Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-10-28
Fairfax CorOner's Jury
Probes Death of Henry
BriscOe
SENSATION SPRUNG
Richard Burnett Denies He Fircd
Any ShOts-Only Two Witnesses
Heard.

A sensation was sprung at tn"
coroner's jury inquest in Fairfax
county yesterday afternoon in the
probe into the fatal shooting of Henry
Briscoe which occurred the night o.?
October Is on the Camp Humphreys
road when Acting Commemorative
Attorney Wilson Farr asked Richard
c. Burnett if he fired a pistol three
times that night. Burnett emphaticai~
" branded the report as deliberate
falsehood in no uncertain terms. tic
also told the jury that he refused TO
go to Oehlet's home and ne denied
that he had agreed to pay Oehlerts
counsel fee.
Oehlert's wife since the affair he
said came to see him, and he testltled
she told him she had been to see hct
husband in jail and had told her hus-
band that Burnett was working with
the police and doing everything he
could against Oehlert. Burnett SAID
he told Mrs. Oehlert he was going to
tell the truth. Witness said Mrs. Och
lert then said somebody had told her
SO and he said she told him the name
of q woman who was alleged to have
told her. Burnett said he told Mrs.
Oehlert that the statement was with
out foundation.
The jury met at the residence OF
Fl. w. Stanton on Duke street road
extended and after the testimony OF
Burnett and Edward Patterson had
been given it returned a verdict TO
the effect that Henry Briscoe came
to his death at the Alexandria Hos
pital at $50 o'clock the night of Dc
tober 16 as the result OF a gunshpt
wound inflicted upon him by William
Oehlert from an AUTOMATIC pistol be-
longing to Richard +. Stuart.
The pistol was lying on a table n
front of the witnesses and jurors.
The inquest was conducted by DR.. D.
l.. Robey, coroner, Of Herndon, Fai:.
fax county, and the state was repre-.
sented by acting Commonwealth's AZ
torney Richard Farr.
The Jury was composed of the fol-
lowing: Fred G. Allbaugh, Arthur D.
Kirby, Fred B. Roach, II. T. Blunt,
Eugene f. Sisson, ]. B. Van Pelt.
The Jury convened at 12:45 O'Clock
Yesterday afternoon and it was 3.,l3
o'clock when they completed their
labors. A number of persons attend
ed but were unable to gain admit
tance to the room where it was held
owing to lack of space.
The first witness was Richard Z.
Burnett. Burnett told of taking an
automobile ride that night with Och
lert. After describing the route taken
by them he told the jury that at the
point where the shooting took place
they came upon Stuarts car and
truck near the residence Of Pierce
Reed. Both machines We're stopped.
Oehlert he said stopped the car got
out and went back to where the mon
were talking. Witness declared Och
lert exclaimed that it was his car
and warned anyone not to put their
hands on it. One fellow he said re-
marked 81 put my hand on it and viii
do so again
Oehlert at this juncturc according
to witness stood on the running board
of his own machine with a pistol in
his hand. Burnett said he begged
Oehlert to come on and pleaded with
him not to have any trouble with the
men. He repeated it he said half ="
dozen times.
About that time Burnett said some
hody appeared to have made a noise
like they scratched match or some
thing on the back of Oehlert's car and
Oehlert then walked to the right
hand side of the car and discharged
his pistol, evidentally shooting into q
ditch. Oehlert then came back he said
and pulled another pistol out and re-
marke something that sounded like
"stand back" Burnett said he remark
ed "Willie. for Gods sake come OF
and 90 home. What do You want &c
get yourself in trouble for ?" Och
aert he said then got into the auto
mobile, sitting on the left hand SIDE
and had gone but a! short distance
when someone threw stones at the
car. When they did this
lert turned around anc. ILL.,. faIoGgn
the Using glass screen il I'D rea~ y.
the car.
Oehlert then speeded a-a ga
witness demonstrated w an La
witness said Oehlert ov sos ,ra
of Richard Stuart and alert ~ :
clared gave Stuart e a~a S. t
he said asked Oehlert 'ro. 4 .
and Oehlert he said re i !
tered or shot six, he KEN ere .
say positively the eXsct = "
Oehlert
The nistol was exhib t D -. :
ness who said it looked a ae s.
tol Oehlert had thas tel. IT