The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-10
Tho Jewett Murder and Suicide.


Some points have been made out in the
history of the Front street mystery" that
are new and important, and that equally
tend to clear up the doubt in the case and
to show the value of some official fancies.
It is said, on the authority of the Coroner,
we believe, that the ownership Of the small
pistol has been traced to Orville Jewett,
who was undoubtedly the owner of the
large pistol He also, it is now said, owned
the knife that was found on the floor, and
had purchased it on the day Of the tragedy.
1t seems scarcely necessary to point out
how forcibly this fact bears on the only
point in the case MS to which there is at
present any uncertainty. Every weapon in
that small arsenal was the property of
one man. Each was brought into
that room by him with purpose
clearly disclosed by the event. He had
planned IN extensive slaughter. He
hoped, however. to kill oil his enemies and
himself, perhaps, by the easy process Of
throwing the grenade to the floor. For that
it needed only the one second of nerve
only the impulse for one act. But he knew
the uncertainty Of the weapon; sometimes
grenades do not explode, and when they do
they are as likely to infict trivial wounds rs
instant death. In this case the grenade
killed only one Of three men in the room
and slightly wounded the other two. Con-
ceiving such possibility he had prepared
the other weapons, for he did not mean to
be carried to prison with o scratch and stand
eventually trial for murder. He had the
little pistol, therefore, handy, but even
that might fail, for the bullets of those
weapons are scarcely larger than buckshot
He might even have survived with those
four wounds. Therefore he had also the
large pistol, whose missile makes hole
that "will suffice" But, if that had failed,
there was the knife. Clearly the man meant
oil this preparation for himself, not for his
uncle nor for Dean. Had it been with re-
gard to Dean he could certainly have put
two or three charges into that gentleman
when he saw him moving hastily away after
the explosion; for the ability to leave was an
evidence that the bomb had failed with re-
garQ TO MIN. 1uueeu, JueTe ~ Que pOlnJ III
this connection that should be reflected
upon by those persons who treasure the
"theory" that Dean shot Orville Jewett
Orville Jewett and Dean were both hurt by
splinters from the shell; but Deans hurt
was the worst 1t is not disputed that
Orville Jewett had in his possession, in q
holster buckled about his waist, the large
revolver If Dean fred the shots from the
small pistol, which were fired Immediately
after the explosion, then Orville Jewett was
before him, but little harmed by the gren-
ade, at least fully as able to shoot as Dean
was, and armed with the formidable navy
revolver. Now what do the supporters of
this theory suppose that resolute young
man was doing while the quiet old mer-
chant, startled by he knew not what fact,
was blazing away with his four barrelled
pepper pot2 With difficulties like this in
the way of any theory but suicide coro-
ncr is yet reported to have said that the
theory of suicide is 'absurd"-an express
sion which seems to prove that man
may be coroner and yet have few
things to learn.