The New York herald., 1876-02-03
THE TRAGEDY At DEER PARK.
REVELATIONS AT THE INQUEST.
A Growing Belief that There Was
Foul Play.

woman who passed for MIRA wright-was commenced at
Luxs Hotel, Babylon, L. L, yesterday morning. There
were about 800 persons present The jurors empan
eed by Justice Cooper having the bodies FIRST
discovered in the ruins, continued, with the ex
ception of few who excused witnesses.
The first witness called Maud Taylor. She testi
ned that she had Nred at the house Of David Skid
more, Sr., four moRths the people who lived there
besides Mr. skidmore Fleet Weeks, Wesley
Wright Mrs. Wright, herself and Charles Terrell;
Terrell had there four weeks witness last the
family eight O'Clock Sunday night she then went
out to Hegemans hut with Charles Terrell TO sit up
with Hegeman who was sick; Mrs Hegeman went to
bed about ten O'Clock; strangers about the
| place Sunday; witness first the fire through
a hole in the top OF the door OF Hegeman's hut be-
tween twelve and half past twelve on Sunday night;
first thought it was charcoal kiln; after while
witness and Terrell to the house and found that the
side including the stairway at the west end
on FIRE; there was appearance of nre inside; she
called her mother and thought she her at the
window, but thinks now it was only imagnation can't
say positively that she after they had watched
the Gre for Ave minutes the house fell in;
after that witness back and told the Hegemans
witness
WAGON PASS
at all that night; witness did not know whether the
folks the house burned not at the time, but
supposed IL mother escaped she would to the
hut her father was agent for Mr. Skidmore and her
mother his housekeeper; David and Carl Skidmore
first visitors TO the burned house; they called
time the morning. perhaps nine or ten O'clock
Mr. Weeks and Mr.. Wright sound seepers, but her
mother and Mr. Skidmore would hear the least sound
To q Juror--There only one fire in the house,
and that was in the basement fireplace; charcoal
stored in the basement none was in the house at
all; the fire was burning brskly when witness lett
No one lef the hut from the time she and Terrell
tered IL at eight O'Clock until they saw the fire; old Mr
Skidmore frequently complained that his sons were
| v vcfaa in from him.
to the before the IRE occurred; her mother used
TO tell her she afraid to live there lest she or Mr.
Wright should be killed or hurt; witness did not tell
any one she heard wagon pass that evening
She recognized pocket knife found beside the body
Of Wright aad match sao carried by her mother who
always smoked witness mother told her that her step
father had been threatened by David and Carl Skid
more two weeks there was fire in the house which
consumed part of mantepieces different floors
there dog kept in kennel near the house that
always barked when strangers approached; he did not
bark that night
Mrs Elmira Hegeman, the wife CT the sick aboror,
testified that she last saw Skidmore and Weeks after
sundown on Sunday; they SOBER witness
asleep when the fire first discovered; Mr. Skidmore
used TO talk good deal of his lawsuits with his sons
she heard wagon pass that night and saw no
strangers about the place; Terrell went to Deer Park
about O'Clock the morning after the fire. no one
offered to 60 before that, and II they had offered
she was too scared to let them go; Maud Taylor
and Charles Terrell stayed at the burning house
only ten or fifteen minutes; the Skidmore family
the habit of going TO bea at any time between
and eleven O'Clock; does not know what hour the
lights were put out the night Of the fire; Maud and
Terrell stayed night in the hut except the
night previous to the fire; they used TO come tn re
| quently.
In answer to question as TO whether there any
peculiar affection between Maud Taylor and Terrell she
said they friendly When this question was pat
Maud Taylor seemed to enjoy II as good joke and
laughed at it. She at no time exhibited any sorrow for
her mother nor did she seem to realize the calamity In
its full extent
| recess was taken at noon, and on its termination
Charles H. Terrell was sworn. he belongs 70 Middle
Island and had lived four weeks At Mr.. Sktdmore's;
when he 1rst saw the fire 1t was
| BURNING FRONT srooP
outside and the stairs inside the house at the west
end the fireplace the other end left the house
about eight O'Clock to sit up with Hegeman; none of
ing TO excess that day; witness went twice
TO Deer Park on Sunday forenoon the first
Wright for medicine tor Hegeman; the medicine she
got gill of whiskoy; she wanted 10 get ale also,
but could not get any Mrs Wright SAID that day she
afraid TO let her husband go up into the woods;
she said the colored man, Henry Wood with whom
Wright was some timber, had made threats
anSs and nrs Wright went out toward psce
called Dublin for walk; witness heard wagon go
by about an hour before the fire dlscovered the
other inmates OF the hut, except Hegeman, did not
hear ii It moved slowly and appeared to be going
east; never before heard wagon pass so late; IL
sounded like heavy farm wagon
Coroner-Did you have any idea OF how this fire
TerreI-well, kind o. thought 1t was sot ahre at
! the stoop first / could how the fire could a.
got there any other way The soop was on the north
west corner and the chimney ON the east end ol the
house.
Coroncr-wero they in the habit of putting out their
| Witness9The old gentleman usually covered the fire
up night; Mrs Wright used keep her light burn
| ing all night
Witness said that after the fire the Hegemans kept
him until daylight; Mrs Hegeman was afraid there
might have been some one around there that would
in and kill them II he went away witness passed
by the ruins at daylght and saw the bodes he alter
ward found broom handle the broom which had been
burned OF in the garden west OF the stoop that made
him think the house set fire: the broom was
the old one that belonged in the basement The wit
ness stated that relatives of Mr. Skidmore had
|
The old man complained 10 him that his sons were
cutting and carrying Off his wood, and said
he did not want anything TO do with them;
he afraid they would take his life;
they were TO nave s lawsuit in the spT,ngS; niS
more boys (Car aud DAVID had sworn vengeance
against him wrghtl; Wright told her not long ago
ter there;' he acted II he was afraid to go
alone to Deer Park at night and his wife
skdmore's crib had been broken into shortly
before and some things stolen and the ticket agent
a Deer Park says he saw some Of the stolen property
the possession Of one OF the sons witness has seen
the ather and pass the without speaking
TO one another; witness is on friendly terms with Da
Coroner--when David and Carl skidmorc called and
saw their father IN The runs how did they seem 10
witness-Not as bad as they had ought should
think; they did dot seem much troubled
Witness tracked the wagon he heard pass on Sunday
night all the way TO Dear Park Monday morning,
losing all trace Of as he approached barn the
depot
Coroner-what the first impression the inmates
OF the Hegeman shanty entertained about the FIRE aud
the inmates OF the burned houseS
witness-We all thought they had been murdered,
because they were found under the where they
slept: II they had not been stunned suhocacd they
would have moved around
A STRANGE EMBARRASSMENT.
Last night tsaid the w1tncssl was afraid that the
boys-meanpg David and Carl Skidmore-would feel
mad enough TO XIII me n should come down here and
swear certain thing
Coroner-What was that one certain thing9
Witness docking confused and nesitatng)-I forget;
now, let me think; | know very well what | want 10
say, but want 70 think before say it now was
this:--Daves oath that Mr. Wright would not winter
there
David sKidmore described his visit to his father's
promises the morning after the fire. and said he had
not been his fathers farm for six months before ne
said he had friendly conversation with his father
about two weeks ago in the woods where he work
II L.L -aLLaL L..