Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-27
THE I.STREEr TR AGEDY.
Fatal Shooting Of VIM. G. whitney
by James ". Christmas.

III squdIe, WHICH, elnCo us Occupancy Some
years ago by Minister and Madame Catacazy,
hes been known as the Catacazy house, was on
Saturday evening the scene OF startling trag-
edy. The house is now kept as q boarding
house by the Misses Narrower. Among her
guests have been Mrs. Myra Clarke Gaines, the
celebrated claimant; her son, Mr.. VIM. G. Whit.
ney, with his wife and three children. and her
son-in-law, Mr.. Jas. Y. Christmas, and his
three children. Ill-feeling, which arose be-
tween Whit1ey and Christmas, resulted Satur-
day evertpg In personal encounter, In which
Whitney was shot and almost instantly killed.
few minutes before FIVE o'clock that evening,
just after the bell had been rung for dinner
and az CHI istmas was CALAMITY attending Mrs.
the narrow stairway. leading from the
main hall to the basement or dtning-room
door. Whitney ENTERED the front door. 1t ap-
pears that he at once started IN pursuit Of
Christmas. The latter hui lied down the steps,
and Mrs Wheat, observing that there was dan
ger Of personal encounter, the hostility of
the men being known, escaped from the scene
report OF pistol and the sound OF a falling
body was heard. When the people of the house
came 10 the spot they found Whitney lying at
Lear by in the passage, and stated calmly thai
he had been forced to shoot Whitney IN SELF
defeLce. Whitney died within few minutes
after the shot was fired, without utterlng q
word. Christmas asked servant to % for a
policeman, and when an officer arrived sur
renCefed himself and the revolver with which
he had fired the fatal shot to him. Christmas
was taken to the fifth precinct station, where
he remained during the night By advice of
his counsel, Col w. A. Cook, he declined to
make any statement OF the affair to reporters.
THE PARTIES AND THEIR PREVIOUS REL ATOMS
Whitney, who was about As years OF age and
inclined 10 stoutness was son Of Mrs. Gaines
by her first husband. Christmas, who Is ABOUT
50 years Of age Is a native Of Warrington; Nc,
Whitney. Mrs. Christmas died at Warrington
In the autumn OF 1879, and In the following May
Mrs. Gaines and her son and sOn-in-law, with
their families, became boarders at the Misses
Barrovers. 1t appears that Mrs. Gaines fur
nished the two men with morey. with which
they embarked together IN the .'curled hair"
Last spring they disagreed, and the partnership
was dissolved. Mr.. Whitney continued In
the ouslIess, becoming nemcer Of the
firm OF 81. A Linger & Co. Recently, Whitney
j. Y. Christmas Is not allowed under any cir
cumstances TO collect any bills for the flrm."
One cause Of bad feeling between the two men
appears TO have been jealous feeling enter
Mre Gaines to Christmas and his motherless
o......ar. end 1t is stated that Whitney fre-
ouenfly accus. Gus his orotler-in-!aW OF attempC-
Ing to defraud the lady. whitney had been
by gentlemen residing In the house with him
that his mind had been partially destroyed.
There were frequent outbreaks OF temper on
his part, and he was so abusive that the ser
wants stood In great dread OF him. 1t appears
also, that Whitney had been further 1nIiamed
OF late by drinking. The Whitney family, OF
which Mrs. Gaines first husband was mem
Der. come from The vicinity OF BinghamicAA. N.
Y, and several OF Its members have been
known for their eccentr1citieS.
THE SCENE OF TIE SHOOTING.
AS stated above, the shooting occurred on the
steps leading to the basement tioor. The house,
vlded On the main f1ooi by wide han. At the
end of this hall ere the stairs leading to the up
per floors, and narrow flight OF stairs leading
to the basement There Is little landing a
few steps down, and then the steps continue,
exactly in an opposite direction, 80 that per-
son at the top of the stairs could not see per-
son at the bottom. At the foot of the steps at
mo mo- netting Which opens s into the s ainln
room. At the right Is q partition or screen
which hides the kitchen from view. Though
the guests were assembling TO dinner at tue
in the stairs and the screen before the kitcnea,
no one saw the shot fired.
