Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-05-28
GEORGE CAKPENTER.S FATE.
Killed by His Wife.
THAT rs THE VERDICT OF THE coRoNER's JURY AFTER |
HEARING THE TESTIMONY TO-DAY.

THAT Is THE VERDICT OF THE coRoNER's JURY AFTER
HEARING THE TESTIMONY TO-DAY.
A large crowd Of people gathered this morning
about Lieut. Gessfords station, lst and streets,
where Coroner Patterson held an inquest over the
oody or the colored man which was disinterred
yesterday underneath house No. 1919 street, and
which was supposed to be the body OF George Car
penter, who formerly lived in the house. but dsap-
peared last Christmas. Louisa Carpenter, the wife
OF George Carpenter was arrested yesterday after
noon, and her three children-Ida, aged Is years;
Chastine, aged g. and Collin, aged S-were taken In
custody as witnesses
THE coRoNERs JURY
The following gentlemen, T. A. Rover. A. EcklofI,
W. S. Babett, Henry Alber, Alexander Cunningham
and R. H. Wood, comprising the coroner's jury, met
at II o'clock In one Of the upper rooms Of the sta
ttOn house.
THE FINDING OF THE BopY.
Levi Bowersox, the carpenter who was at work
al the house yesterday when the body was found,
testified to detecting foul odor about the house
Monday, when he called the attention OF Mr. Hend-
ley, the owner to the smell. Mr. Hendley directed
under the house There was piece OF bed ticking
exposed, and witness told the colored man to find
pit in which the body was found is about three feet
oelow the floor. There was not much earth over
tne body. but large quantity OF bricks, tin cans,
over the hole in the floor OF the closet beneath
which the body was found was pressed down upon
the heap OF dirt and rubbish which flIled the pit
up 10 the noor. A portion OF the body, including
the mead and one arm. was not covered at all. The
hoe In the floor was IS by Is inches and the board
he thought four nails In the board and II they had
peen pulled up at any time, they had been driven
PACK again In the same holes The witness thought
and head Of the body. He saw no rope around the
neck or the body except the rope used in hauling
the BODY out The witness did not think one per-
son alone could have % q
hole The hole In the floor was about six feet from
the east wall OF the house The feet were directly
ran IN s0utheasterly direction. The body was
straight: He thought it doubtful whether any per-
sons could have Strengthened the body out without
gettng into the hole after It.
TIE CARPENTERS A PEAcEABLE FAMILY.
Mr. VIM. Hendley, whose wife owns the house,
testified that his wife completed the purchase Of
the house about ten days ago from Thomas II. g.
Todd. representing the estate OF VIM. B. Todd
The woman Carpenter did not own the house, but
was purchasing by installments- She left ii a week
ago last Saturday, after receiving notice from the
witness He did not know whether she left will
ingly or not. She had lived there six or eight
years. A more quiet and orderly family than the
Carpenters the witness had never known. After
CHRISTMAS 1t was given out, or rumored in the
VII. his employer, Mr. E. g. Davis, and had
dumped the town" The story was that the eldest
daughter had gone to Davis and bad been detected
IL and pited Mrs Carpenter.
DEATH FROM REPEATED BLOWS OF HATCHET-THE
BODY UNDOUBTEDLY THAT OF CARPENTER
Dr.. j. F. Hartigan who examined the body yes
terday, testified that it in an advanced stage OF
decomposition. portion Of the skin and flesh hav-
Ing disappeared, principally from the left side OF
the body and head, which had evidently been ex-
posed above the ground. All the clothes were on
the skull was crushed in, showing the effect Of re-
peated blows inflicted probably with a small
hatchet. There were marks on the scalp and skull
The hole in the skull was irregular in shape and
ABOUT tae SIZE OF the palm OF q mans hand. Many
there were any other wounds on the body, they
could not be distinguished on accounL Of its decom-
posed condition. The doctor took hatchet and by
the skull 1t was a very remarkable thing, the
doctor said, that the side whiskers and prominent
teeth OF the dead man remained undisrurbed. These
marks left no doubt, from the descriptions given
OF Carpenter, that the body was that OF Carpenter
He thought that the condition OF the body would
indicate that the man had been dead since Christ
mas.
HABITS OF THE CARPENTER FAMILY BEFORE AND
SINCE THE MURDER.
Mrs Sarah WenZel, who lives at 1017 81 street.
adjoining the house where the body was found
testified that the Carpenter family was very quiet
them The witness heard Carpenters voice In his
house on Christmas day. The following week she
saw something which looked like clothing burning
wards, about month after Christmas. witness
thinking that Carpenter might be sick with some
contagious disease. spoke to Mrs. Carpenter and
asked her II he was sick She said he had gone
away and had been gone about a month. About
three months ago She heard noise in Mrs car
being moved down stairs There had been bad
stencil in witness house for about two months
She never knew Of the Carpenters having company
at night.
A LIGHT CoLoRED MAN.
Juror Eckloff asked the witness If she had ever
seen light colored man going to the house.
The witness said that since Carpenter disap-
peared she had seen light colored man get on the
cay one day and knock at Mrs. Carpenters door
and 60 away again, as there was no one at home.
Before Carpenter disappeared Mrs Carpenter re-
mained at home during the day. Since then she
had been IN the habit OF going out to work, and
Gently had been at home only two or three nights
in the week.
THE SALE OF THE PROPERTY.
7. b. G. Todd testified that the house was recon-
veyed by Mrs Carpenter to the witness Mr. Car
penter was not party to the contract The amount
due by Mrs. Carpenter on the property was about
what the rent would have been for six or seven
years, and 1t was arranged that she should recon-
ye the property nsssaa Of going to the Of
the house In 1875. Witness asked her about April
18th why her husband did not assist her In paying
for the property, and she said he had run away
from town and she did not know where he was
TESTIMONY OF CARPENTERS EMPLOYER.
Mr.. E. g. Davis testified that Carpenter was In
his employ about fifteen years. He was at the
store on Christmas morning, and left between 12
and O'Clock on Christmas day. Witness noticed
nothing unusual about him. The next day he did
not appear as usual at the store. In the afternoon
he received note through the mail, which he sup
posed at the time was written by Carpenter. The
erty out west, and that he was going out to take
charge of it. It stated that he had been living a
life OF shame; that whisky and women had ruined
his health; that he expected to return in ABOUT six
months and pay all he owed (he LEFT several bills
behind himl: Witness OF course supposed that it
Page, young man then in witness employ, to see
Carpenters wife and learn what she knew Of his
disappearance. Her statement corrobOrated the
note. Since then witness had heard nothing OF
Carpenter until he learned OF the discovery Of the
body. When Carpenter disappeared there was no
ness about $40. The witness had never detected
him In any dishonest practice, and had no reason
to believe that he was otherwise than perfectly
honest Witness did not know it at the time, but
had since heard that he sometimes drank very
heavily, and had been seen on the streets drunk
and witness had never heard him complain OF any
trouble In his family. When witness re-
ceived the note spoken OF he thought 1t
was Carpenters writing, but upon examining It
since he had been convinced that it was not in his
handwriting. He had always signed his name &c.
also other writings BY Carpenter, which Indicated
that the note was forgery.
THE CONTENTS OF THE NOTE,
which was written on half sheet OF letter paper,
were as follows:
ssMR. DAVIS, Washington, D. c.: when this Let
ter reach you win be on my way to the far west
my uncle leaves me all his money and q home out
west and am going out their to live. have lived
q life Of shame In Washington. What with SO
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