The evening world., 1893-12-27
REV.. AND MRS. BELLIN COURT.
Held in $500 Bail for the Result
Of the Coroner's Inquest.
Two of Their Children Have Died
Under Peculiar Circumstances.

LONG ISLAND CITY, l.. l., Dec. ~
Rev. j. Edward Bell, ex-preachcr. AMI
editor OF the Weekly Flag. in Astoria.
was arraIgned, together with his wife,
Jane Bell, before Justice Kavanagh in the
Police Court here this morning and held
In $50 bail to await the result of a Cor
oner's Inquest on the body of their
daughter Edith. who died under suspi-
clous circumstances last September.
Bell and his wife were arrested by
Herman Meyer. OF the Brooklyn Society
for the Prevention OF Cruelty to Chill
dren, In Astoria. last night, On warrants
charging them with II misdemcanor. In
having wilfuily neglected to provide med
ical attendance to Arthur Morrison Bell.
aged thirteen years. now IN the Astoria
Hospital IN "A serious condition Of health.
as Il result OF his parents alleged cru
elites and neglect.
After the death Of Harry English Bell,
a iourtceh-yehr-uId son, last summer
there was much talk in Astoria about
the apparent unconcern OF the parents
over the rlournful event.
But when u Few weeks later Edith.
the beautiful sixtnen-year-oid daughter,
ana under practically the same circum
stances, and evidently from the same
CAUSES, public Indignation became 80
much aroused that an official investiga-
ton was demanded.
Coroner Brandon, Of New,own, ex-
hum"d the wasted body two days after
It hal been placed In tn" ground, 'rhc
stomach OF the child was removed ana
submitted to expert chemists for analy,
SIS upon the suspicion that the result
might expose II terrible crime.
What the analysis has revealed has
no. yet been made public. Both the
Coroner and officer Meyer declare that
l. Is not yet completed. The latter, how
ever. ihtimated to an Evening World'
reporter this morning. that the suspicion
he declared that niready enough evidenc,
mad been secured to convict the cx-
preacher Of at least IA degree OF man
slaughter.
The children are by a former wife and
were handsome and intelligent. Thcir
neglect became known to the %neighbors
through their frequent applications for
food. and stories of persecution and star.
walton from their own lips.
Bell acknowledges that he had not pro.
Nided medical Attendance to either of his
dead children during their fatal Illness
and. furthermore. that they died alon.
In their rooms and were found long after
life had been extinct.
Mrs. Bells declaration that the child
medicine by Il ~well-known physician she
named, has been proven false, which
faCt, seems to strengthen the suspicion
In the estimation Of the neishbors that
'AtN AAli - ~ ~ NNIl L vi
natural causes.
The couple spent the night in the
Queens County Jail. being unable to Sc.
cure bail. and II Is probable that they
VIII occupy a cell there again. as Jus.
tiCe Kavanaugh insists that there shall
be two s%ureties in each case.
Bell Is about fOrty-tive years old and
has II very shady record, having been
several times In the tolls of the polio.
Last summer he was arrested for Grim
inal libel and was In Jail for eight days
when he was released on making "A pub.
.ic retraction and apology. The com
pllinant was "a rival editor.
IN that occasion the Long Island Cit,
newspaper published a statement tina
the woman claiming to be- the wife OF
He'll had no right to the title, and thai
she was the legal wife of Il telegraph
operator named Hewlett. who had been
obliged to separate from her.
She Is a comely little woman, abou
thirty years old. and might pass FOL
good looking were il not for a crue
look In her big, gray eyes and the hard.
drawn lines m her face. She appeared
more ~unconcerned over the matter than
her husband.
When arrested. the first question sh,
asked the officer was concerning the re
suit OF the chemical analysis. remark.
ing that she supposed they had found
It,"
Bell was deposed, 1t Is alleged, from.
the pastorship of II church In Astoria
on being trapped in "a house of ouas.
t~Ionable character. His explanation oi
place merely to test his moral strength