New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-12
DONE TO DEATH IN The DARE.
SUICIDE, OR THE WORK OF BURGLARsP
MYSTERY SHROUDS A BLACK DEED IN BROOK
LYN-THE DEAD MANS STORY.


s. Phinney, elevated railroad brakeman, was
the victim, occurred yesterday morning at No.
ii Radde-place Brooklyn, in the Ocean Hill
portion Of the city, near Atlantic and Saratoga
aves. Phinney boarded in the family of Dewitt
Z. Carpenter, with whose daughter Carrie, age
sixteen he was in love- The house is one in q
row of two-story brick dwellings, and he oc-
cupicd the back parlor. lie played cards with
the members of the family on Tuesday evening
until about 10 o'clock, and then went out to his
laundry, returning in a short time. Before he
went to bed, about IL o'clock, he told Carrie
that he feared something dreadful would happen.
She supposed he referred to the fact that her
father opposed their marriage, and told him it
would be all right.
About 80 a. N. the girl was awakened by
the sound of q pistol-shot, and, remembering what
her lover had told her. screamed out Phinney
is being murdered!7 Her father was confined to
his ,osm by illness, so her mother got light and
wenS downstairs with her daughter and sister
They found the front doors of the house wide
open. Phinney was lying on the floor beside his
bed, with blood flowing from wound in the
left side of his chest. The room and bed were in
confusion. The wounded man was lifted into an
easy chair, and said that he was awakened by
the light of dark-antern flashed in his face
lie saw indistinctly two men, and jumped up to
grappe with one Of them.
GRAPHING WITH THE RoBBER
The man put pistol to his head and ordered
him to keep quiet, at the same time demanding
the keys to his trunk. He struggled and the bur-
glar fred two shots, one of which broke the
glasses on O small table and the other wounded
him Just above the heart. He fell to the hoor
and knew no more. He could give no description
of the men, as he only saw them lndlstlnctiy
in the fash of the light. A policeman ana
physician were summoned by the family, and
Phinney repeated substantially the same story
He was removed in an ambulance to st. Mary's
Hospital where the bullet wound was prooed
1t was found that il entered his chest about an
inch and half above the nipple and took
downward course toward the right side ana must
have gone close 10 the heart. No hopes were
entertained of the recovery of the wounded man,
and he sank slowly during the dag. NO effort
could he made to recover the bullet. Coroner
Lindsay visited the hospital, but Phinney was
unconscious and could make no statement lie
died at rs T. N. without recovering CONSCIOUS
ness. ~ -.
The police under Captain Folk OF the Twelfth
Precinct began TO invest gate the case and the
first result was to throw dlscredlt upon the state
ment that burglars had entered the mouse lher r'
were no marks upon doors or windows to show
that they had been forced, and the family were
certain that the house had been tightly closed II
was found that the revolver from which the sh0ts
had been fired was left lying beside the wounded
man. n most unusual proceeding for burglar, I'M
less he dropped it in the dark. But against the
theory OF attempted suicide, which the ponce pro,
posed the family claimed that the burglars had
carried off number Of articles. Phinneys gold
watch and chain, gold nugget he carried as q
charm, a gold PIN set with a moonStone ana dla-
monds, and pair Of onyx sleeve buttons together
with 81 6 in money were reported missing.
HIS OWN REVOLVER UNUSED.
In Phnney's trunk was his revolver, with the
cartridges covered with verdi girls, showing that it
had not been lately used. There was nothing to
show any cause for suicide, save his anticipation
Of some calamity mentioned before he went to bed
Mrs Carpenter thought that when Phinney was out
in the evening he might have supposed he locked
the outside vestibule door and not have done SO,
and the bolt was found as 1t would
N When Of il Was "e not nav shut tight Tie
inner doors were left open usually. The mem
bers of the family say that phinney's room showed
evidences OF the struggle which he said had taken
place, for his bed pushed out from the wall
a large rocSing-chair was unset and the dressing
case in disorder while the drawers had been
ranSaclled.
Neither Carrie nor her mother believed he would
have attempted his own llie The theory OF
suicide was also discredited by the fact that
the course Of the bullet showed that the wound
could only have been self-lnhicted by holding
the revolver in the left hand and in an eX-
ceedingly awkward position.
REASONS FOR THINKING 1T SUICIDE
Some further light was thrown upon the case
fate last evening by a statement from Mrs. Car
penter OF what Phinney said TO her when she
first entered the room after the shooting She
said she had at first intended TO keep the matter
y profound secret but when she learned that
Phinney could not recover she decided to disclose
it. She made the statement in the presence Of
Inspector Macllellar and Captain Folk Her
words were that when she lifted up Phnney's
head he said Oh. Jennie. you have caused
this Dave lher husband and you have been
cranky TO me for two or three days. | love
Carrie so much that could not live without her.
She is nice girl and if | die for Gods sake take
rood care of her" When Mrs. Chamberlain.
Mrs Carpenter'S sister. entered he ROOM Phinney
pointed 10 the pistol lying the floor, and said
There's the weapon was shot with lie called
the attention OF DR.. Whitman who was first
called in to treat him. TO the glass shattered on
the table. which he could not see from where
he sat.
Police Captain Folk said last evening feel
convinced that it is case of suicide. Every
thing points TO that. Besides Mrs. Carpenters
statements Phinney made three different state
ments to the physician and to the policeman who
saw him at the house ana TO petec,ive bedeII Wn9
saw him at the hospital We believe he packed
up his jewelry and sent it away before ne decided
10 shoot himself. He was packing small can
vas yalise when Carrie Carpenter asked him what
he was doing. and he said he was only putting up
his laundry. But he never put il N valise be-
fore When he went out saying he was going to
the laundry. he took the val.Se with him. and was
gone half 0p hour. There was no laundry cheek
on him and we have not been able TO find where
he took the valise lie had his life insured for up
ward of $4,000 in mutual benefit organizations
and received S7S sick benefit when i'll. OF late he
had not prospered financially and was behind with
his board lie may also have been embarrassed in
other ways His relations live in Massachusetts
and Maine"
Cnronor Lindsay impancIled q Jury Yesterday
and took the sworn statements OF the witnesses.
An autopsy will be held to-day
HE MUST NOT SOW WILD o. rs ~ MIDSTREAM
The nelehborhood OF Browns Creek J.. l., has lately
tho adpos NJ snort