The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-09-25
Sentinel reporter called at the station and
asked for


which was readily granted by officer Dur
ham, the turnkey. Merrick was found lying
on bunk in the back part of the CELL When
spoken to he jumped up in rather an excited
| manner, and came to the front of the cell.
His eyes had peculiar look, and after cast
ing hurried glance at the reporter, he began
pacing ND and down the narrow room, never
once thereafter taking his eyes off the floor.
As soon as he arose from the cot and walked
toward the bars be said, 81 have been having
the dumb chills for some days, and am not
feeling well to-day
what do you know, Mr.. Merrick, about
the murdered woman you saw few minutes
ago at the undertaker's?'i inquired the re-
porter.
Nothing"
"Do you think the remains are those of
your wife?''
IL don't know for certain, but think not.
l believe that my wife is alive and in the
city,
when did you last see herr
LAST Saturday one week ago."
''When and under what circumstances?'
son the evening Of that day took her out
for a drive We drove down Indiana avenue.
At the corner of West street she saw negro
woman named Lucy, who had been engaged
by her to stay with her during her confine-
ment for she was about to become q mother.
She got out of the carriage and commenced
talking to Lucy. In "a few moments they start
ed up West street together. saying they were
going to the house of a midwife where my
wife was to stay during her confinement /
waited for them to return, and as they did
not come drove up 10 the stable, and that
was the last I saw of her,"
Were you not uneasy at her absence
from homer
'No; 1 thought but little about it."
Have YOU seen the woman Lucy since
that nightY'
Eyes, twice; she said my wife was getting
along hrst rate
do you know where the house is, or at
least is said TO be, or who keeps itg'
mo; do not"
Did you and she get along we'll together
after marriage"
''Yes-no; we had several little quarrels." !"
Then you do not think the murdered
woman is your wife,"
II do not, but am not positive; 1t may be
her"
sWere any of your wife's teeth filed with
gold. and were any of the lower ones gomez
'She bad two OF her upper teeth filed
with gold, and several of those in the lower
Jaw were gone."
Have you employed counsel to defend
you, and do you know when your examina-
tion will take place"
II have not any counsel engaged.
/ thought they would arraign me before this,
49,
WHAT TWO WOMEN SAID.
The reporter learned that two women
named Lou Cunningham and Jennie Pleas
ant, living at No. 6S South Illinois street, had
heard Merrick threaten his wife, and at once
! hunted them up. They made the following
statement:
/ Some few days after Miss Paul, who had been
doing sewing for us, sued Bill for bastardy, the
he was going to do about the matter. He said
| Il do not know. / don't want TO marry the
Id b~h, and have no money 70 give
make max her ' my Wife viii II make % way S With her %
| after the marriage" We tried to get him TO
marry and 1--we with the GIRL but he left with
out sayi ing he would. On the night of Friday.
September ID, we were walking down South
street. and met Merrick, who said to Cunning
ham, Lou, did you ever say anything about
what 1 said to you about that woman ?''
(meaning his wife.) We told him that moth
| ing had been said, and he asked us
| to go and take drink with him, which we
| did. On the way TO the saloon he said: II am
| going TO make way with that id b-h, for
that before long" Pleasant said: "You would
not kill the woman, would your" He
answered; "Yes, would do anything. have
| In minute. All would have to do would be
to give her pistol"
THE ABODE OF MRS. MERRIcK.
Some few days after their marriage Mer-
| rick rented two rooms on the second floor Of
| the old tottering frame house on the north
west corner of South and illinois streets. He
| furnished them in a comfortable shape for
| his wife, and in a few weeks he began to
abuse her, and to still further vent his spite
| on the unfortunate woman took nearly all of
| the furniture from the house and sold it,
leaving only the bsdstead aud shuck mat
| trass, two chairs, a table and an old tin safe,
| which had a pitcher, plate and one other
| dish in it. He hardly ever visited her, and
seldom gave her any money to provide her
self with food, and thus lived the wretched,
| lonesome woman who was soon to
give birth to babe of which Mer
often told her troubles to those living in IL e
house, and many a time asked them for sew.
| ing, which she offered to take at half price
to keep herself from starving Mrs. Nc
| Cam, living on the lower floor of the house,
told a Sentinel reporter that the woman
never had enough to eat; that Merrick sell
dom came to see her, except when drunk,
and then after abusing her he would lie
down and sleep off the effects of the liquor,
after which he would leave. She further
stated that Mrs Merrick only few days be-
fore her disappearance called her up in her
room aud complained of her hus-
bands int uman conduct On the evening that
she left for that last fatal drive Mrs. McCann
| saw her about the house. She came down
stairs after water and said that she did not
know what 10 think of the kind manner in
which her husband had been treating her OF
/ late. The unfortunate creature little knew
that the brute, by his kind attentions, was
only laying plan whereby he intended TO
| take her life. The murdered woman, a few
weeks ago, told Officer Splann that she was
| afraid her husband would kill her, but when
the officer wanted to take some steps against
him she refused TO appear In court, sayinG
| that with all his faults she loved him.
JESSIE BACHKLDER INTERVIEWED.
| The coroner had Jessie Bachelder who
| claims to be niece of Merrick's, brought
before him. and after hearing her statement
placed her under a bond of 81 900 to appear
as a witness before the corouer's jury. As
she was unable to give the required bond
she was placed in the hands OF Constable
| Robertson. A reporter saw her last night
and had a short talk with her. At first she
refused to make any statement, saying that
she had told the coroner all she knew. At
ter little urging she submitted to be inter.
| viewed.
What relation are you, miss, to the mur-
dprer2r innuirad the reDOrter