The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-04-10
THE EIEWETTTRAGEDY.
GuessIngS and TheorIeS-OEl
Like Wisdom.

I
NV YoRK, April 9.-Inquiry into
the Jewctt tragedy, elicits few certainties
as to the important facts. Chas. Jewett
and Jos. A. Dean will not say ANYTHING
about the wrongs Of which orviilo b,
levitt complained. You may rest as.
sured, said Coroner EIlinger yesterday.
that the theory Of suicide Is absurd;it Il
the creation OF men whose Imagination
Is greater than their regard for the
truth. For instance, take the Porter,
Iho'. A. Jackson; he told me that
he was sitting at his breakfast when he
heard the explosion; further than
that he said he knew nothing; he now
comes forward and says, he saw Geo. W.
Jewett and 0rville D. Jewelt in a death
grapple. | asked him how he could have
seen that, he said the moment the explo.
sion occurred, | rushed down stairs and
seeing smoke coming from the office Of
Jewett & Sons, | thought that the
place was fire; | ran to the hall door,
which leads into the rear room. The
glass panes in the door were broken and
| thrust my head through. saw o. D.
and Geo. W, Jewettin deadly conflict. l
said you told me you knew nothing Of the
tragedy, but now you say you saw these
men just at the time OF the explosion.
Since then have you been approached by
nny one who offered money to you TO give
this statement?
Jackson trembled in muttering No, and
said what | told you the day OF the tx
t,ln.t.T, la..t. hail.. n
d. JeWett shot himself.
The Coroner later said: would place
all these men under arrest, but should
do so am afraid they would become
more retlrent than they are now. That
% D. Jewett committed suicide il simply
absurd. He could not have fired the
shots, even ii he had had the intention.of
dong it. A few days will develope this
matter. think | am on the right track.
An ISTEEvIEw WITH Mr.. DEAN.
Mr., Dean, the wounded partner Of the
Messrs, Jewett, was visited this morning
at HE home by Coroner Ellinger, who
questioned him in regard to his relations
with o. D. Jewett and his recollections OF
the circumstances attending the fatal
event. The interview, which was not
long, was held in the presence Of Deans
tather.in.law, Lathrop, ,his physician, DR..
Wake, and his lawyer, Mr.. Sutherland.
Dean said there had been no quarrel be-
tween him and o D. Jewett and that no
conversation had taken place between
them on the morning of the explosion
concerning their partnership. He said
ne did not remember how the explosion
occurred or any Of the particulars OF the
affair His recollection OF the events Of
that morning was vague and indistinct.
After leaving the house OF Dean, the
Coroner went to the Off es Of Dean and
Oryille D. Jewet's counsel, accompanied
by two members Of Jewetts family. He
was closeted some time in the office,
listening to statement OF Taintor, who
has said he saw o. D. Jewett shoot him.
self. Tho Coroner said that as soon as
his theory was developed be would iu-
form the public, but ut present he did not
wish to make known his plans, as by
giving them publicity he might lhwart
hi' purposes. He said, however, that he
would make arrangements to secure the
evidence of Taintor and have him present
at the inquest.
The Coroner visited the Office OF John
Jewett & Sons this afternoon. He said
he had decided 10 hold the inquest at the
Coroner's Office on Wednesday. On re.
turning to the Coroner's office the Coro.
ner ssId that the gentlemen whom he
had examined had said Taintor was to
have had an intercst in the business
after Orville D. Jewett had retired, and
that the latter had found it out the day
before the explosion. The Coroner also
declared that he had traced the pistols
aud knife found on the Office floor, and
discovered hat they belonged to Orville
D. Jewe,t. He has further discovered
that the latter purchased knife on the
morning OF the calamity. The Coroner
charac;erizes as a pure fabrication the
story attriputing TO him the account Of a
second interview with the. janitor, I. A..
Jackson, in which the Coroner is alleged
to have said that Jackson had retracted
his assertions in regard to the shooting.
He had not seen Jackson since the day Of
the explosion.