The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-21
S|CKEN|NG STORY
 OF GIRLS MURDER
Prosecution Outlines the Case
 Against Wolter
DEPENDANT IS STOLID
sister of Dead Girl Identifies Body by Means of rnaments-salesgirI Tells of Paint Sold
 to Woltcr

New York, April 20.-No prisoner on trial for his life in the New York l courts is ever remembered to have laced such an array of hostile facts and heart rending testimony with such stolid indifference as did Albert Vol ter, today when confronted with the charred fragments of the body that was once Ruth Wheeler, whom he is charged with turing to her death in his flat not month ago. Philip O'Han- lon, a coroner's physician, testified that Ruth Wheeler had been attacked be- fore she was murdered and that there was still life in her body when it had been soaked with kerosine, jammed up the chimney of Wolters fiat and set ahre. He had found human hair not her own adhering to the burned fin- gers. Therefore he knew she had fought for her honor. There was soot in her lungs; corpse does not brcat the, therefore he knew q living and still sentiment body had inhaled smoke and flame.
 During this appalling testimony, which made the jurors fdget in theIr chairs, Wolter sat listlessly scanning the jurors, the gruesome exhibits liltIHSclN6S, dnQ HIS laWNeI. TIC BdNt no sign of emotion when Adelaide Wheeler, 19 years of age, and said to bear an extraordinary resemblance to her dead sister took the stand.
 With perfect boise the girl identified braid of artificial hair that had been her sisters; bits of underclothing that she knew by their texture; jewelry Ruth had worn, and lastly what came as a surprise to the defense, seal ,crt1 rad xryif1 Duh laf.f1 initials which was found on the body. The prosecution will contend that this clinches beyond doubt the previous Identification which it had been thought the defense would attempt to over throw.
 Nor did Adelaide Wheeler falter when she told how she had recognized the dismembered body as her sisters even though the arms and legs were missing. by the lines of the bust, the contour of the skull, and the perfect teeth.
 Objections from Wolter's counsel were constant and as constantly over ruled. His cross examinations were aggressive, but brief and they shook none of the witnesses. There was no indication of what the defense will be
 With the resumption today of the trial of Wolter the case entered upon a most important stage from the viewpoint of the prosecution. Yesterday after the jury. had been completed Assistant District At torney Moss devoted himself for the most part to establishing the fact that it was really the body of the 15-year-old stenographer that was found in a gunny- sack on Wolter's fire escape. To this end Ruth Wheeler's mother underwent the or deal of identifying some of the exhibits in the case.
 Whether Wolter's counsel would aban- don the other man. theory of the de- fense as rumored could not be learned before the opening of court today.
 Jennie Fisher, the salesgirl, who on the day the crime was committed, is alleged to have sold to Wolter a can of paint, which the state seeks to show was used to obIiterate traces of incineration from the fireplace in which Ruth Wheelers body was burned. positively identified Wolter as the person to whom she sold the paint.
 Police Captain Edward P. Hughes iden- titled memorandum book containing the entry Ruth Ames Wheeler, aged Ia. American, lives with parents" as found among Wolter's possessions.
 Coroner's Physician O'Hanlon testified this afternoon that death had been caused by strangulation and burning Did the burning contribute to her death?' the witness was asked.
 Yes" replied Dr. OHanlon. 'rhe as- phyxia was caused by the rope around her neck and by piece of fabric which I found on the face of the corpse.
 Dr. O'Hanlon maintained under cross examination his statement as to the causes of death