The Washington times., 1923-07-23
23 MEN CO
IN SECRET
SESSION
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further examination and told of the
finding of a .38-caliber revolver
close to Mrs. Kepner's right hand.
Kepner, in the room at the time,
told him that his wife had at several
times before threatened to commit
suicide. Coroner Wood, after ques-
tioning Kepner and other members
CT the family, wrote out certificate
Of death by suicide. "And for the
present." DIR. Hendrix said, ''the
case was closed"
Later the doctor told the jury
he was called upon by State au-
thorities to aid in performing an
autopsy over Mrs. Kepner's body.
He said that in company with two
other physicians he went to the Mt.
Olivet Cemetery where the body
was exhumcd. After making q
closer examination Of the body, the
position of the bullet wound, and
after rehearsing in his mind the
body, DR.. Hendrix said he reached
the conclusion that Mrs. Kepner
could not have possibly taken her
own life.
The jury questioned DR.. Hendrix
at length keeping him in the jury
room nearly an hour.
Sixteen other witneshes are due
to appear before the jury today. If,
however, the jury keeps the other
witnesses as long as the first two,
they will not reach all Of those
X aeduled for today, until some time
morrow.
It appeared this afternoon that
:ts inquiry would continue for
many days.
Charged by Judge.
Promptly at 10 o'clock the Cir
cult Court met and the names Of
the jurors were called out. Joseph
NJ. Coombs did not respond to the
call. Judge Hammond Urner, Chief
Judge of the Circuit Court, ex-
planned that Mr.. Coombs was i'll at
home.
Contrary to previous reports,
Judge Urner did not instruct the
jury to make an investigation of
the theory that Mrs. Kepner COM
mitted suicide. His charge was
brief, but imphatic and to the point.
He said:
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury:
'fYou have been called by the
court, at the request of the States
attorney, because Of the question
OF criminal responsibility which has
risen in reference to the death of
q Nesident of this county since you
were last in session. In ,determin-
ing whether there Is sufficient
grounds for an indictment, you
should not allow your minds to be
Influenced by anything you may
have heard or read heretofore in re-
gard to the subject Of your investi-
cation, but your conclusion should
be based solely upon the results
Of your own official and careful
inquiry and should represent your
Independent and impartial judg-
ment.
You will follow the regular
course Of procedure with which
your experience during your forynr
session has made you familiar. The
court is confident that in perform
ing your present duty you will
faithfully observe the obligation OF
the oath that you have taken.
You may now retire to your
room and proceed with your own
INVESTIGATION.
Courtroom Crowded.
The courtroom was crowded when
the Judge gave his instructions.
The jurymen imediately after filed
out and went into secret session.
1t was in the same room as that
occupied by the grand jury, two
weeks ago that. a coroner's jury in
vestigated Mrs. Kepner's death,
and came to the conclusion that she
was murderd.
An anxious crowd. largely Of men,
stood around the court house all
morning. More than a score of
newspaper men from Frederick,
Washington, Baltimore and PhiIa-
Aelphia stationed themselves out
side the jury door.
The -enty-five-yar-old Charles p.
Ranneberger, colored, the jury
bailiff, and a typical country cr1ar-
acter, OF the kind pictured on the
stage guarded the door.
Kepner's attorneys, Leo Weinberg
, and Guy X. Motter, were disap-