Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-19
MARY wArsON's DEATH.
Suspicious Circumstances Are Investigated
by o Coroner's Jury.

| suspicious Circumstances Are investigated
by o Coroner's Jury.
UNCERTAIN TESTIMONY GIVEN BY TIE WITNESSES
THE LITTLE cHLD's sToBY-A POLICE SCANDAL
| HISTED AT-MARY WILLIAMS HELD FOR THE
Six citizens sat in room in Lieut.. Kelly's
police station yesterday afternoon as members
Of the coroners jury summoned TO inquire into
the circumstances attending the death Of Mary
Watts or Watson. whose sudden death at her
home on E street southeast Friday night was
mentioned in Saturdays STAR.
Policeman Van Zandt had summoned num-
Der of witnesses from East Washington and had
also brought Mary Williams. who was suspected
of being responsible for the womsn's death.
Catherine Lannon. a colored woman who
lives at No. AS 9Th street, was called as a wit
ness. She said she was at home Friday night
| when Lilly Watson. the dead woman's daughter.
came and said that her mother was dead. That
was ten minutes before O'Clock.
| Witness said to the child. mo, your mother
amt dead" and the girl replied, ..Yes she is
A woman came there and killed my mother ~
| Witness went to the house with several other
persons and one of the men shook Mrs. Watson
| and called her, but she made no response. Mrs.
| Watson, said the witness. was seated on the
| floor with her back against the window
\ when questioned by the coroner witness said
| that Mrs Watson was at her house about 2
o'clock Friday evening. She complained OF
| having cold and was coughing.
In response to a question BY Juror witness
! said that she badly frightened that she
did not question the child about her mother
death.
Jennie Co1en. also eolored, testified that
| about 63O O'Clock Friday evening she went to
Mary Watson's house TO see her about some
work and the prisoner was there. Witness re-
manned there about fifteen minutes and went
home, leaving Mrs. Williams there Abou.
| nall an hour afterward witness heard that she
| was dead.
| TESTIMONY OF HER BRoTHER-IN-LAw.
| MIR. Watson, brother-in-law of deceased, also
gave evidence He said that he called at his
sister-in-laws house between and o'clock
Friday and the little girl Lilly told him that her
| mother was upstairs asleep. Witness asked the
| child If she could not call her mother, and she
| replied. NO. | can't call her yet" He told
| the child that he wanted to see her mother
\ about the chickens, and the child said that her
| mother had sold all the chickens except one
| and that one belonged TO her. Witness called
his sister-in-law and receiving no response. he
| said TO the child. Mothers sleeping sound"
and then LEFT. About fifteen minutes later he
| heard OF her death. He saw no person come
| out Of the house after he left.
| TIE DEAD woMAN's LITTLE DAUGHTER
4
| the deceased, was called and examined as to
| questioned as to whether she knew what il was
| to tell 4 lie or not, and she replied: Il amt
going to tell lie
Il know you are not" said the coroner, ''but
| If you did what would be done with you?''
MY mother would whip me-" the little girl
| responded.
She then told Of Mrs. Williams visit to her
mothers house. She said she heard Mrs.
Williams make the remark: ''You make things
| mighty quick. and her mother asked her what
she wanted? She replied that she wanted some
| hot water. Some water. she said, was pat on
the stove and heated and then her mother and
Mrs Williams went upstairs. Her mother car
ried up the hot water and witness heard Mrs
Williams ask: docs it hurt!' and her mother
responded Yes"
The little child then described how her
mother cougbed and beat her feet on the floor.
Nhen Mrs Williams came down stairs. said
witness. she told her (witness) that her mother
would be down IN 8 few minutes. She also told
shook her and called Mama" but she found
that her mother was dead and she then went
and told one of the neighbors.
WHAT THE AUTOPSY DISCLOSED.
Deputy Coroner Schaeffer described the con-
dition of the body of the deceased. He found
nothing that he would say was the result Of in
strumeutal interference. although he found one
condition that might have been so caused Il
am unable from the post morteru,' said the
doctor, ITO determine the cause of DEATH
POLICEMAN VAN zASDT's STORY.
Policeman Van Zandt testified tina. about
o'clock Friday evening he was notified of Mrs
Watson's death, and when he went to the house
he found her in a sitting position on the floor.
he found some of her undergarment5 on the
bed. as though she had removed them lust
previous 20 her death. Witness told of his con-
versation with the little girl and the subsequent
arrest Of Mrs. Williams. When witness told her
of Mrs. Watsous death she asked. lis that SOP
witness said that the prisoner did not seem
at all disturbed by the news, and said that she
left Mrs. Watson perfectly well.
Witness asked her about the warm water and
she denied knowing anything about it. but
later she admitted that there was warm water
there, but she did not know what it was used
for. When he said she had been seen To throw
the water out she said, YES the little girl saw
me-.
He told Of a conversation with the prisoner
in which she claimed to have bargained for the
purchase Of four chickens from Mrs. Watson
but witness said that there was only one
chicken on the premises.
MRS. WILLIAMS STATEMENT
The prisoner stated that Mrs Watson was at
her house Thursday evening. She brought
two chickens with her and she (Mrs. Williams)
purchased them. She promised Mrs. Watson
that she would call at her house the next even
ing, which she did and while there she saw the
four fowls. Then she went upstairs to examine
Mrs. Watsons sewing machine, which she also
promised to buy. She then told Of the visit of
the officers to her house and raid that one of
them said TO her: ''You won't get Off with this
business as easy as you did with the last
What was that l asked.
when you slapped that girl in box and
sent her off," he replied.
A POLICE SCANDAL
Speaking of the police, Mrs. Williams said
that the only officers she knew were Sergt.
Burgess and Policeman Nicholson. Then she
said that one OF the officers had been visiting
her house and putting himself off as Sergt.
Burgess. and IL this trouble had not occurred
| she would always have thought that lie was
Sergt. Burgess.
lone day." she said. she came in all dressed
up and asked him if he was going out duding.
He responded, Yes, I'm going out duding to-
day. colored man named Wright was
called at the suggestion of the prisoner He
| said his home was in Alexandria, but he had
been stopping at Mrs Williams house. few
days before Christmas he said he saw Mrs,
| Watson at Mrs. Williams house She was tell
| ing of her husbands having left her with two
children and said she wanted to sell eight
| chickens to get money for medicine and food.
Witness next saw her last Thursday night.
| THE VERDICT.
The jury, after a long deliberation returned
verdict That the said Mary Watson came to
her death about $50 pm. january 10, 1891, at
har No II ats