The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-01-12

Shepherd. He had never heard Mrs
hn2ilin or anyone say anything about the
gas being turned uut IN her room.
q BY Juror What did ron hear Mr..
Patterson say about the natterg A. The
only thing 1 ever heard Mr.. Patterson say
IS this:-That Miss pursel said she told
the girls up ~ the Office, and they told her
sue mad the nightmare, and nobody would
believe her
AN UNEXPLAINED POINT.
Mr.. Patterson himself and DR.. shannon
eorroborate this story in all ifs details
Let US ask, if the story was fake, who
put the ladder there9 Shannon brings in
in connection with it the one point that
cannot be explained away in the infer
ences that it gives rise to against the ac-
cused. Here is a bit Of his evidence:
q. BY Juror Lawsbe-Was the gas
turned on 10 Mrs. Kniffin's room ION the
nlgnt Of the November robbery9 A. She
@; But you don't know it to be facrg
A No, sir
Q. Did she tell you So A. I don't know
whether she told me SO or told it in my
presence; either one or the other
U Was IL lit2 a. It was not; she said
not
@. How did she discover its A. BY
hearing the kissing noise.
Y Didn't she give any particulars about
elAs Delng Turned on, only thai 1t was
turned ons A That was all that i re-
member OF.
@. Wasn't there any particular interest
manifested in that fact--the gas being
turned only anybody A Well, be-
leVe she said i might have been done as
a means of suffocati0A
o. You heard her Sky its A. Yes, sir.
q BY Juror I1awshe-Has it always
been your impression that burglars did
enter the house on November 90s A.
have always thought they did; yes sir.
y DO you think so nnws A. Yes, sir.
q. What object could burglars have IN
turning on the gas in-Mrs. Kniffin's room
and taking nothing out of the house ez-
cept that money? A. 1t would be very
| hard TO tell what object they had in it.
u by Juror Larrison-- w ASH t IL rather
strange thing that Mrs. Pursel didn't
give a report as soon as they left her bed
roomf A. 1t was not a strange thing ac-
cording to her statement.
BY Juror Pierson-What was her state
ments A. Her statement was that the
burglar left her with the impression that
one OF them was standing outside of the
room door watching.
This gas business do not pretend to
explain. It may have been mere coinci-
dences it may be an error as to date, it
may be that a burglar accidentally turned
it on. 1t may be none of these. only
claim that it establishes no sort of ere
sumption against Mics Pursel IN the abb
sence of other evidence against her.
KEIFFIS's DENEAxoR.
Here we again pass from the domain of
sworn fact. But we have had a despatch
TO the New York Herald from Broadway
showing how naturally DR.. Kniffin re-
ceived the news of his wife's death, try
ing to CLEAN from the vague wording OF
the telegraphlc despatch the comforting
idea that it was somebody else's wife who
was dead. As to his attempt al suicide It
does not seem to me to count. Let us
reason it over 8 bit. First of all. the DO-
lice say it was faxed attempt. Now, If
kniffin were guilty why should be fake
an attempt at suiciGes Did he not know
that half the public, at least-as was act
ually the case-would construe such an
attempt as confession OF guilt. On the
other hand, Is it not easy to conceive him
grief stricken by the loss of his wife, APP
palled by the horror of her end over
whelmed with the disgraceful suspicion
directed against him. and badgered and
baited by the police, his liberty restrained.
his house ogerrun with bleS-whaE
wonder that his mind gave way for a
space, and that be sought refuge from his
troubless
Well, the prosecution threatens revela-
tions on Monday, bnt nobody takes much
stock in them. On the other hand, the
defence promises to establish the pres
ence OF suspicious characters about the
house. I believe no conviction for this
crime will ever be secured ] think DR.
kniffin is assuredly innocent of it. /
think there Is at least ar even chance
that Miss Pursel is also. But | do not
hope that either of these persons VIII ever
be fully cleared. 1t is nonsense to
talk of eOnvieting either Of them
unless the police are playing pos
sum in fine style. But the
time has gone so far now that it is equal
! " nonsensical TO talk of catching and
convicting anybody else--burglars for
instance. The case has been misman-
aged from the outset, and in my estims-
ton it is already time to pigeon hole it
away in the same niche with the Eagle
Rock, the Railway, the Perth Amboy aud
other unsolved mysteries of Jersey crime.
I