The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-11
MRS. CARSON'S MURDER.
Evidence That is Likely
to Puzzle the jury.
WHAT THE SISTER KNOWS
Statements That Do Not Seem 10
Agree-The Defendants Story
of the Tragedy.

llOl ulAk DC1OIC uukcS hudpp dH0 1AOh-
man for the murder of hls wife. The
prisoner Is young man and does not
look as though he would participate in
| any such orgies as preceded the death of
his wife, Bridget. He has a rather intel
ligent face. which was clean shaved and /,
| together with the high standing collar
and white necktie, gave him rather
counsel, ex-Judge William T. Hoffman.
Young Lawyer Palmer also appeared for
the prisoner.
The following jury was obtained with
out challensss-Benjamin Hume. Patrick
Harrington, William Hillisrd, John Min
turn, John p. Kilmurray, Patrick Gro
nan, Alexander Robinson, Thomas Moore.
Thomas Lenahan, Martin Kelly. John H.
Shaeffer, and James Beverish..
District Attorney Winfield opened the
case. He said that Thursday, May IA last,
Carson lived with his wife at No. 161
Ste uben street. The previous Saturday
Carson's brother-in-law, man named
William Kerrigan, and his wife, visited
Carson. From that time until the fatal
Thursday there was continued debauch
in the rooms.
THE FATL FIGHT.
May IA all hands were drunk and the
two men quarrelled and brutal fight
ensued. during which water pitcher
was broken on Carson's head. Some say
Mrs. Carson flung the pitcher at Kerrigan,
missing, him, but Others say Kennedy
threw the pitcher. During the fight Mrs
Carson had her throat cut and the best
evidence the State could produce as to
what occurred are the statements of Mrs.
Kerrigan and the dying woman herself.
When the police arrived she was un-
conscious. She rallied. however, and as
the policema bent down she whispered
that her husband had done it. Several
women in the room also heard her say
this. 1t was contended that she might
have cut herself on the fragments of the
pitcher.
After the fight the two men went out,
Carson saying that he was going for an
officer. Kerrigan went out and has not
come back.
DR.. Frank d. Gray. one of the city
physicians. testified that he went to
Carson's apartments and found Mrs. Car
son on the floor nearly dead. She had an
extensive cash on the left side of her
throat, four or five inches In length and
from half inch to an inch deep. 1t just
touched the deep veins and the woman
had bled almost to death. She died soon
after.
: In DIR. Gray's opinion the wound was
made by sharp. clean instrument. He
| Qlu uOU butuk IL pOSSlUl0 lOE Ou6 WOuHu 10
have been inflicted fly the broken pieces
of the pitcher.
Judge Hoffman submitted DR.. Gray to
rigid cr0ss-examination, but witness
said that while the wound might possi-
bly, have been made with a piece of the
broken pitcher it was quite improbable.
Mary Walsh of Warren street, who
lived in the same house with Carson, on
the night of the murder heard the fights
going on in the Carson apartments and
saw quantities of liquor carried in.
While in Carson's rooms she heard Mrs.
Kerrigan say that her husband beat her.
She had heard quarelling between the Car.
sons before the Kerrigans came. but she
thought it was all Mrs. Carson's fault.
She went in the room after Mrs. Carson's
throat was sewed. She did not hear Mrs.
Carson say anything about any one cut
ting her throat.
Helen Johnson, another inmate of the
Steuben street house, was sitting at the
window on the night of the murder. Car
son came down stairs covered with blood,
and asked young Mr.. Dwyer to go to the
station house, but Dwyer refused. She
saw Kerrigan come down stairs twenty
minutes before Carson. He stood awhile.
crossed the street, and then came back
and meeting Carson. told him not to dis
grace himself Then Kerrigan disap-
peared. Witness then went up stairs and
saw Mrs Carson on the floor. She saw
the offices leaning over the woman, but
did not hear anything. The Carsons had
witness saw Carson all bloody she said
II thought it would come to this"
SHE SAW THE FIGHT.
Mary Anderson, who also lived In the
Steuben street house, was in the room
during the quarrel Kerrigan beat Mrs.
Carson, and Mrs. Carson said to her hus-
hand, "Are you going to let him hit me? ?"
Kerrigan replied that he would hit her
and her husband too. Kerrigan then
knocked Carson down and held him. Mrs.
Carson got broomstick and beat Kerri-
gan. Then the witness went out to the
sink, aud when she came back Mrs. Car
son was on the noor with her throat cut
and Carson was lying on the floor also.
He was all bloody. The broken pitcher
lay beside him, the fragments scattered
about his head. When the policeman
came in. Carson said, 'My God! is she
dead?"
The witness heard Mrs. Carson say
nothing. Kerrigan and his wife and Mrs.
Carson were drunk that morning. Car
son was away at his work in the morning
and did not come back until noon.
On cross-examination Mrs. Anderson
said that Mrs, Kerrigan was holding Mrs.
Carson's head in her apron.
THE SISTERS STORY
Jane Kerrigan testified that she was the
sister of Mrs. Carson. Her version Of the
trouble was this:-On the night before
she and her sister had words and she took
her children and went down stairs and
spent the night. The next day as they
were going away her husband was calle d
upstairs. Carson went out and got some
beer. Then the witness went upstairs. She
went to put her children to bed. While
she was in the back room her husband
said he was man enough to "do" Car
son. Then the. men began to fight. Mrs.
Carson wanted to interfere, but told her
not to, for she would get hurt. Mrs. Car
son took the broomstrick and attacked
Kerrigan. Seeing that did no good she
picked up The pitcher and threw it at
Kerrigan. 1t missed him, struck her hus-
band, and fell on the stove and was
broken. The two men were then on their
teeI boxing. Mrs. Carson ran in be-
tween them. She received a blow
and fell among the fragments of the
pitcher. Witness picked her up. She
was bleeding then. She asked Mrs. Carr
son VINO had hurt her, but she shook her
head Witness heard Mrs. Carson tell
Policeman Kelly that her own man had
done it, She volunteered the statement
that her sister was out of her mead then
and did not know what she was saying
When they saw the woman bleeding the
two men stopped fighting aud asked how
1t happened. Kerrigan went for a doctor
and the witness has not seen HIM since.
Mrs. Kerrigan was not cross examined.
THE OFFICERS STATEMENT.
Policeman Thomas Kelly swore that he
met Carson at Steuben street. Carson
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