Evening journal., 1893-12-14
A PEDDLER SUSPECTED
Hunting For the Man Who Tried
to Hide Murder by Fire.
EDWARDS SAYS He DID NOT STOP.

He Was Arrested, Though. because He
was Seen Hurrying Away From Mrs.
Jackson's burning House - The Dead
Woman Had Little Money.
pATCHOGUE, n. Y, Dec 14-The theory
that Mrs. jackson, whose body was burned
in the lonely little hamlet of Farmingville,
was killed and the house burned to conceal
the crime has been adopted by the author
tiles.
A rowing spectacle peddler Elmer Ed
wards who has admitted that he was near
er to Mrs. Jackson's house when it was
first discovered to be on fire than any other
human being, has been arrested and ar
raigned before Coroner Moore of Bay Shore
in Police Justice Charles w Hawkins
parlors in Lake Grove Edwards denies
that he entered Mrs. Jackson's house, and
there was nothing in his appearance or in
his testimony to prove that he did enter
the house and kill the unfortunate old
woman. His examination before the cor
oner was not concluded, and the inquest
will be resumed in Squire Hawkins resi-
dence on Friday morning.
The body of Mrs. jackson, who was a
member Of the Ronkonkoma Baptist
church, has been buried in the cemetery Of
the Ronkonkoma Methodist church, and
no religious services were held. IL was APP
parently concluded that no religious serv-
ices were needed, as the body had been so
nearly incinerated that there was little left
of it over which religious rites could be
| held 1t was by the wish of Mrs Jackson's
/ laughters-Mr Hallock and Mrs. Smith
of Stony Brook-and their families that
/ the body was buried in the Methodist
church cemetery.
RumOrs Still Rife.
Little is talked of today in the villages
and farmhouses in Suffolk county that
does not refer directly or indirectly to the
death of Mrs. jackson The finding of q
pitchfork near Mrs. Jackson's body is no
longer Of significance. 1t has been learned
from the family Of Mrs. Jackson's daugh-
ter, Mrs. Cornelia Hallock. in Lake Grove,
that Mrs. Jackson habitually kept pitch
fork under her bed to protect herself from
tramps.
She was once attacked by tramp and
with the pitchfork routed the enemy. Fur
ther inquiry has also thrown doubt on the
widely spread belief that Mrs. jackson had
a large sum of money in her house or even
had much valuable personal property. Her
earnings as nurse have been exaggerated.
| A member of her daughters family says
that Mrs. jackson was not professional
nurse; that she had done very little nurs-
ing of late as her age had prevented her
doing severe work, especially at night, and
her property consisted chiefly Of the house
| in which she was burned and the land
adjoining.
Elmer Edwards was closely questioned
| by Justice Hawkins Edwards said he had
no home. He described various places ht
had recently visited, and coming to the
night of the fire he declared that he had
not stopped at the jackson house.
He said he looked back after passing il
and supposed it was a brush heap burning
He had left Terry's house, he said, about
half past 3 o'clock and arrived at GirouX':
house after 6 o'clock.
As the distance is only a mile and as Ed
wards is a lame man, those who believe
him guilty say he could travel the distance
easily in u or Is minutes, leaving hin
about 10 minutes for stopping at the Jack
son house. Edwards was permitted to g
on his parole, however, on his promise t'
be present at the inquest on Friday.
Police Justice Hawkins and others seen
b to incline TO the belief that Mrs jackson
accidentally set fire to her clothing, per
p haps by the explosion of lamp, and tha
: she ran to her bedroom to smother thu
flames with the bed clothing, but failed
- This, however, fails to account for TIN
common report that the fire was mos
violent in the unoccupied part Of tn
house.
Justice Hawkins and Coroner Moore d.
not place much credence in the story tina
, a daughter of a woman who lived back o
Mrs. Jack9on's house on the mountains
when told by Mrs. Jackson that she stol
a dress, replied, IF mother heard you sa
that, she would kill YOU" The girls fam
lily has moved away, but Coroner Moor
will subpoena the girl and her mothef {
appear at the inquest