Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-01-23
A FRUITLESS QUEST.
Last of the Coroner's Inquest in
the Knifin Case.
No REVELATIONS OF IMPORTANCE.

Contrary Effects of chior"f"rrn on Miss
Purcell and 1trs. Kniffin-No Traces
of Poison-Ti:e Inquest sdiourns and
Deyolye. tho Responsibility on the
Grand Jury.
TRENTON, Jan. 2l.-The inquest in the
Kniffin m,hdes Stery was resumed
and was just as barren of results, SO far
as connecting DR.. Kniffin with the
crime is concerned. as ut the previous
sessions.
His little son Lenni was the first wit
ness. He was not sworn, as he is but
ten years of age. He slept with Miss
Purcell on the night of Nov. so. when
the first burglary is alleged to have
occurred When asked what he knew
about this. he said he knew nothing
except that he felt the bed shake during
the night. and remembered that he was
restless all night. Early in the morning
he heard Emma telling his mother
something about burglars. His mother
always left the window partly open at
night, but Emma did not. When he
dressed hims>lt. he went out and
climbed up on newly painted roof,
and saw marks us of footprints. lie
then narrated the burglar story told by
Miss Purcell. that has been told ON the
stand so many times during the inquest,
laying particular stress on the fact that
his own dollar had been taken.
4 Pretty lyprwriter', Testimony.
Miss Hattie O'Hara. q pretty rosy
4 . no
She said She had Il business acquaintance
with Miss Purcell. She had never been
out in company with Dr. Shannon. She
appeared ,iisinc lined 10 give informal
ton. No one had questioned Emma at
the office concerning the burglar story
she had told Emma had told IL after
il was printed IN the newspapers. She
had seen Dr. hniiiin and ..isS Purcell
come as far together is the door Of the
office where she worked frequently. She
had heard this commented upon. but
could not recall the tenor of the re-
marks. 1t was known at the office that
DR.. knitiin and Miss Purcen were
cousins by marriage. Witness had not
discussed this subject i'll the rubber OF
flee with Mrs. Smith.
& Jurors Pointed Inquiry.
.HaT. William D. Struble, who assisted
at the post mUrten examination, cor
roborated County fhvslcian Leavitt
with respect 10 the statement that Mrs.
Knittin died from chloroform. The
finger marks on her chin he thought
were made hr Mrs. Kn1tin herself i'll
an effort Ia gvt the chloroform towel
away from her mouth. The eNcoria-
ton about her mouth was made by the
application of the irritating flu,d u
that part.
w oulint it be reasonable to sup
pose" WAS the important question Of
Juror lawshe. THAT the same burning
redness would have appeared upon the
lids OF Miss Purcell had chloroform
been similarly applied beneath her nos
trilS:''
II think, replied the physician,
that such Il result would lie very nat
ural.
1t will be remembered that no such
marks We're noticed on Miss Purcell'S
mouth. Hundreds OF questions were
now piled To the witness. hat the only
Qualification made 10 the above answer
was. it was possible that the chloro:orm
had been differently applied on Miss
Purcell. The towel might lave been
folded 50 that tn. irritating tiuid did
not reach the skin. IL was Il debatable
question. the doct said, is 10 whether
a Lerson could be ch.oroforlned while
sleeping. II WAS his personal opinion
that one could not be. Mrs. Nn!ftln
must have been awakened lay the irr.ta-
ton in the throat from the chlorotorm
and made Il slight Strugsle-very feeble
-ocaiDsT rne rhlurOfOrm
\ Positive Lady Witness.
Mrs. Nellie Z. Smith was the next
witness. She was Miss Purcell's friend.
She had known her three years m
timately. She had frequently seen her
walk with DR.. knitiin on the street
Witness used 10 meet Emma and they
would go 10 worh together. In relat-
ing her story of the burglary Of Nov. sc
to witness. Miss Purcell had said that
she tel, the burglar; There are some
rings on the mantei: DO you want
them" No" said the burglar, Il
don care for rings.
Witness was sure that she SAW Miss
Purcell al the Office the day after the
burglary and that she appeared very
nervous and was excused from duty.
When it was explained that the day
following the robbery was Sunday, al
though she a limited that did not work
on Sunday at the office, she persisted III
her former statement.
The witness then made II impossible
to apply the qualifying statement of DR..
StruOc with respect to the adminlstra-
ton of chloroform TO Miss Purcell by
stating that something on handker-
chief that felt very cold was pressed to
her face and she was soon unconscious.
No Poison in the Stomach.
Professor Henry +. Cornwells, Of
Princeton. testified that lie made an
ANALYSIS of the stomach without finding
a trace of poison OF any kind. Officer
O'uara told about finding the Kniffin
house open one night in October and
the family all asleep.
After the examination u several
other witnesses the coroners jury adj
iourned for the week. thus throwing
the responsibility of the case on the
grand Jury. If this bo;ly fails to indict
any one Tor the murder the decision OF
the coroners jury will be given to the
grand jury of the MAJ term of court.
The Hon. j. u. Scudder, one OF the
wealthiest merchants in the city and a
prominent democratic politician, will
be the foreman Of the grand jury which
meets today.
Fail River weavers Oh Strike.