The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-06
HE SAW BLACK.
Hayner's Story of the Shooting of His
Wife and Adams.

HE SAW BLACK.
Hayner's Story of the Shooting of His
Wife and Adams,
Hayner was the first witness for the
| defense. He said:- II am twenty-eight
years old. have no brothers or sisters.
My mother is dead. was adopted by Mrs.
| Mahala Hunt, of Troy, who kept me
until 1 was eighteen or nineteen years
old when went to work in cotton mill.
| Inside work did not agree with ME and
came to New York to see if could go to
| sea, got work on schooner. and / fol-
| lowed the sea until six months ago when
secured situation as Captain of coal
| boat of the Delaware, Lackawanna and
| Western Company.
Il was married in the fall of 1887; we
lived or the boat; we mad child After
| this we took up rooms on Adams
street, Hoboken, where my wife
| had another child. We lived
there until January or February
| of this year when we moved on the boat.
My wife's father, at her request. lived
| with US. l knew Adams at the time
| got married. He and his wife visited us
and we visited them.
1--WE were all as happy as we could
well be. remember when Adams's wife
died: after that he visited u.s. After we
came addicted to drink.
Il remember calling at John Adams
| house on September z. | was on the dock
when my wife went there l went 10
| John Adams house after Lottie
to bring her home at about
| half past six O'Clock. When
got there I raped at door and no one
| answered. tried another door and was
admitted. 1t noticed that all were under
the influence of drink. Mike Adams
offered me half a glass of beer which
drank with the supper Mrs.
| Adams gave me. John Adams asked
me to go to the drug store with him. and
the barber shop. When We returned
the boy was sent out for
some clam chowder. and at about nine
O'Clock l said, 'Lottie, come 1t IS time to
go home,' and she said yes and Mike
Adams began looking for his hat. My
wife handed me a parasol and package
to carry.
FATAL GLASSES.
when We got downstairs. my wife
said, Let's have glass of beer before we
CO. and got it and then said, Come
now, let us co. She insisted on having
second drink and / told her she had had
enough. finally got four ponies of beer
for the party and then she insisted on
having another drink, l refused to let
her have any more beer, but got
her a glass of soda. She refused
the soda and tried to take my beer. l
made her drink the soda and then she
said TO Adams. Come on, Nike We
started to go home and Mike did not
come. She asked me to go after Mike
My wife then said II you don't go for
him will.' and she started across the
street, then went into the saloon after
Mike. and he said he would come as soon
as he paid for round of
drinks. We all started toward
home. My wife was talking In a bolster
Gus way, and singing r'Ta-ra-ra-boom-da.'
She attracted the attention Of some men
on a drill engine who followed at her,
aud / told her to keep still. She told me
that if / were man l would take it up,
She continued to sing and Adams sang
with her. When we reached a bench
near track she sat down saying she was
tired. Adams sat down beside her.
She told me to go on if 1
wanted to. Adams winked and said
Go on you tinker thought he mea MT
by that that he would, like a friend, per-
suade her TO go home. l went on to the
boat thinking they were following. l
went to the cabin, laid the parcels on the
table and turned the light up My father
in-law woke uD and asked where Lottie
was and l said she was coming. / got
nay pipe and when / went TO fill it saw
my revolver on the table. l always
carried a revolver with ME when on shore
and l was surprised to find l had forgot
ten to place it in my pocket. picked it
up and put it in my pocket and then re-
turned to see what had become of Lottie.
When got to about forty feet from where
my wife and Adams were l saw them.
He SAW BLACK.
81 ran up to them and seized my wife
by the arm, sxclaiming, MY God, Lottie,
vH,nN lot An-r L
Mike said, You - - - don't
come between me and any woman
81 remembered nothing after that till
my wife said. Frank you have shot me-
81 said, Come: let's go heme.'
81 helped her to the boat and said to
her father, Pop. put pillow on the floor,
PVe shot Lottie.' / said, 'I'll go for sur
geon and give myself up Irowed across
to Hobokeu, and at Donovan's saloon,
Newark and Hudson street saw crowd,
/ said. 1 have com mitted murder, I shot
my wife and a man.
SAT the station l answered questions
the best could. Half an hour later l
was turned over to Captain Kelly. 1 did
not know Adams was dead until was
told so in Justice O'Donnelps Court l
never told Captain Kelly that l had shot
my wife and a man in moment of pas-
sion. Al the hospital my wife. when she
saw me, began to cry"
Cue WIS aSkSu IL was IQe man Who
shot her. and she raised her eyes to mine
as If to ask what she should say. She
was asked again and said. 'Lottfe tell
the TRUTH and she then said 1 was the
man.
when I was in Captain Kelly's office
and was told that he would take my
statement, no one told me that what
said would be used against me.
Il have been subject to fits ever since
can remember whenever / become ex-
cited. When fit takes me / feel as if
everything is black; as If were going off,
and when recover feel like a person
does whose foot has been asleep. The
last fit l had was last night in he Jail ,and
| sent a man to the hall man for a powder.
On one occasion. on the dock, 1 mad fit
and nearly fell overheard. | have never
been arrested before on any charge"
Cross examination by Mr.. WINFIELD
when you are suffering from this black
oppression you described you can't see
anything?"
''No. SIR"
s.For a man who could not see you
took very good aim when you shot your
pistol"
Which did you shoot frst?"
II don't know"