The Evening critic., 1882-01-30
THAT FATAL SHOT.
MILES HELD FOR THE GRAND JURY.


Down in the Midst OF zHcr Family
Testimony at the Inquest-Sici-
Ofas Miles Presumed 10 he the
Murderer-Rum at the Bottom of
the Crime.
Every murder that has been committed
in the District for some time past has oc-
cured on Saturday, and that day has come
to be regarded by some as deaths day"
Last Saturday night witnessed the death
by the pistol of most ostimablc and
worthy lady, and under circumstances of
most singular character. About o'clock
Mrs. Conner, the wife of John l.. Conner,
prominent contractor aud builder, resid-
ing at i69 New York aveAuc, was standing
at the window of her house, with her
13-months' old babe in her arms, awaiting
the arrival of her sister, who had gone to
market, when pistol ball came crashing
through the window, striking the unfor-
tunate woman in her left side between the
eleventh. sand. twelfth ribs. Mrs. Conner fell
to the floor, and, with the instinct of
mother, held the little one tightly clasped
in her arms.
The noise Of the report alarm ed the
neighbors and brought TO the scene her ten
year old boy, who released the infant fr ON
its perilous position and endeavored to re-
store his mother Mrs. Donaldson, who
lives Mt 347 New York avenue, was passing
the house at the time, and alarmed by the
frightened screams of the children entered
the house to sec if she could be of any as
sstance. She found Mrs. Conner stretched
on the floor and said to her: what is the
matter?' She said, 81 have been shot"
Mrs. Donaldson then said, "No, you have
only tainted" Mrs Conner again re-
peated, II have been shot," Mrs. Donaldson,
passing her hand behind the womans back
to raise her, found blood flowing from
wound. She then knew that Mrs. Con-
ner had been shot and sent for a doctor.
DR.. Nailor was speedily summoned aud
responded, and in a few minutes afterward
DIR. Adams the family physician, made his
appearance.
The two physicians did all in their power
for the poor woman, but death already had
too firm hold upon her, and after linger-
ing in the most intense agony for four
hours died. She was perfectly conscious to
the last, and only complained of an intense
prickling sensation in her limbs, as it, as
| she expressed it, ten thousand needles were
| being driven into her feet These symp-
toms were similar to those experienced by
the late President after being shot, and, as
| will be seen, the shot took almost the same
| course.
Mr.. Conner was soon notified of the ter
| rible tragedy, and upon arriving at his
| house and seeing his dear wife weltcrng in
| her gore was almost entirely overcome by
| grief
Arrested on SusciOu.
few minutes after the shooting took
place officers from the Sixth Precinct were
trying to find the perpetrator of the
| dastardly deed. Nick Miles, a white man,
Al. ,t..l,, rN,,
Willett & Libbey, was arrested on suspicion
| and taken to the Sixth Precinct station,
where he was locked up. Miles lives just
| across the street from the Connors' house,
| and at the time he was arrested was in a
beastly state of intoxication.
The evidence against Miles is not at all of
positive character, but the follo wing
facts in connection with the sad
affair led the police to :rrest
Miles. A party of colored men, who
| were passing along New York avenue at
| the time of the shooting, and lady who
| lives next door to the deceased, say they
saw Miles standing in front of his house,
| pull out a pistol and fire. He then turned
into the alley leading to his house. When
| arrested no weapon was found on his per
son. There is revolver kept at Willett &
| Libbey's office, which has disappeared and
cannot be traced. Miles has said that he
was too drunk to know anything about
j the shooting that he never carried a ps-
| to, and bore no malice against Mrs. Con-
ner or any member oi the family. The
accused, though at times
Given to Strong Drink,
| is regarded as an upright and decent sort of
man. and if he did commit the horrible
deed his motive is as yet unknown. Miles
is about six feet high with an open coun-
| tenance, light blue eyes, and n blonde mus
tache. After he had been conveyed to the
station house he seemed to be much affected
and declared that he would not again drink.
The wife of Miles was seen this morning
| by a CRITIC reporter, and said that her
husband had always been kind and good to
her, and even when in liquor was docile
and domesticated. She said he was very
drunk on Saturday night, but remained in
the house for some time with her and the
little children. He then went out, and
pretty soon afterward she heard the shot
which put an end to the existence of poor
Mrs. Connors.
Yesterday morning Coroner Patterson
impaneled jury and proceeded to hold
an inquest. After viewing the body, DR..
Hartigan made post-mortem and found
that the ball (cvidently fired from very
large navy revolver) entered the bodyl
the left side between the eleventh and
twelfth ribs, perforated the left kidney, and
lodged in the vertebra, striking the spinal
cord, where it was found imbeded. The
cause of death was hemorrhage of the
renal vessels. The inqIest was then ad'
journed until II o'clock to-day.
What Miles sa sTO-iay.
A CRITIC reporter saw Miles at the
station this morning before the inquest be
gam He was pacing his cell as if in great
trouble. When asked if he had pistol OF
Saturday night, he answered very en-
phatically that he never carried weapon
of any kind in his life. He stated that hi
knew Mrs. Conner quite well, and Ger
tainly had no animosity against her. He
husband and himself were on terms of in
timacy, and in fact, as he stated it, they
Were like brothers, being in the habit o
meeting almost every day. The prisone
further said that previous to Saturday III
. | had not been drunk before in a grea
while.
The Inquest Resumed.
The inquest was resumed this morning
, at IL o'clock.
I BERTHE Stranger (eolored) was the first wit
ness called. She testified that she lived il
New York avenue next to Miles, and wa
9 sitting at the window of her house betwee
: seven and eight o'clock Saturday night
h Saw a drunken man pass her house, an
! Immediately after heard pistol shot. Say
the blaze and smoke from the pistol. Rl
! to the door and heard screams of the chill
Z. | hn Witness