The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-06-29
Coroner's Investigation Dis
closes Evidence of a
Startling Nature.
BABES MISTREATED,
LIVES INSURED
Coroner's Trial at 8 a. M
Evidence Unbreakable,
Says Justice Johnson.

Formally charged with murder Of
his two children, E. John Fudge, is in
the county jail awaiting the coroner'a
trial this morning at 9 o'clock.
=. No one was allowed to talk with
the prisoner.
Early in the day, Coroner VIII L.
Johnson went to the cell occupied by
Fudge, secured from him an adnis-
sion that life insurance policies were
in trunk at the house. The coroner
lost no time in going to the little
home, where the two children had
been killed the afternoon before, and
a number of articles, which may to-
day be used in the inquest, were Sc
cured. All lend, the coroner believes,
to discredit the theory that one child
killed the other and thea suicided.
- Suicide Impossible.
From the end of the gun barrel
to the trigger it is twenty-four' inches
said Coroner johnson to The S&urnal;
from the end of her finger the
wound in her. breast is twent
It was physically inv bT3
fore, for her TO fire .aSk
was done with her
have been powder
thing indicates that, -
from a distance, sd,
COroner'sl
The coroner ordered 8
eled during the mornh
sists Of Messrs. A. w
Gutman, Jake Fisher, Z
Il. Parker and Ed. ,. @
body met and organized
then taken over to Pou cables,
where they viewed the remains
of the: little girls. They were
then taken in a body to the
Fudge home, where all surroundings
were carefully inspected. The jury,
being brought back to the city, then
adjourned until 8 o'clock Thursday
morning, when a dozen witnesses will
be sworn and testimony taken with
view to clearing up, as far as cir
cumstantial evidence viii permit, one
of the blacklist crimes that has oc-
Cured in Pensacola.
discriminating Evidence
which appears to entangle the father
in the deaths Of the little girls, was
piled up during the day, but the mas
ter stroke was made when the boy,
Bascom, was questioned. Although
he was not allowed to talk generally
he told the coroner enough to
strengthen the grave charge against
| the father, now behind the bars. The
boy, who is nine years of age, did
not want to 60 to the undertaking
parlor to view the bodies of his sis
ters. He is in custody Of the proba-
ton officer, Sam S. Pinney, and the
coroner, Judge w. L. johnson.
Murder Charge Made.
The charge of murder was made
against Fudge by. Constable s. J.
Jones, and upon that charge he is be-
ing held. Should the coroner's jury
today find sufficient evidence to sub
stantiate the charge, he viii be held
in the county Jail until a converting
of the next grand jury. Tt was stated
yesterday that an effort would be
made to have the case tried just as
quickly as possible should the jury
| find against him, and that special
term of the grand jury win be asked
to dispose of the case.
Wife a Suicide?
Judge Johnson, among the effects
found in trunk at the home yester-
day, discovered letter written from
| a relative in Waco, Texas, in which
the assertion was made that the
writer was "sorry your poor wife was
dead, and that she had committed
suicide" The prisoner has not adj
roitted that his wife was suicide,
although he did tell Journal repre-
sentative that she had died suddenly
On this subject, however, the little
boy, who had lost some of his shy
ness after being in the county build
ing for some hours, told how his
mother had died.
Life Insurance on Children.
n Life insurance policies on the lifl
Of each child were found in the trun
BY Judge johnson, and they wei
4 made payable to the father. Or
; inally they had been made payablel
1 the mother, but on March % they
I been changed, naming the fathg
the beneficiary. James Gerelds
; cal agent for the metropolitan
: pany, in which the policies hs
I taken out, collected the pa
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