TIE CoRoNKRs INQUEST.
The body OF Whitney soon after the shooting
was taken to BarkeI's undertaking establish.
burial. Saturday light jury OF Inquest was
summoned and was composed OF VIM. DICKSON,
Michael Combs, j. l.. Kervand, j. j. Knowles
L c. Strlder and Matthew Goddard. Dr.. J. F.
HaItigan made post mortem examination OF
the body, and yeStel day morning the inquest
was held about II o'clock IN the parlor OF the
about the premises. but the police excluded
every one except the jurymen and the officials
Assis tant District Attorney Coyre was present.
TIE prisoner, Mr.. Christmas, who was taken to
the house by Sergeant johnson, was an atten-
tive liste ner to part OF the testimony, having
arrived late. ana occasionally made susges-
lions to the coroner as to questions TO pu1 &c
witnesses. The examination of witnesses re
quired little over an hour. The proceedlp s
| were much shorter than usual, owing TO tn
| fact that the testimony was taken by steno
| grapher instead OF being written dOwn S ~
| lelCe by sentence Dy the coroner.
| THE TESTIMONY.
Benjamin d. Hyam. the first witness, was al
| the dinner table and heard the shot When h.
Ing in blood. Christmas said. "Gentlemen.
did 1t. had to do 1t In self defence"
Miss n. j. Narrower testified to hearing The
| report OF the pistol and seeing the body on the
| stairs. There had been ill-feeling between tn
| two men for several months. About a month
ago Whitney went TO Christmas room to assault
| HIM, but did not r1nd him.
| Lewis Buckner, col0red servant testifieC
that Whitney had, in his presence, two or tnre,
months ago. several times threatened Chris,
| mas life. Whitney, he said, had no bushes
| down stairs when he was shot, as his Dime I
for the last four months had always been Car
| ried up to his room.
James Christmas, the little son OF the pris
oner, testified to hts uncle Whitney coming int
here! Look here!'
Judge j. j. Hay den and Mrs. Graham, two o
the boarderS, also TESTIFIED, but gave no ne9
facts.
When Mrs. DR.. Wheat was called she wa
escorted into her room by her venerable hu
band, and seemed much agitated while glvinj
her testimony. She testified that she me
| Christmas on the stairs as she was daScendin
to the dining room. He turned and escorLe
| her down. Mr.. Christmas son ran past her
and Mr.. Christina then ran. Il was half wa
down the stairs" she said, "When heard a.
| angry exclamation, and turning saw Mr.. Whit
ney with LIS ann upllfted then ran into th
oil II groom when l heard pistol shot.
turned and saw Mr. Christmas standing In tn
rushed IL to my arms add exclaimed, son, Is m
father killed." When saw Mr.. Whitney o
his face on the floor. 1 stopped immediatel
| and raised his head. when that volume OF bloc
ran out" Whitney, she said, had q little can
| in his uplifted hand when she saw him.
| Jordan Smith, colOred waiter, testified {
arriving just as Whitney was falling, and hear
Glue testified TO Christmas surrenderiDg htu
| self and his pistol DR.. j. F. Hartigan testlfie
that the ball severed the pulmonary arter
and lodged In the dorsal vertebrR Lieutenan
Arnold stated that he had examined Whitney
l. body and found no weapon on IL. During Cd
examination OF the witness Christmas aske
several questions, intending to show that VIM
ney put his hand to his hip pocket. as If abol
to draw pistol, and that after the shooting b
MUSICIAN, but the memories OF the witness @
these points were not perfect
THE vBRDICr-CHRIsTMAS IN JAIL
The jury after brief consultation returned
| verdict that Whitney came to his death by
| pistol wound, inflicted by James Y. Christina
Later In the day Christmas was taken to ] 4
| NO APPLICATION FOR WRIT OF HABBAS COkPU