The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-28
Opening Of the Investigation as to the
Death Of Annie Brad1eld.
HOW The BODY WAS FOUND.
when Told of the Discovery Mr.. Smith
Turned Pale and Was Greatly Agi.
fated-Mr. Francis Tells OF Miss Brad
fields Frequent Visits.

street gymnasium, was commenced this
morning at Coroner Lincoln's Office.
The first witness called was George T..
Brown. He said he was IS years old and re-
sides at l2 River street; that he has char Q
o. the boiler ut the sanitary gy' nasiun.
where ne has worked since June / or
theresbouts; that he "tends tn fires"
until o'clock as general rule. The
boiler is in the ce lar. right ar
the bottom OF tie stairs. o.
Sundays he goes In at s o'clock, gets Oft
at 2 O'Clock. and doesn't 10 back until
Monday morning. On September 18th
he was not there at all Did not 20 near
the gymnasium during the day.
The Door Was Open.
He was there on the 18Th; got there at
2 O'Clock; went to the boiler first aud
then to the tank. Mr.. Francis has charge
of the door. takes tickets and gives out
tights That morning he got there before
Mr.. Francis did and stood at the door.
He noticed the door was unlocked aud
opened little way. Did not remember
whether ne went into the tank room or
not, but he stood I'm the entry. That was
about 7:15 o'clcck. just after
z at any rate. Mr.. Francis usually
opens the door but he was not there then
and the door was open. He knew Mr..
Francis was not there because he did not
hear him.
He Thought IL n Little Strange
that the door was open. The key is kept
on nail by the tank door. It hangs
there for any one who wants to get 10.
He stood in the door about three minutes.
Mr.. Francis got there at 7:05. He had to
clean up. Francis came while the
witness was standing in the door.
He called "Holloa" or something like
that. That WAS all that was said. Wit
ness went into the tank room then and
scrubbed the floor. Alter he had been in
There 100 or ortfifet11l5ursD1gwcnt dowa
and looked at the boiler and then c me
up again. He was working at the west
end Of the tank. which is the deepest end.
Discovers the Body.
While there he turned his head and
looked into the tank, saw what he
thought was "A coat or pair Of pants and
called Mr.. Francis attention to IL. He
took u close los k at it and said it was
woman. 1t was ten feet
from the o lge on the bottom. One can
see the bottom most of the time. Witness
hen said the body was perhaps seven or
eight feet from the edge. but he didn't
think it was ten feet. Mr.. Francis. when
his attention was called 10 1t. went round
and looked at it. and said it
was a w,msn. He tod the wit
ness to go and get Smith, but he did
not go. He was excited. Mr.. Fancis
went for Mr.. Smith snd the witness went
out into the entry aud slaid there until
Mr.. Francis got back. He did not think
anybody was with Mr.. Francis.
Describes the Tank.
The witness said he was familiar with
the tack. There are three poles which
reach half way across the tauk. The
tank is twenty five ieet wide. These
poles hang on gas jets on each
side of the tank. One pole
hangs on nails under the gallery.
That is its usual place. The poles hang
apart, not together. The ends OF the poles
do not reach above the gallery.
Before he noticed anything In the
water he did not notice the poles.
How the BODY was Taken Out.
Mr.. Francis went to city hall and it.
ness waited all the time in the doorway,
He did not help to take the body out.
The body was taken out with two poles
with hooks on them. Mr.. Francis just
reached for the body with a short pole
He re ,chei down with the short ID )le and
did not get the body. Mr.. Lake had
another pole Mr.. Lake first caught hold
of the body and drew IL up. Witness did
not recognzs the body at that time. He
did MOI know whei her the bod came up
head or feet first. L. was dressed i'm
black, with vest on; also lack straw ha
H. thought the veil was drawn over the
face. TIE womsn had on fur shoulder
cape, fastened around the throat. There
were gloves in the woman's hand. but he
could not remember which hand. He
did not notice anything floating In
the water before the body came up
noticed something floating after some.
body spoke about il. but he could not
remem Der who spoke OF it. The hat was
floating In the water; IL was not on her
head when she was pulled up. They put
her on the floor aud witness did
not know when they carried her
out. He went to the boiler.
Had Seen Her Quite Often.
Witness heard somebody say it was
Annie Bradneld. He did not know her
well enough to speak to her when she
was alive He knew her by sight.
Never paid any at ention TO her. she
came to gymnasium quite often; nearly
every day. Sometimes more than
once n day, but she was never en-
ployed there. She always inquired for
Mr.. Smith and no one else. She never
hired room aud never went I'm swim
ming. She was not there the Saturday
before the Monday when her body was
discovered. The business hours OF the
gymnasium are from In the morning un-
| I'll o at night Mr.. Smith was never
there at any regular time. When wanted
he is apt to be away.
Annie BrsdneId's Visits.
Miss Brad field cane about lilo in the
morning. IL Mr.. Smith was not In she
Il