Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-26
MoLLiE BoswELL's DEATH.
A Jury Decides that Her Leap From
. Window Did Not Cause Il.

Saturday afternoon Coroner Patterson held
an inquest at the first precinct station to de-
termine when, where and in what manner
Mollie Boswell was killed. The body Of the
woman was in the undertaking establishment
of Mr.. J. W. Lee, where DR.. E. N. Schaeffer,
the deputy coroner, performed the autopsy.
THE FIGHT AND THE LEAP.
The first witness called was young man
named Henry Croker, who lives in house No.
l0l1 street, where the woman received her
fatal injuries. He testified that On the night
of the affair he was awakened by hearing Q
noise in John Norris room. He heard . wo-
man say: 'TIl jump out the window" Then
he heard man say: Jump" When he raised
his window he saw the woman half out Of Nor
ris' window. Presently she let 60 and dropped
down into the alley upon the cobble stones.
Witness said that there we're two persons in
the room. He heard loud talking Something
fell against his door and he thought it was the
woman.
do you know Of their ever having quar-
relied before?" asked juror.
Il do not" replied witness.
did any one call for help?"
mot that heard"
HE HEARD THE RuMpus.
John Walters was asleep in his room, directly
beneath the one from which the woman
jumped. He testified that he was awakened by
loud noises in the room He went upstairs
and raped on the door several times.
What did you do that for?" he was asked.
Because I wanted to know" he replied,
what was going on in the room"
Norris opened the door and witness inquired,
whats the matter?''
That woman jumped out Of the window"
was Norris reply.
Il looked out the window" said Witness
.'and, sure enough, she was lying on her back
In the alley, screaming"
Policeman Ceinar was next called. He went
to the house on E street on the night of the
affair. He said that when he arrived at the
house the woman was being taken away. He
saw the witness Henry Croker, who told him
OF the fight between Norris and the woman.
Il saw right away" said a juror, '.that
Croker did not want to tell all about it."''
DEATH CAUSED BY ALCOHOLISM.
DIR. Schaeffer testified to the diseased condi-
ton in which he found the body. He was
unable to trace the cause of death to any in
jury. Her leg was fractured, but it had nothing
to do with the death. Heart disease, superin-
duced by alcoholism. was the cause he assigned.
Policeman Barney testified that he assisted
in taking the woman to the hospital. There
was q large lump on the woman's head, which
she said was done by John Norris. She said
that he wouldn't let her out the room and she
jumped from the window.
Policeman Oriani gave similar testimony,
and said Mollie told him that John beat her in
the lumber yard before they went to the house.
The witness Croker was recalled and he ex-
planned what he said to Officer Ceinar on the
night of the affair.
DIR. Gill of the emergency hospital. who at
tended the injured woman, and to whom she
made statement, was not called as a witness,
nor was Mamie Carroll, who also knew OF her
past life and the statements she had made Of
the affair.
ASSISTED BY AN ORGAN GRINDER.
When the room was cleared it was evident
that all the jurors were not of the same opin-
ion. They argued the case fully half an hour,
and did not reach a conclusion until an italian
organ grinder came along He hired to
play several tunes in front Of the jury room,
and it was not until he played White Wings
Never Grow Weary" that the jury rendered the
following verdict:
MARY Boswell came to her death from chronic
alcoholism and heart disease From the evil
dence we are of the opinion that death was
fastened by jumping from the window, but
that the act was voluntary ano that the man
Norris was not responsible"
John Norris is in Jail. as there is a charge of
assault pending against him in the Police
Court. That charge will no doubt be nolIe
pressed.