started out looking for employment.
Both of the sisters testified. In ad-
dition to their story of the household
alarm over the disappearance of Ruth
and their all night search for her. Mr..
Moss submitted to them for identified
tion the braid of hair, almost untouch-
ed by the fire, which was cut from
Ruth's head. her ring. her umbrella.
charred remnants of her outer and
under waist, the ribbon with which
she tied her underwaist and the ring.
The Wheeler sisters were dressed in
deep mouriSng. spoke in low, agree
able voices. and as their stories were
disclosed it was revealed that the sis
ter of whom they testified had been
their pet, the ring had been IL present
from one, the umbrella the present
from another, piece of charred en-
broidery was recognized, because
mother made it and | sewed it on"
the ribbon with which the underwaist
was tied was identified because of a
peculiar knot (which l taught Ruth to
make" the braid Of hair was recogniZ-
ed because of popularity in the
braiding about which they had often
spoke.
While Adelaide Wheeler was telling
her story Olga Nethersole, the actress,
was an interested witness, and she re-
marked thae as these revelations went
on the courtroom was in absolute Si-
lence. the faces of the jurymen became
drawn, and some of those who sat In
the box took no pains to conceal their
tears.
Judge, jury. spectators, all plainly
showed how deeply moved they were.
Only Wolter. the defendant, appeared
Indifferent He sat between uni.
formed court officer who guards him
and one of his lawyers, unmoved and
seemingly wholly Indifferent.
Police Captain Edward +. Hughes.
testified that in a trunk in VOTERS
fiat he found memorandum book
which contained this entry:
Ruth Amos Wheeler. aged fifteen,
American, lives with parents; 81 a
week"
Captain Hughes told of the discov-
cry of the charred body in the yard
back of 224 East Seyenty-fifth street.
He identified the bag in which the
/ body had been packed with one of
VOTERS shirts. Wrapped up in the
/ shirt We're some corset steels and char
red refuse. and In the sleeve Of the
shirt was piece of wire, presumed TO
have been used to bind Ruth's legs. A
necklace was around the neck of the
body, and piece of rope was sunk
into the flesh. Around the legs was a
/ piece Of wire similar TO the loose piece
found in the sleeve OF the shirt.
/ John II. Larkin, adjunct professor
of pathology in the College of Physi-
clans and Surgeons, testified that at
the request Of the district attorney he
visited the room in which Ruth Whee-
Ter is supposed to have been stran-
gled and burned. He found in the fire.
place part of the frontal bone of the
human skull, and that and all the
carefully collected sweepings from the
fireplace he submitted for examination
10 Professor Huntingdon.
AT the police station he examined
the iron shield or summer piece taken
from the front of the fireplace and a
portion of a brick taken out OF the
fireplace construction. From both OF
these objects he had removed speci'
mems of burned flesh.
The police had given to him two
blood stained handkerchiefs which
they had found on VOTERS person and
also the blood stained shirt which
formed part OF one Of the fire escape
bundles. These blood stains he had
subjected to microchemical examina
tIons, and the stains he believed as a