The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-04
WILL NOT KILL BELLEW.
HENRIETTA COFFIN DENIES HAV-
ING ANY MURDEROUS INTENT.

She Takes Up Her Quarters in Jer-
sey City Hotel to avoid Being Kid
naped-She Says She Does Not Love
the Actor, But Wants 10 Know If He
is Married.
From the New York Press.
Miss Henrietta Coffin, the young woman
of wealth who is supposed to be SO much III
love with Kyrle Bellew, the actor, that she
desire TO murder him, has only the distance
across the North river between herself and
lunatic asylum. She arrived in Jersey
City on Friday evening from Cincinnati to
visit her sick mother. A party was IN
waiting at the Pennsylvania railroad
station to seize her and place her under
restraint. When she fathomed the plot she
refused to come within the jurisdiction OF
New York State, but took up her abode at
Tay lors Hotel in Jersey City, where she
seems prepared to sustain long siege.
Efforts are being made it is alleged, to
induce her to come over the CCrtlandt
street ferry and place herself IN the custody
OF those who viii take better care on her
than she can of herself, and manage ner eS-
tate rs well as she Is able to do, but she seems
quite satisfied with her present residence.
Miss Coffin has been cutting all sorts OF
capers, If what her relatives say Of her IS
true She is charged with actions that
have "mystitied" the people of Cincinnati.
The news that her mother was sick made
her resolve TO return home, and she lett
Ohio in time to arrive at Jersey City at
9:i5 o'clock on Friday evening. W hen the
train drew up in the depot three men went
up to Miss Coffin and said that they had
carriage waiting for One was recognized
by the police as DR.. Hammond, the second
as Miss Collins uncle and the third as Ot1l-
Ger Shelly, of the New York police force
The admIrer of Kyre Bellew became sus
piciOus when the trio surrounded her, and
she refused to get into the carriage. 1hey
attempted to persuade her to go with them,
but she appealed to Detective Dwyer, of
tine Pennsylvania railroad, who rescued her
and took her over to Taylor's Hotel. The
friends of Miss Coffin then jumped into
their carriage, without filling the empty
place that they had reserved and returned
to New York
Chief of Police Murphy, of Jersey City,
sat in his Office at headquarters yesterday
when young woman about p years of age
surprised him by coming INTO the room.
She was under the escort of Detective Nor
ris, of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
She seemed rather excited, and said that
she was afraid of being kidnapped. She
thought that the people whom she deSlg
mated as her enemies would not stop at any
thing to get her into their power Miss
Coffin, for it was she, wore an ulster of
rather loud pattern, and a brown felt hat
with pieces of stuffed birds pinned all over
it, Dark eyes and dark hair, and a com
Dlexion the reverse of clear, struck MIR.
Murphy as being among her characteristics.
She carried valise in her hand, which she
threw with a bang on the desk of one of the
most important officials in the city, just as
though she were in the office of person of
ordinary consequence.
Miss Coffin followed this sensible advice
and went back to her room after an alb
sence of not more than an hour and half.
There she remained locked up, after giving
instructions to the hotel clerks nor to allow
any reporters to see her, to deliver no
messages to her, and to let her have little
of that peace OF mind and absence of noise
| that is generally associated with Jersey
City.
While the admirer of Mrs. James Brown
| Potters leading man refused to see any
male reporters a young woman representing
the fraternity managed to get an interview
with her which she was good enough to
give to her brother journalists.
DO | look like a mad womanW she in
CURED
I'm not DOCTOR" answered Chief Muir
ply, "but can say that you do not strike
me as being insane"
We'll" Miss Coffin replied, ''the courts
that think they know all about it have de
| cided that am a lunatic and now my rela
tives want to grab me in addition to my
property. Are you going to let them take
meM
"While you are in Jersey City" declared
| the Chief, solemnly, you are under my
protection, and no one shall harm hair of
your head. They will not kidnap you. If
they did you would be brought back Re-
turn to your hotel and make yourself per-
fectly easy
Miss Coffin, on seeing the visitor, re
marked that the newspapers had published
a good deal about her that was not true.
She then said: Il don't wish to kill Mr.
Bellew or anybody else. lam not a fighter.
| have been described as perfect fire-eater,
but it is not true. Do | look very fierce?
You think not, Ell? Well, you are right
am of the kind that runs away from a
scrimmage | do not carry revolvers or
guns, as they say. l did have pistol last
summer that some one gave me, but never
threatened to kill Mr.. Bellew with it, nor
did l say that he looked in an insulting way
at me. | only saw Mr.. Bellew act three
times in my life. ] never followed him
around. Yes, | was in Boston when he APP
peared there, but | was in the city two
weeks before he arrived there. That doesn't
look like following him around, does it9
81 went to see Mrs. Potter'S company
during their engagement in Boston in the
play of Loyal Love Mr.. Beliew was in
the cast. | had back seat and was not
dressed in a way to attract the actors
attention. The story of man with a knife
is utterly false. | have never been in love
with kyrle Bellew, | am not in love with
him and | am not likely ever to fall in love
with him He may be very good looking
but declare that should not know him if
| SAW him"
Miss Coffin here paused, looked confused.
and, after preliminary blush, blurted out
this query, which disagreed with her prot
estations that she was Indifferent to the
charms Of the handsome actor:
"Do you know if Mr.. Bellew is marriedY
81 have no information on the subject. -
was the reply.
Miss CofIiu's face fell. Finally she said:
"Well, | don't want to murder him if he
is. ] am stopping hare for a short time. |
don't know bow long. think | shall 90 70
Europe shortly, but l am not sure / in
tended to go long before saw Mr.. Bellew.
and shall not leave for the purpose of
forgetting him, for | do not love him, and
have nothing TO forget
The eccentric young lady then said that
her father was still living, though she did
not know his whereabouts All the stories
about her had been invented by some
malicious person, she said. DR.. Hammond,
accused her of eng in love with Edwin