The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-19
THE DOMESTIC REVOLVER.
Rev. Edward L stoddard Calmly and Mi
nutely Tells the Story of His Wife's


Death.
New York Herald
more self-possessed man, under trying
circumstances, never occupied witness
chair than the Rev. Edward L. Stoddard who
was examined by Coroner Hughes, yesterday,
when the inquiry was begun into the shoot
ing of Mrs Stoddard by Eer husband, Cd
Monday last. He was closely questioned by
the coroner and by Assemblyman Gator, and
a friend of Mr.. Stoddard, who was present,
characterized the proceeding as cruel. Mr..
Stoddard testified as follows: My name is
Edward L. Stoddard; l was born in Boston;
have been clergyman for fifteen years, and
on Monday, May A. my wife
and l were cleaning the closets in the
rooms on the second floor; in the lower
drawer of one of the closets was my broad
cloth suit the pistol and box of cartridges
l removed the clothes and hung them up in
another closet; the pistol had had for ten
or fifteen years; l loaded it two years ago; il
was rusty and needed cleaning, and had
put it in the drawer for that purpose as my
wife and had been talking of using it dur
ing the summer vacation to shoot at a mark;
above the set of drawers is ledge and a
closet with doors; at the top of this closet are
six com partments or pigeon holes; | con-
cluded to put the pistol and cartridges in
one of these compartments; it was too high
for me to reach, and, as had been my
custom, l pulled out the second or
middle drawer to stand on it; l had put
the cartridges up and put my foot on
the drawer, and with my left hand caught
hold of the edge of the closet door; the pistol
was in my right hand my foot slipped, and
in endeavoring to save myself from falling
the pistol exploded; my wife was at that
moment kneelng directly under me, either
putting something in or taking something
out from the cupboard under a stationary
l,k. IL II. L
when the pistol exploded she fell; think she
fell forward; in such times the vision goes
there is only a haze; think she fell forward,
as noticed bruise on her eye, but this may
have been caused by the ball; l caught her
in my arms and drew her toward the bed
crying for help; she seemed too heavy for
me to lift, and L was kneeling by the bed
with her head resting in my arms when Mrs
Sterling and Won Rapp entered the room and
lifted her on the bed.
Mr.. Stoddard told the coroner that he had
been married since 1872, and that his domes-
tic relations had always been pleasant To
the jurors he said that he always kept the
pistol on half-cock, and had snpposition,
but no knowledge, as to the manner III
which the pistol exploded His supposition
was that either in falling the hammer struck
the door, or in rising, when recovering him
SELF the trigger, an open one. struck the
ledge above the drawers. He stumbled, but
dld not rail-, ana had only one loot on the
drawer when he slipped
A pistol, from which the chambers had
been removed, was handed to Mr.. Stoddard,
and without the slightest show of nervous
ness he illustrated his manner of holding the
pistol when it was discharged. His thumb
caught on the left side of the stock, while
his hand and fingers covered the right side of
the stock and the chambers. He said he
threw the pistol away as he caught his wife,
The indications that she had been struck was
q sudden shudder, then a sinking; she did
not utter a sound; he caught her while she
was falling; her face was then turned away
from him, but he turned it so that it looked
into his; she was directly under him.
Juror Gator inquired "If she was directly
under you how could you have pulled the
drawer out?' ~
"Well," began the Witness then he hesi-
tated, and, taking pencil, drew a diagram
showing that his wife was to the left of the
drawer by the cupboard. under the wash
stand. .. 8,
MIR. Stoddard signed his testimony in a
clear bold hand and, on rising to leave the
room, said he to the jury: Gentlemen, you
have been put to some trouble on my ac-
count in coming so early and 1 thank you
for your Kindness also for your courtesy
here heartily thank you"