New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-27
BEFORE A CORONER'S JURY,
pErrUss MURDERER AT THE INQUEST.
A VERDICT THAT HE WAS KILLED BY MRS
soUTHwoRTH's PIsToL-THE CASE TO
GO TO THE GRAND JURY
1T ONCE.

prisoners counsel, NIHdm T. '"''N'
Stephen Pettus came to his death by pstol-shot
wounds inflicted by Mrs. SOuthworth on frro"y
November %, near No 10 Fulron-str New 10TH
Flcvep o,clocl, was the hour appointed for the
bepinninc Of the Coroners Investigation whicn
was conducted in the Court Of Common fleas'
Eouitv Torn Al that hour Coroner Levy was
in his scat The iurymen were In their places
and a vast mob with many women III III s""ssicu
for room and craned necks ana stfalheu eyes III
staring If Mrs Southworth She, h'tic' thih'
- ,,,oman with big hazel eyes, and
49,. ahool,s marked by bright 6ush-spots, sat
-, ,,, Howe at her right hand and her
- md brother at her left. The mother Is
.,, and apparently not much past middle age.
Sh. wore deep mourning, and raised a black veil
from her face only to kiss her daughter. The
brother is a slim little man, with sharp features.
and struggling mustache and chin whiskers.
Coroner Levy was angry lie knew that the
Observation-Disclosures office had apparently deter
mined 10 race" him for the case. and he
probably not surprised when he called for MS
first witnesses Officer Goodwin and Captain
Mclaughlin, and they did not answer
Where is Captain Mclaughlin? ?" he asked.
An officer from the First Precinct, in plain
clothes replied: He's at the District-Attorneys
office He'll be here pretty soon"
Anybody here from the DistrictAttorneys
Office asked the coroner. cunning D DeuloIu
said that he represented it.
This seems somewhat strange resumed Mr..
Levy. Captain Mclaughlin was subpoenaed
and so was the officer, and it is their duty TO
be here"
Mr.. Bedford rose TO explain. He said that the
District-Attorney had issued subpoenas on Monday
for the Grand Jury; not with the view OF con-
fcting with his Honor, because his Ilonors prov
ince and the province of the Grand Jury were SO
separate and distinct Then Mr.. Bedford went
on, somewhat didacticaly, TO define. the proper
limits in which Coroners inquests were by statute
confined.
PROTESTING AGAINST THE TILT.
Mr. Howe protested that this homiy' was
unnecessary He had never vet heard of case
like this that went to the Grand Jury without
first a Coroners or a police magistrates eXamina-
ton. At the same time he wanted it distinctly
understood that he and his client would welcome
a speedy indictment. He called her " this little
bunch Of nerves, poor fragile
little thing" and declared with emphasis
that she wanted investigation 4" 1t may be
asked here he added, "why is this departure
made? Is il because the man She shot down was
a great railroad magnate? Is his carcass worth
more than that of the meanest man? Why this
departure? Let us go on. If the jury indict' so
much the better"
marks on the text that the Coroners investigation
should not be interfered with either by the
District-Attorney or the Grand Jury.
Mr. Howe suggested that if the subpOenaed Of
fcer was not present he in contempt.
Il shall have to declare him in contempt
asserted the Coroner
Captain Mclaughlin was here at IL o'clock
with me" remarked Mr.. Howe. He brought the
lady down TO court"
The tardy arrival of Captain Mclaughlin and
the officer ended the discussion. Officer Goodwin
on the witness stand repeated the story OF the
shooting and identified the revolver Mr.. Howe
called his attention TO the empty chambers of the
weapon saving that hammer marks showed that
the trigger had been pulled not five times but
seven. showing the frenzy, and the lu,tlnaoie
frenzy" of Mrs SOuthwOrth when she fired Narl-
Gus eyewitness of the affair then described IT,
None of them knew more about it than has been
already published
Are there any relatives or friends of Mr.. Pet
tus in court p asked the Coroner There was
10 response.
THE woMAN's MENTAL CONDITION.
Captain Mclaughlin testified that in the station
house Mrs southworth very historical MI.
Howe asked: Were her acts in your opinion
rational or irIational?'
Mr. Bedford objected to the question
1t is proper before petit jury, not here he
said
Why not here p cried Mr. Howe.
Why not here ~ repeated the coroner, and to
this mbined attack from front and rear Mr. Bed
ford succumted. The captains answer was that .
the woman IN such mental condition that /
she could not tell where Size lived
Mr. Howe asked for the production of the letter /
signed L. which was found in one OF the dead |
mans pockets The coroner handed it TO the
counsellor, who stepped forward, pulled out an .
other letter. and compared the handwriting.
That's the letter, he exclaimed; anu then he /
read L. s. note 10 Pettus, in which the writer
presumably q woman, thanked him for her matte .
home and said would give much 10 see you
to-day" -" to-day" being The Friday on which he
was killed. When Mr. Howe finished reading 1T .
it was handel to Mrs Southworth who scanned .
Do y6u desire that your client take the .
sland?@ said the coroner TO Mr.. Howe.
Mr.. Howe answered in a dramatic Grafton, in /
which lac rehearsed his clients wrongs. At one
point she broke down and began TO weep bitterly. /
Mr. Iowc's arm.
must tell the TRUTH said he, bending over f
her. She hid her face in her hands and continued
MIR. Howe SAID that Mrs Southworth. as a result
OF her troubles had suffered both in body and
mind She has proof of all this and more
be continued, but, it having reached me bnt
three minutes since that other proceedings are
pending II would be useless in me to put this
woman on the stand 10 tell her story when
perhaps before dozen utterances of her wron0s
have escaped her lips bench warrant may he
brought an indictment from the Grand
jury and everything done here rendered nugatory
passing into thin and empty air. This little
woman confdeS in the world of those of honor
fathers brothers, mothers She is not afraid The
jury can say here and il will never be denied
that this Pettus came 10 his death by pistol
Shots inflicted by her. That is the verdict which
this jury must render. She says that Pettus
merited his death That will be the verdict of
. !he whole populace Of Newlork before a petit
Jury shall have so pronounced
When Mr.. Howe sat down, lac whispered some 4
comforting words TO Mrs SouthwOrth. and she !
IOOkcu moro chnDrful Ihnn he stirred COrOnar |