The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-13
DR.. LOVATTrS DEATH
A Mysterious Murder at New York
That Is of Local Interest.
The Doctor Killed at the Resort of
Nanny" Mcdowell, a Former Resi-
dent of indianapolis.


resident of Indianapolis. The World, in it's
account of the coroner's inquest, says that
the evidence seems to point to the fact that
the Doctor was murdered in old Nanny
McDowelrs queer establishment, at No. 167
West Twenty-first street. In telling who
the woman is the World says:
NANNY Mcdowell appeared in the city
about 1913. She had plenty of cash then,
which she had secured in a damage suit
against a .street-railway company in Indi-
annapolis; brought on behalf OF her son,
Harry Mcdowell, now described as an
actor. Almost from the day of her arrival
in town she became a woman of note in her
own circle. She opened what she termed a
ty-eighth street By professional she
meant that she catered only to those who
house soon became the resort of a choice
variety of small-salaried actors and act
resses, who enjoyed the free-and-easy life
she not only permitted, but encouraged.
Opium smoking and card playing was in
dulged in generally. The old woman was
frequently caught cheating by her Bohe-
help it?' she would ask, with an innocent
leer when caught with six cards in her
L am an old woman now, you know. /
cannot see as well as l used TO. l did not
saw that one fall out of my hand and so
on. Finally her place was called e. dis
reputable house.. and she was forced to
Her daughter Kate was always her
strong card especially with the male
Morey. Along in 1883 Nanny and her
brood of star BohemianS moved to No. 45
Clinton place. An opium layout was one of
the greatest attractions at ID, and Midnight
dances We're frequently arranged for
moneyed visitors.
had a second matrimonial experience, TAX
ing for a husband Arthur Schlemmer, who
now goes by the name of his stepfather.
Gardner. The stepfather keeps a saloon
where 0Vo-cant whisky is diSnOSQd of i'm
Clinton place, near Sixth avenue. Arthur
and Kate die not lead a happy existence.
His mother is a wealthy woman, but she
did not see fit to hand over her fortune to
her son - keep Kate in the style that wom-
an expected. When she found that she did
not get a fortune with Gardner she gave
him TO understand that he was neither use
full nor ornamental, and that he could get
out They separated, but were never di-
Kate made the acquaintance of Gustav
Zuboskl a well-known ems He be-
came infatuated with her and furnished a
mousse for her at 81 Clinton place in lavish
style. Her mothers lamentations over her
departure were ludicrous. 9TH child of my
her poor old mother, who has lone every
thlng TO bring her up in the way she should
go. She would generally wind up with the
remark that whom the Lord loveth He
chasteneth.'
Every time Kate called at the home her
mother reproached her, and they usually
had a fight, in which the old woman got
Worsted. Both mother and daughter were
artists in the use of profanity. Kate only
nVed a short time with Zuboski. whose
some time afterwards VIII English, of In
dlana, put heron the stage in 'Evangeline,'
at considerable cost to himself.
Mrs. Mcdowell used to boast that she
was a slster-in-law of General Mcdowell.
she did not live with her husband, who was
a native of indianapolis. The night she
heard or his death she gave a dance to GEL
eDrate the event at IS, and treated to whisky
anu peer until every one in the house got
The death Of DR.. Lovatt was of the mvs-
FERROUS order. The verdict of the coroner's
Jury was that DR.. Lovatt came to his
death by a pistol-shot wound at the hands
Inc Worlds story continues: who was
thls person? The machinery of the dis
trlct attorneys office will be set i'm motion
TO nho OUT; me women who live in the
house, No. 167 West Twenty-hrst street. ALI
We're at the inquest. They had risen early.
better under the Pickering gaslight, but
they had TO be there by gaslight or day
nght-by subpoenas. They gave their tes-
tlmony with smiles, and losses OF the head.
and glances Of the eye-careless and un-
concerned. needing not the horrid POSSIBLE
tues OF the mystery with which they were
so Intimately connected.
Mrs. Lovatt, who was robbed of a hus-
band before she was made a widow, was
IN the coroners office before 1880 a. m.
she was robed in heavy black. Her son
William accompanied her. For half an
nour she was engaged in earnest conversa-
lon with ASSISTANT Mcintyre. While this
was going on Kate Gardner, under whose
establishments Mrs. Lovatt saws her hus-
band fell a victim, sat in a row with NANNY
Mcdowell, Emma Broderick and Georgia
Matthews. the two gorgeOusly attired wom-
en- who describe themselves as actresses.
and Solly Lezinsky, the deformed chore
runner of the Twenty-first-street establish
ment. All OF them were under the legal
wing of lawyer Charles Steckler.
First policeman Regain told how he had
been called to the house and found DIR
Lovatt PROSTATE. bleeding and unconscious
on the floor of the front parlor. The note
TO which DR.. Lovatt's name was signed.
announcing suicidal intentions, was found
In the Doctors office on the floor above by
another policeman. The note was at the
station house. Regain said. The coroner
hurried a messenger to the Tenderloin pre-
clnct with a request for il.
House Surgeon Chamberlain, of the New
York Hospital, told about the bullet wound,
or wounds, on Lovatt's head. The one
which engaged his. attention was on the
left side of the head. He could not tell
whether the ball that caused it had pene-
trated the, opposite side of the skull. He
didn't notice powder marks on Lovatt's
face, but did note the fact that the victim
had two black eyes. Their probable cause?
He couldn't say.
"Solly, the hunchback, failed to remem-
Der much about the tragedy. He was sure
Connelly-witness called him by both names
had left for the country the hunchback
declared, with a grimace. next day after
the shooting. He hadn't come back yet.
do you know that Jack Connery was
a thief? asked Mr.. Mcintyre.
- did not. He Was a nice gentleman
replied Solly.
George Matthews testified that she had
lived at No. 16T West Twenty-flrst street
for about seven months. She was a singer
and dancer, she asserted, in a breezy way.
and had been recently one of the Rose
Hill Folly Company. Any engagement now
No. not just at present. Still, Miss Mat
thews did not appear TO be pining for work.
and bore an air of material prosperity de-
spite her idieness. Her gown was of fash
ionable cut, a bright pea green in color,
with big puffed sleeves. Morning sunlight
never painted the rudy tint on her cheek,
but such a tint undeniably had been paint
ed there. She said she didn't know any
thing about the shooting-happened to be
out OF the house when it took place. SO she
stepped down TO make place for Emma
Broderick.
This young woman said she, too. was n
singer, and, like the other one, lust now
out Of an engagement She had Just closed
with one of Rice's companies. Miss Brod-
erick testified that she frequently saw the
Doctor playing poker with the other folks
In the house. The stakes never were large.
Just change enough TO pay for a can of
beer was the elegant way in which she put
1t, with a smile at the assistant district at
tornsy. on the night of the shooting she
said they were all in the dining hall except
Dr. LoVatt. BY all she meant Connery, Solly
Lezinsky,a Mr. Fender or Penzer. Kate Gard
ner and herself. The Doctor had been in the
Pender or Penzer. Then he went upstairs.
Shortly after they heard q shot and a fall.
They sent for a policeman. Nobody in the
house went to LOvatts assistance until
the officer arrived.
"Old Nanny Mcdowell and Kate Gard
swore she had seen Connery only once since
then. She believed he was a conductor