The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-13
THE CONNIFF TRAGEDY.
The Dead Woman's Father
SWears Her Husband
Threw a Lamp
at Her.
WITNESSES OF HER AGONY
She Ran About the Street Naked
and Crying for Something
to Cover Her.

Coroner Brackner and jury began the
| inquest into the death OF Mrs. Commit,
who was burned to death blythe explosion
, OF a lamp which is supposed to have been
hurled at her by her husband In their
house, No 173 Warren street. early last
Sunday morning. DR.. Sexmuth, attached
70 the City Hospital staff, was the first
| witness. He testified that about two
O'Clock last Sunday morning the deceased
was brought TO the hospital wagon. She
was suffering excruciatingly from burns
ana II was seen at once that she could NOT
i've She was conscious and suffered
greatly from shock. At seven 02ct0cH
Sunday morning she died
Captain Farrier testified as follows:--
On Sunday morning case of atrocious
assault and battery was reported to me
by one of the men. We caught Commit
III the steel yards next morning. and
when 1 learned that the woman was
qeao ! made charge of murder.
detective Pierson got a statement from
The woman and Sergeant Cox from the
prisoner. The lamp did not fall from the
mantel as the deceased AYERS in her sJate-
ment. examined the mantel piece aud
found dent where the lamp had struck
aIter being thrown, and the mantel was
saturated with oil and scorched. The
lamp had been standing on the bureau,
and had no doubt been thrown with great
force. 1t was smashed into pieces There
was no room on the manIel to hold the
lamp, and IL could not have fallen from
there"
NO ONE DID IT.
FRANCIS Whelan, clerk, of No. 124
dudley street, was the next witness. He
testified as follows:-"About one O'Clock
last Sunday morning / heard great cry.
| Mrs. Gerken, who lives in the same
a 6OVVQ tqf nd oajd
sisters house was afire Mrs. Commit
was her sister. ran to the house and
saw Mrs. Commit in a shoemaker's shop
with something around her shoulders.
She was moaning. Isaid, Who did this,
Liz Did any body do it? Tell me who
aid it, She replied, Nobody done it.
done it myself. The lamp fell on me-
sent for patrol wagon, and Gerken and
myself put the fire in the house out The
patrol wagon did not come and went to
the station house, and it came shortly
afterward." "
Kate Sievers, OF No. III Warren street.
testified as follows:-.At half-past one
O'Clock last Sunday morning I heard
screams from the street. looked ont
and there l saw Mrs. Commit entirely
nude. She was screaming and begging
for some one to throw something around
her. She tottered to Mrs. Gerken's hall
and then dragged herself back again
| Her screams were terrible. She then fell
| down on her stoop. She got up again and
! went to the door of the shoema ker,s shop
She went in there and quilt was put
| over her."
| In answer to questions by the Coroner
| the witness addeu:-.nThe couple had fre-
Quent quarrels. One time the prisoner
had struck the deceased with a stone
pitcher. They had an argument early in
| the evening about some money just
previous to seeing the deceased on the
street heard her scream, go away from
me, Will. Go away from me-
HER FATHER SAW IT THROWN
! John Synnot, the father of the dead
woman, was the most damaging witness
| against Commit.
II was sitting on the stoop," he said,
until about one O'Clock, when Mrs. Con-
| milf came downstairs and told me to 90
upstairs. went up. Commit was lying
on the floor near the bureau. The lamp was
on the bureau. | went into the back
room to get pillow. Coming back
saw Commit raise himself slowly up,
pick the lamp off the bureau and hurl it
| at Mrs Commit. When he saw what he
had done he got hold of her and tore her
clothes off. She was enveloped in fire.
| He then passed me and went down stairs.
| said, well, you have done it at last"
| He then Jumped over the fence. He had
| often threatened her life.'
Jacob Workman, a shoemaker, of No.
| 173 Warren street, testified that he was
| awakened by The screams and found q
| woman in the hall. She was all afiame.
He asked her who did it. and she said,
BILLY did it." He then put her in his
| bed.
Mrs. Mary Gerken. a married sister of
the deceased, living at No. 124 Dudley
street, testified d:-"About one O'clock Sun
day morning heard screams; went to
my sisters house, and in the shoemaker's
shop saw my sister; she was all burned;
l went back to my house TO get skirt;
saw Commit; he was running away, and
had no coat, hat,vest or shoes on; Commit
had beaten my sister, and often had laid
| her insensible on the hoor.n
| G. Hilderbrandt, saioonkeeper, of No.
| 176 Warren street. testified that he heard
! screams and saw nude woman running
| from door to door and asking for some,
thing to cover her. Frederick Gertmer,
of No. $50 Warren street, gave the same
| testimony.
The inquest was then postponed until
| Wednesday evening at eight O'clock. The
| statement made by the prisoner and de-
ceased will be offered in evidence. The
pieces of the deadly lamp will also be
produced.