Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-08-04
CRANE TRIAL TURNED
INTO SWEEPING PROBE
OF .WURM MYSTERY
RearSay Evidence and Other
Testimony Admitted Without
Slightest Objection by
Either Side

warrant charging the murder OF Jonn
wurm. resolved itself soon after the
hearing began into a sweeping investiga-
ton of the mystery. with all evidence
admitted that has the slightest bearing
on the case
II was evident that attorneys for both
sides considered Crane only in a minor
role and were agreed 10 use his trial as
a means 10 probe every angle OF the
murder. bring out every possible point
and put all the testimony on the court
records.
As witness after witness was examin-
ed. there was no objection voiced by either
side. hearsay evidence was allowed ana
opinions were freely expressed ON vari-
Gus theories
Questions were asked following out
the theory that Wurm committed sui
eide. the theory that he was done TO
death by more than one man, and the
theory that he was killed for revenge
mr. for robbery. The attorneys laid
great stress on the various roads lead
ing 10 the river. both from the Fulton
and Cobb county sides and above ana
below the place where the body was
found.
NEW EVIDENCE FOUND.
Much new evidence was brought 10
light. including the statement of the
physician who performed the autopsy
that Wurms hands were not very tight
" tied: and the testimony Of another
witness that II was the custom of the
night timekeeper on Saturday and sun
day nights TO check the mems time early
in the evening and then leave and go
home il he wanted TO.
At 1 o'clock Thursday afternoon court
recessed for an hour after about dozen
witnesses had testified The hearing
was resumed at . o'clock
Prof and Mrs A J. Wurm. the mother
and father OF the dead boy, were present
at the trial They were seated at a table
near the judges stand Mrs. Wurm was
dressed in black and wore a heavy black
veil
The court room was jammed with
spectators. About fifteen women were
among them. including Cranes wife. who
sat in the rear. Many unable 10 obtain
seats stood against the wall in the rear
and along the sides and in the doorway
About sixty witnesses were waiting
outside in the corridors when Solicitor
General Eb 7. Williams, who is con-
Quoting the prosecution, assisted by
Marcus P. Mcwhorter. called the FIRST
witness.
He was G. s Burdette the East Point
butcher who found Wurm's body sun
DAY morning between 10 and IL o'clock
while he was rowing down the river
in a skiff. His testimony was to that
effect
TESTIMONY CORROBORATTD
Burdette's testimony was corroboratei
by Sam Proctor and Erskine Humphrey.
the two men who were with him in thu
boat.
DR.. ]. NJ. Crawford was the next wi
ness. He is the physician who in jan
uary. 1915. operated on John WurTn
FOR mastoiditis. an operation which lef.
"a scar behind WuTm's left ear by which.
the body was identified
Attorneys for both sides questioned
Dr. Crawford regarding this operation.
whether mastOiditis will affect the brain
and what its result on Wurm had been
DR.. Crawford replied that the disease. II
allowed to run on. will sometimes cause
insanity: but he said the operation was
successful on John Wurm and he was to-
tally recovered from H.
DR.. Crawford testified that a o'clock
Monday afternoon. the day after the
body was found. he visited Patterson :
undertaking parlors at the request %
the family TO establish identification and
make a minute examination OF the body
This examination showed. he said thai
the skull was not bruised and there was
no evidence OF a fracture; that there
were no bullet holes on any part of the
body. and that there were no bruises
cause death He could not tell. he said.
whether -he bruises on the body were
inflicted before or after death. It was
his opinion that ultimate death was BY
drowning.
CAUSE OF ABRASIONs.
He described how the boys hands
were tied. one strand Of wirF around one
hand, a second strand of wire around
the other hand, and only one strand
OF wire around both hands. The abra-
siOns on the wrist he did not think were
made BY the process of tying the hands
They were not deep enough, he said, and
were probably caused by the boys strug-
giles TO free himself,
Asked IL he thought wurm could have
tied his own hands. he replied that he
did not think So zone man could have
tied the hands II there had been no re
sistance offered he said, but he did not
believe one man alone could have done
the job IL John had struggled against
him.
He was asked to give his opinion Of
the way in which Wurm met his death
He said he thought Wurm was strucl
on the head by a blunt instrument which
left no mark, and was pitched in the
river alive
DR.. Crawford was followed by Sidney
Glenn. division superintendent Of thu
Georgia Railway and Power company
Glenn told Of going 10 the river whsr
the body was found. helping TO tow n
down to Bolton and directing its dis
posaL He was a neighbOr of John wurm
he said. knew him and was able TO iden-
tify him by his clothes
The wire was introduced as evidence
here. two short strands and one Ions
strand, about three feet in length. which
had been doubled by twisting. The
timebook. an eraser. two pencils and ;
pOcketknife. all found in Wurm's pockets
were also introduced
FATHER on STAND.
Prof a. J. wurm. father of the dead
hoy. was the next witness
He said he identified the body by th'
shoes. which were old and worn JohT
had been talking about getting new
pair. he stated
Prof wurm said he first missed his
son from home on Monday morning after
the disappearance He called up the
GcontiaDed on Page 3, Col. 81