Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-24
THE MYSTERY NOT SOLVED.
Puzzling Testimony Taken by the Cor
oner in the Mortimer Riley Case.

Puzzling Testimony Taken by the Cor.
oner in the Mortimer Riley Case.
| WITNESSES DESCRIBE SINGULAR CONDUCT ON THE
PART OF DAVE vEssELs-A GIRL WHOSE YER
AcrTY WAS oUEsTIoSED-THE JURY DECIDE
THAT PNEUMONIA CAUSED DEATH
Yesterday afternoon after the close of THE
STARS report OF the inquest held over the body
OF mortimer Riley, the old colored man sup
posed to have been the victim of a murderous
assault near the James creek canal Sunday
night Isabella Vessels was giving testimony
concerning the alleged conversation she had in
the police station with her father who was
under arrest She said that the only thing her
father said he did was to help drag Riley to the
pond Monday night she returned to the
station with her grandmother. Her father,
she said, did not tell her not to tell anybody,
but she asked him why he did not turn states
evidence. He said because he didn't want to
| do so. She told him that she was going to tell
the police. and he told her not to, that she
| would condemn him. She said that her sister
susie was with her when her father made the
statement. Jas. Castor, she said. was in the
aiiey near the station when she went inside.
| VESSELS VISIT TO THE HOUSE.
Mrs. Rachael Riley, wife of the deceased,
| sCotintu tldt HeT ''Olu man started out
house about 7:3O o'clock Sunday night. and
said he was going to church. He went around
to Sister Mary Ann Fields house. and remained
| there nearly two hours. When he got home at
| 80 O'Clock he fell to the floor. She asked
him where his stick and he told her that
three men had followed him. He said that he
| turned off his path to get rid of the men, and
| when he missed them he started in the direc-
| ton of the church. He was then between the
canal and the pond between and NJ streets.
| He told her that the men ''cotched" him, thr aw
| q coat over his head, dragged him to the pond
and threw him into the water. They took off
his wet Clothes and few minutes later David
| Vessels came in. He said: Il heard that Uncle
| Isaac's throat was cut" Vessels. she said, told
her that it was not worth while to get doctor:
that he would tie his throat up. Her husband
turned and said: ''You look like one of the
men who was after me tonight" Her daugh-
ter then came in and drove Vessels out of the
house. Monday morning her husband said he
knew that Vessels was one of the men who did
| 1t. He died Monday evening.
Did your husband have any money about
| him." asked Juror.
He only had one half-dollar about" she re-
| Piled, land they got that"
| THE MEDICAL TESTIMONY
| DIR. H. l.. A. Johnson testified that on exam
lining the body of deceased he found a SUPER
fetal cut on the upper part of the throat, which
| was not clean and regular as if done with
| sharp knife. There was double pneumonia
about the second stage. He found no bruises
or indications of violence except the wound of
the neck. Pneumonia, he thought, was prob
| ably the cause of death.
| DIR. John III. Branson testified that Sunday
| night he was called to see the deceased about
| 1890 o'clock. He found that the wound of the
neck was superficial cut and he did not re-
| gard it as dangerous. Witness understood that
| the old man had had chill before he got
| there. Witness observed no symptoms of pneu-
monla. Witness questioned him concerning
| his assailants, and he said that one of the men
looked like Vessels, but he would not say posi-
| lively that Vessels one of Them
Jane Brown colored, gave testimony corrob-
Grating the evidence given by Mrs. Riley She
testified that when Dave Vessels was in the
house he said: II am interested in this here
| thing, and will give them money to have his
| throat fixed if he wanted it,
CoNTRADICTING ISABELLA.
Susie Virginia Vessels and JAS Castor who
who were mentioned by the Witness Isabella
Vessels, were called, and they denied the testi-
mony given by Isabella Castor denied that
she was near the station Monday Susie also
denied that she with her sister at the sta
| ton when she claimed that she talked with her
father.
Several policemen and the janitor of the
police station were called to prove that the girl
was not in the station Monday morning
Isabella was recalled, and she said: II
wouldn't lie on my own father. He don't carry
any weapons, and he didn't hurt the old man."
''Yes you would lie on me-" interrupted her
father; you haven't any good blood for me,
and you lie about me to get me in trouble every
| time you get chance"
THE VERDICT.
The jury returned verdict that the deceased
came to his death from pneumonia, supern-
duced by having been thrown into pond of
water by some person or persons to the jury
unknown The prisoners were then discharged.
After the verdict was rendered Isabella was
questioned concerning the truth of her test-
mOny. She still declared that she had told the
truth, and said she thought that her testimony
would get her father out of trouble.
The Marion Rifles Fair.
The popularity of the Marion Rifles fair at
Masonic temple continues, judging from the
crowd that was in attendance last night. The |
Light Infantry swelled the throng and added
to the picturesqueness of the scene. The Ord |
way Guards also visited the hall during the |
evening" Tonight there will be competitive
drill between picked men of the District guard
entries having been made from the Light |
Infantry, Union Veteran Corps, Corcoran |
Cadets, Ordway Rifles, National Fencibles |
Logan Rifles and Washington Rifles. gold |
medal is the prize, which will be awarded
by Lieuts. Chase and Russell, of the third ar
| tillery. who will act as judges.
The following is the list of entries: Washing
ton Light infantry. company IL, Corp. Collins |
| and Private Zantzinger; company c, Sergt |
Kirchner and Edward Taylor; company D. j. |
b. X. Lee; National Fencibles. Sergt j. S. |
Ashburn and Private r. ID. Cromwell; Corcoran
Cadets, Sergt. Chas. Meyer and Private j. p |
Cromwell; Union Veteran Corps company A. |
Sergt. NJ. Mahany; company b, Private W. s. |
Parker; company d, Corp. W. Beck: Emmett
| Guards, Sergt. Thomas Walsh. Private j.
Harloe Ordway Rifles, Sergt. John T. Shane
and Corp. John NJ. Miller; Washington Rifles, |
Serst. Sneed and Corp. Geo. W. Wells; Logan
Rifles. Sergt. G.. F. Heinecke and Private H. D.
Digney; Marion Rifles, Sergt Thomas Scrivener
and Sergt j. J. Gavin, ir.
Real Estate Matters.
DuncansOn Bros, auctioneers, have sold at
public sale a lot, 25x125 on AZ street. between
H and l streets southwest, to J. F. Cullinane,
for 81 per square foot. Also lot. 100x9O feet
| at the southeast corner of 1st and streets
| northwest, to Petit, Dripps & Robbins. for
81 65 per square foot; also lot l7xl35 feet ON
o street, between North Capitol and lst street
northwest, to A. Burgdorf for 80 cents per
square foot.
Thomas Bowling. auctioneer. has sold at
public sale, a lot 50X1564 feet on Kennesaw
avenue, near 14th street, to Charles B. Smith
for "a cents per square foot; also. a two-story
apd brick dwelling Sl2 1st street northwest, to
VIM. H. Miller for 1895.
Il. +. Gilbert has bought for 900 of Hosea
B. Moulton. subs 102 to lO5 and III to 100. |
| q f.nn D..en