Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-15
MRS. sEYMOUR's STATEMENT.
THE TWENTIETH STREET TRAGEDY.
The Deputy Coroner Takes the Testimony
Of the Murdered Mans Wife-She
Saw "a Woman in White
and Man."

The shock 10 MIS-. seymour OCCdSlOh-
ell by the sudden and lamentable death
of her husband, Mr.. John F. Seymour,
has been So great that her health is be-
lieved in danger. She cannot sleep, and
gets no rest; the awful spectacle OF her
murdered husband lying in the grass,
within the shadows OF the seminary, is
constantly before her mind. As IN adj
dition TO this she also suffers from asth-
ma, her physicians have ordered her TO
be removed from town at the earliest
possible moment. To make this pos
sible, Deputy Coroner Miller, accom-
panied by Detectives Hogan and Dor
sey. proceeded to her house this morn
ing to take her testimony, thus enabling
her To make preparations for leaving the
city before Saturday, the day on which
the inquest is to be commenced.
Mrs. Seymour was too Ill to come
down To the parlor, and DIR. Miller, ac-
companied by the detectives, went up
to her room, and there took her deposit
ton. The following is a copy OF the al
iidavit:
MARY NtN DtlllS ShOiAi,
reside Mt Theological Seminary Build
ing, Ninth avenue, Twentieth and
Twent-first streets; and widow Of the de-
ceased John F. Seymour; about ten
minutes of ten =. NJ. he came into our
bedroom; | was living on the bed at the
time, partly undressed, with my wrap
per on; he had been sitting in an adj
Joining room in his shirt sleeves; he
came in, picked up his coat, and said
he would return in few minutes; he
would frequently 90 out about the
grounds at that hour to take the air;
fell asleep; heard my brother, the
Bishop, come i'll about II; got up,
looked over the stairrail, telling the
Bishop not to lock the door, as John
was out. The Bishop came up in my
room. told him again that John was
out, and that | supposed he was III the
grounds. My brother then went up to
bed, and left the light burning in the
hall. / lay down on the bed, and must
have fallen asleep. | reused at what
time | know not; went down stairs and
put out the hall light, thinking that
when he saw this light out he would re-
turn Immediately; | came right up,
sat up little while, and feeling lonely
went and bOlted the door OF the front
room and the pantry door, at the same
time looking around for him; | then sat
down by my window; | thought | heard
him come i'm the hall-dOor and come up
to nv room door; | called out Papa,
papa" and John; receiving no an
swer opened my door and rushed to my
brothers room, raped on his door
lightly; stood and looked out OF the
saw large black dog; |
then Knocked ut his door again; he
spoke to me; | asked him the hour; he
said, Between one and two" | then
said, "mv husband must be murdered,
As he would never stay out tOthis hour.
| partly dressed myself; tried to light
the Gus, but could not; my brother came
down; we both went down the pathway
ON West Twenty-tirst street side; |
pointed out To my brother the spot
where II had seen Il woman in white and
a man about quarter past 9 the same
evening: nv husband saw these parties
at the same time; we turned past the
school building, down towards Filth
evenue; nv brother was looking along
the fence. and on our returning | said.
Here he is, here he is; ;" he was lying on
his back with his head towards Ninth
avenue and his feet towards Tenth; he
was close to the path; ] knelt down be-
side him; his coat wascloSed; my broth
er said, "John are you sleeping" at the
same time, placing his hand on his fore
head. said, ooh! dead!'; my brother
'elt his throat to see il it was cut; |
opened the coat, placed my hand on his
breast, and saw it was wet with blood
we PRAYED there by his side; student
was present: | went shortly after To the
,tation-housc; left the body OF my
husband on the ground; ! never knew
MIR. Seymour tO carry a pistol; he was
never Respondent and never threatened
10 take his Lille; never knew him to
have any dispute with anyone on the
grounds: never knew him to have an
enemy; | heard no pistol shot on the
ground that night. MARY SEYMOUR.
The detectives i'm the case have not
vet discovered anything additional.
The discovery of several pistol balls in
the fence on Twenty-trst street but
adds strength to the theory entertained
bv most of of the detectives, that Mr..
Seymour was killed by a stray ball.