Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-12

A Coroner's Jury Justines His wife In De
Tending HerselG.


Tending Herself.
In little dark room ON the first floor Of
house $40 c street southwest lay the body OF
James Terrell, colored, this morning when
Coroner Patterson went there with Jury and
administered to them an oath to dill
gently inquire into the facts and decide
the cause of death. Terrell died Wednesday
after an illness OF two weeks and on accoun,
Of fight he had had with his wife at least two
or three days before he was taken sick, an in
vestigation was ordered by the coroner. Ac-
cordinsly DIR. Schse6er made q post mortem
examination yesterday.
AT THE INQUEST TO-DAY.
Charlotte Clatterbuck, who was an eye wit
ness to the trouble, described the fight. She
went to the house for Sister" Terrell to 60 to
church, but her husband objected, and when
she started out he pushed her
b.e II He said You jes' wan. II, to 60
you dis night before you Co." Witness told Of
repeated threats made by the husband and of
his attempt to use knife on his wife. She said
she asked him, "Jim, you don't know who is,
does you?' :
He replied, 'Ts dis you. Sister Clatterbuck?''
Witness said she told him who she was and he
again repeated the threat to kill his wife.
Brother Coleman. she said. first prevented
him from using the knife and then
she attempted to prevent him from
cutting her when he struck her more than once
and knocked her down. When he attempted
to use the knife she hit him on the head
with piece Of wood. He afterward
hit her again. Witness took the
knife from Terrell and threw it away.
Terrell complained that his wife had cut his
done it had not he come home drunk and acted
as he did.
BRorHrR coLEMAx's STORY
James B. Coleman, colored, who was referred
to by the previous witness as Brother Cole
man, was next called, and his evidence corrob-
GRATED that of Sister Clatterbuck, only he
made it appear much worse for the dead man
than the other witness did. Witness said there
was prayer meeting in the next room tina,
night
"The lick" he said, did not stop Brothe,
next night"
Emma johnson lives in the same house, wal
present and she said that Terrell and his wife
got on cross-questions about going to
church and he called her q ''liar." She
did not answer him and he knocked
her down. Witness also told about hi.
trying to use the knife and said that Terrell
had been drinking. When questioned, witness
said that Terrell had often struck his wife
what was the cause OF it," asked the
coroner Jealousy, the same as thi,
time" she replied. Emma said that
Terrell simply had a jealous disposition with
out any cause for being SO. His wife, she said
was sexton Of church and was a Woodworking
woman. Her husband was unable to work and
she had been supporting him.
THE WIDOWS STATEMENT.
Fannie Terrell. widow Of the deceased, was
called and she explained how the trouble &C.
Cured between her husband and herself. Her
husband, she said, did not have to 60 to bed for
several days after the fight.
DIR. Schaeffer gave evidence as to the cause
OF death and the jury returned a verdict that
Terrelrs death resulted from either chronic dis
ease OF the ear or from the result of the blow
inflicted by his wife while protecting herself
from murderous assault with knife in the
hands of her husband, which, in the opinion OF
the jury, was perfectly UNSUITABLE.