The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-08
MURDER BY FIRE.
The Awful Charge Made
Against William Con-
niff.
HIS WlFE's AGoNIzED DEATH
He Beat Her Brutally and Threw a
Lighted Lamp at Her---Her
Dying Devotion.
HIS WlFE'S AGoNIzED DEATH

In the ricketty. dilapidated two-story-
frame tenement. No. 173 Warren street,
horrible tragedy was enacted about two
o'clock Sunday morning Today there
lies the burned body Of Mrs. William
Commit, a stalwart Amazon, who is sup
posed to have met her death at the hands
of her husband who during a drunken
quarrel, threw a hghted lamp at her.
setting her clothes afire and burning her
SO badly that death resulted this morn
ing. Police Captain Farrier this morn
ing preferred a charge of murder against
the husband in Justice Stilsing's couru
before the prisoner was arraigned upon
the charge of atrocious assault and bat
terry.
sHRoUDED IN MYSTERY.
There is mystery surrounding the case
which has not yet been cleared away
There are conflicting staten ents. Con-
niff lived with his wife and father-in-laW,
Jack Sinnet. in the rear of the building
on the first floor Both are notorious
characters. According to Chief Murphy.
the police Lave suspected for years
that Conniff would either kill his wife
or his wife would kill him. They have
fought repeatedly. Commit is a laborer,
of medium stature, with q full, round,
bloated face. Mrs. Commit, though pro-
nounced by some to have been a hard
working woman, was, nevertheless, q
woman who has given the police some
trouble. She was a stout, able-built
Amazon, and, muscularly, more than
match for the average man.
The police were notified about two
O'Clock Sunday morning. that woman
whose clothing had caught fire, was ter
ribly burned at the Warren street house.
An ambulance was sent for, and the
woman conveyed to the City Hospital.
Jack Sinnet, Mrs. Conniff's father, inti-
a 4Ink G~~11@ -.
between Commit and his wife, and that
Commit threw lighted lamp at his wife,
and made his escape over the back fence.
The vicinity was watched by the police
until morning.
DETECTIVE PEARSON CAPTURES coENIFF
About eight O'Clock yesterday morning
Detective Bob Pearson was put upon the
case. In less than half an hour he had
nabbed the prisoner. He was found near
the steel works beyond the canal bridge
Pearson Suddenly turned corner and
found Commit standing right At
he would have to give him
up Commit at first was inclined to re-.
sfst, but Pearson marched him to the.
First Precinct Station House. Here he
stated to Captain Farrier that his wife
had assaulted him with the lamp, and in
the scuffie which ensued his wife was
burned
Detective Pearson, in company with
the prisoner, visited the hospital He
| asked Mrs. Commit who assaulted her.
She Replied
This is your husband. isn't itf'' asked
Pearson
Yes replied the burned woman.
She, at that time, did not expect to die;
nor did the physician in charge think sha
would. She died this morning,
and as soon as the news was tele-
phoned to headquarters, Captain Farrier
immediately fastened to Justice Still
sings court to prefer charge of murder
against Commit. Commit manifested but
little surprise at the charge. His red lips
trembled slightly, and shrug Of his
shoulders was apparent
Justice Stilsing told him he was not OBJ
liged to make a statement without con-
sulting counsel. Commits hands were
bandaged. He raised them to the judge
| and said:--
The charge is not true, Twas in bed
| Saturday night. My wife dropped the
chimney from lamp she held in her
hand. In STOPPING to pick itup she drop
| ped the lamp. 1t exploded and set fire to
| her clothing. jumped from bed and in
my efforts to extingulsh the flames about
her., burned my hands in a terrible man
| ner."
But why did you attempt to escaper'
| asked the Judge.
81 did not.''
CoNNIFF'S CONTRADICTORY STORIES.
Commits story in court does not agree
with that which he told to Captain Far
rier yesterday. The police will attempt
| TO prove that while drunk Commit threw
| the lamp at his wife and then ran and
| concealed himself until morning. They
account for Commits burned hands by
the fact that his wife may have closed in
| upon him while he was attempting to es-
cape and his hands were burned in the
scuffie. The hearing was laid over untii
| tomorrow morning.
| A News reporter visited the house this
| morning. Several women in charge CT
! the Commit premises said they had too
much on their hands to fool with re-
| porters. Jack Sinnet, Mrs. Commits
father, sat in back yard. He refused
to say anything, except that he did not
| see the fight Sunday morning, as h Q was
| too i'll to notice what was going on.