Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-08-10
EVENING STAR.
Mrs. Merrtst-.- story.
INTERROGATION OF THE ALLEGED or
RAGE ON THE TCG-BoAr NINE NORTON


INTERPOLATION OF THE ALLEGED OUT
RAGE ON THE TCG-BoAT NINE NORTON.
Mrs Colonel Merritt" who still keeps her
bed, was cross-eNamined Saturday before
Judge 0tterbourg. at Bellevue Hospital. On
her affidavit charging Captain Phillip Ryan,
Of the tug boat Mike Norton. and George
Miller with having assaulted her on the evcn-
ing oi July ~. She said that Ryan was one
Of the asSailants 10 the best of her knowledge.
and she positively identified Miller. Her
testimony was a. follows.
was born near Springfield, Mass; I am
married, refuse 10 tell where my husband
resides; have child, but refuse 20 tell
where ~ *. | have only one child. have
been in New orleans, / was there twoor three
winters. hut not under the name Of Dutton:
IL is TWO years since resided in Washington,
/ went into the Insane Asylum there, /
stayed at The Arlington Hotel In Washing
ton. but 90 not remember having registered
under the name of Mrs. Waidron, OF Ten
n1S>ce; will not tell anything positive about
that, / don't remember Mr.. John /. Mitchell.
in Washington, nor Riggs Co. the bankers:
/ cannot tell whether ! deposited a check
with Riggs & Co, for collection; I never
stated hat was the wife of Colonel Merritt
! might have said 50 at the police-statiOn.
where was asked so many Que>ttouS shah
not say anything as to whether nave repre-
scntCO myself as The wife OF General AVeril
1 was in Baltimore two weeks. about two or
three days after l ran away from Washing
ton; VIII not tell under what name passed
in Baltimore. ] Staid in Baltimore at The
state Hospital for the Insane; i was there a.
an cmploye: LETT on account OF poor health.
i 90 NOT remember eN-DetcctiVe John :.
Young, OF New York; II l. not true that I was
In an aims house in Baltimore. my child is
not IN Washington now; ! shall not tell
where il is; / have been at Niagara Falls a
great many times ] was not known there as
Mrs. General ANCrill. | went by my own
name; refuse To tell what my own name is.
i was frequently at the hospital i'm Rochester.
but not AZ patIent. 1 lived at PeuIciI. near
Rochester; l. lived there under my own
name. winch refuse 10 tell; shall not say
whether represented myself in Brooklyn ~
the wife of General Arlington; had seen
Ryan four times before to-day. and could
easily identity hun; had only beel I'm New
York about three hours when the assault Oc-
CURED, ] came from Washington and Ialti-
more; the day of the assault came from itO-
tokCn, but / refuse TO say from what part,
cannot tell what time / left Hobokeu. but
think Il was about three hours before the as
sault; am not very well acquainted with
New York city.
THE ASSAULT.
II was about ; O'Clock in the afternoon
when got here from Hoboken; met a man
who asked me If ] was looking for any boat
in particular; ] told him what boat | was
looking for. but do not remember the name
OF The boat; he said he would show me the
boat, but afterwari said that the boat had
left; he afterwart asked me la 20 on "a steam
boat, as he called il, to see the Captain. 1
finally. after some hesitation, Went down on
The wharf, as the man said that a man was
acting aS steward on the boat, and the Cap
tain wanted a woman for stcwardeSS, as the
man had family on the boat; 1 waited On
Captain was on board. and ne returned and
laid that the Captain was not on board. and
that all hands were drunk; a man VINO repre-
scented himself as the Captain induced me 10
go on board; it was almost dark when went
on board. when went on board the boat
did not see either of the prisoners: IL was
about an hour after got on the boat before l
saw either of the prisoners; during that hour
/ was being shown the kitchen and every
thing belonging Ia il; | Went on this boat 10
hide myself as much as anything else, for
feared that would Toe taken back 10 Wash
ington; after the assault i rushed from the
boat; after running a short distance ! found
an officer: ! returned with tie officer To the
boat in a few minutes; 1 last saw my hUS-
hand when he came home from Florida last
spring; ne spoke TO me, but / would not
answer him, because he had not taken me
home from the insane asylum; have lived
in the city of New York. bur don Z liKe 10
say where; my real name is not Louisa Mer-
rift; some one told me, 1 don't know who. az
the Tombs Police Court. / think il was Cap
tain Williams, to sign any name | chose .
the affidavit, OF something 10 that effect, rs
IL did not make any difference: / gave the
name of Louisa Merritt 10 Captain Williams.
The witness then signed the name OF
"Louisa q. Merritt" TO her testimony. but al
mitted that that was not her name. and re-
fused TO give her real name.-NelU lVrk WOrli
eth.