The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-20
BOYHOOD CHUM
OF MUELLER'S
is A WITNESS
Francis Vienger Was Preparing to
Leave Sale With Harry When
Trouble Occurred.

Testimony of Francis vienger of
South Moline, boyhood chum of
Harry Mueller, for whose death
John A and William Weaver are
being tried in circuit court, was
given yesterday afternoon.
Vienger was at the farm Of MS.
George Weaver in South Moline,
Jan. 20. 1921, during an auction of
fight between the Weavers and
Mueller, in which Mueller is al
legged to have received injuries that
cause a tumor on the brain and
death six months later. However,
he shed an angle to the case that
had not been brought out pre-
viously.
Vienger and Mueller were pre-
pairing to leave the sale in Wen
gers wagon, he said, when Will
liam Weaver approached them
William took hold of Mueller's arm,
whispered something and led him
away to a point where the barn OBJ
secured Vienger's view. Events oc-
Cured quickly there. Vienger's
testimony continued with the state
ment that he drove Mueller to his
home after the beating. Mueller
was bleeding about the face and
appeared stunned, he said.
Between the time of the beating
and when Mueller became belfast
late in June, the witness said he
saw him two or three times. In
each instance he came upon Muel-
Ter in the course of the days
work, he said Once they met while
Mueller was cutting weeds and
again when Mueller was blowing
his fields.
Concerning Mueller's state Of
health, Vienger said he was al
ways strong and robust prior to the
trouble but on the occasions of
meeting him thereafter detected a
falling off in weight and general
appearance.
More Fight Accounts.
Descriptions of the fight were
given yesterday afternoon by
Aschiel De LANCE of Hampton
township and Alphonse Diercks Of
East Moline. In cross-examinatioa
of De LANCE, the defense sought
to disclose discrepancies in his
testimony by introducing evidence
taken at the inquest over Mueller's
body in Moline last July. De Lange'S
answer was that he was not sober
at that time.
Diercks told of having started ais
automobile preparatory to leaving
the scene of the auction when his
attention was attracted to the fight
by the movement and cry of the
crowd. He stopped the car and
joined the spectators. He said ne
saw William Weaver doing the
Ed Ford's actions, he said Ford
threatened to remove his coat and
put stop to the struggle.
Ford, in concluding his testi-
mony yesterday afternoon, said
Mueller would have gotten away
from William Weaver at the outset
if he had not been stopped by Jo1n
Weaver. William did not have his
glasses on when the first blow was
struck, he said.
Expert Testimony.
Most of this mornings session
was taken up with testimony of
DR.. A. E Koehler and DIR. r n.
Davenport, both of Moline. DR..
Koehler attended Mueller following
the fight and both physicians par
ticipated in the operation in July
to relieve what was diagnosed as
pressure on the brain.
DR.. Koehler said Mueller was cut
and bruised when he came to him
for treatment after the struggle,
- l., L. Il Il l.,
to close the wounds because he did
not consider them serious enough
He did, however, apply treatment
for discoloration and swelling. He
did not treat Mueller again until he
came to receive attention for pains
in his head.
Dr. Davenport would not venture
an opinion as to probability of
Mueller's death being traced to the
beating.