The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-22
A CURIOUS CASE.
THE DEVELOPMENTS OF DEATH.


THE DEVELOPMENTS OF DEATH.
AN AGED TAILOR DIES sUDDENLY-Hs SON
DISCOVERS THAT HIS FATHERS HOUSE,
KEEPER WAS HIS wIFE-A MISSING WILL.
OF course It is Brooklyn case, and is thus
told by the Evening Eagle of that city:
Mr.. Alfred L. Pellitt, of Greenpoipt, went to
Coroner Simms this morning and requested
an investigation into the circumstances at
tending the sudden death of his father at
No. 20 Carlton avenue. The coroner, after a
patient hearing of the facts and surmises of
the applicant, and In view of the circum-
stance that there had been no physician In
an inquest, and previously post mortem.
The deceased, George A. Pellitt, was
tailor by trade and ~ years old. He was the
owner of the three story frame dwelling in
which he died. and had, it Is believed,
considerable funds in cash, but, like some
other men of indomitable will, he preferred
to work when IL was unnecessary, and for
the past few months has been In the en-
ploy of a Myrtle avenue firm. He occupied
the top floor of the Carlton avenue house
and had no companion save an elderly wo-
man, who, the son informed the coroner,
was his fathers housekeeper. Her name
was given as Clarisss Green. The son states
ger came to his house in Greenpoint and
notified him that his father was dead. He
fastened to the home of the old gentleman,
and found that the intelligence was correct,
and further that
DEATH HAD COME SUDDENLY,
and when there was no person near to re-
ceive the last words or see the closing strug-
giles. Two weeks previous to this the de-
ceased had visited his son, and beyond
complaining Of slight disposition, gave no
sign of the near approach of death. The
relative after viewing the remains, exam
ined the apartments and furniture in ex-
pectation of finding the will and other
effects of deceased, but everything had been
removed save deed of the house, which
was found in a trunk under the bed upon
which the dead man lay. AS the son
expected 80 be the posssssor OF
all al .no the I property OF his father,
fects suspicious circumstance, and so in
formed the coroner. An Eagle reporter
went to the place indicated, and bad con-
versation with the housekeeper, so called,
and during the same, elected from her the
fact, hitherto unknown to the son, that she
was the wife OF the deceased. The son
manifested considerable astonishment at the
piece of news, inssmuch as his father had
never by word or sign, given him any init
nation OF the relations existing between
him and his housekeeper. But that the
womsn's story is perfectly true was subse.
quently made apparent from
A GLANCE AT THE RECORDS
ofSt. Marks Episcopal Church, from which
it appears that the twain were married on
the 18th Of June, lS47, by the then rector, the
Rev. Mr.. Finch. She informed the reporter
that her name was Clarissa Pellitt, and that
If her marriage wasn't generally known il
was because the dead man didn't let his right
band know what his left did. AS to the
cause of his sudden death, she stated that
he had been long afflicted with asthma and
at times suffered greatly from difficulty in
breathing. Still he continued to work, eat
heartily, and always took an hours sleep
In his chair after each meal. He mad often
told her that he would live TO be hundred
years old, and would then probably be
| found dead in his chair. He was very par
| ticular about these maps of his, and gave
orders that he should never be disturbed.
After one nap last week he remarked to her
that he had had happy dreams and felt quite
heavenly. On the night before his death
she. as was the custom, gave him his cold
water bath aud placed wet cloths about his
chest, but after be had been in bed only an
hour or so, he called her and said that be
was sufocating. She wanted to remove the
colths then, but be refused to allow it.
SHE REMAINED BY HIS BEDSIDE
the rest of the night, and says that he fell
into an unusually easy sleep. At O'Clock
on Tuesday morning she left him and pre-
pared some food, and when, half hou,
later. she went to see how he was, she was
startled to find him dead. She summoned
no doctor, but called LADY living on the
same floor, and they tried in vain TO recall
him to life. Then the son was sent for and
he took charge OF the remains. The re
porter asked Mrs. Pellitt il her husband haG
| ever made any disposition of his
property and this query ELECTED
another bit of astonishing news for the
son, the woman stated that there had beer
a will made two years ago and given into
| the custody of John Stanton, whose
| whereabouts are now unknown, but who al
that time lived in Hall street. Stanton was
then wealthy, but his wife was burned Il
| death, and this terrible affection ruined him
| in body and life. Since that Occurrences
| nothing has been seen or heard of Stanton
and the will has never been filed. The pos
| norton will be held this evening, when the
sons suspicious will be set at rest. From
other sources the reporter learned that tht
deceased was twice married and that the
second wife is still alive, The property
question will probably afford business fol
/ tire courts.
DUAL DISCRETION.
A WRETCH WHO DESERTED THE WOMAN