New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-03
BEGINNING THE INQUEST.
TRYING TO FIND HOW MARTHA j. Full
LER WAS KILLED
CHARLES Z WINTERS SPRINGS SURPRISE IN
HIS TESTIMONY BEFORE THE CoRONER's
JURY - CONFLICTING STATEMENTS
ABOUT TIE PISTOL AND


ABOUT THE PISTOL AND
BOOKCASE
coroner Fitzpatrick and jury began an inquest
Yesterday into The death by shooting Of Miss
Martha J. Fuller in The law office of William NJ.
mullen No. III Nagsau-st, on March l.. The case
has been surrounded with considerable mystery and
has aroused a great deal Of speculation. The shoot
inc took place late in the afternoon. The only
VERSIONS present in Mr. Mullcn's offices a the time
,,ere Miss Fuller and Joseph T. MaEse. Nv Alul-
Ions managing clerk. The question which the
coroner's jury IS cndeavoring to answer IS: Iid
,rss Fuller commit suicide did MaSee shoot
nor? Was II sef-GeStructiOn on Miss Fuller's part
~ Is NaCce murderer?
7, seems to be sharply defined case Of exclusive
onnortunity. limited to these two persons. So FIR
&c personal presence concerned either might
have done the shooting. 10 one else could have
done IT, Magee was arrested Immediately after
,Ae shooting. and has been kept a prisoner in the
Tonhs since 81. Patricks Day. lie denies that
no shot Miss Fuller.
Nagee IS defended by Charles W. Brooke, William
, OSullivan and Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler, the
TITO who defended DR.. Meyer, the alleged poisOner.
An three were in court yesterday and followed
,,s testimony with the utmost closeness. NJ.
brooke asked most Of the questions but Mr. O'Sul-
Ivan occasionally TOOK part III lhe CEoSs-eAdh-
nation.
Assistant pistrict-Attorney Hartmann had general
.sarge of the prosecution but DstrctAttorney Eel
uus WAS present much Of the time and personally
.,osucted the examination of the witnesses. Health
o4cer Jenkins sat beside Coroner Fitzpatrick and
ssmed 70 take a keen professional nteres; in the
,,,sedings The jury was composed Of eleven men
~,rles r.. Peet president OF the United states
ystual Accident Association. foreman; Lawrence J.
catalan. Or. William Alexander. John J. Starr.
cs,rce w Olivet. George J. Eidelher1. Henry Zox.
John H. Meyer. c. F. Glimm NJ. A. Chis and NJ
Buckley.
vaeee was taken from the Tombs 10 the Coroner's
courtroom in Chambers-st by Policeman Webb, or
the Fourth Precinct station. Magees face appeared
brown ard healthy though he had been leading
an out-of-door life instead Of being locked up IN
narrow sunless cell in the Tombs. lie was thin
M, evidently strong and alert. He tapped his feet
or the floor twirled his fingers. played with string
and gave other minor signs Of nervousness but his
general department was calm. cool and collected.
BEGINNING THE TESTIMONY.
The first witness called was \. F. Moran. the
undertaken who took charge Of Miss Fuller's body.
He said that he reached the law office about $50
D. m, nearly an hour after Miss Fuller was shot.
Ne removed the body to mis- establishment In James,
8. He removed the clothing and described 1t in
detail Moran said that he washed the dead girls
face and looked carefully for powder stains. but
found none
J. Frank Herman editor OF lquor-dealers paper,
was the first person respond to Magee's cries for
help His Offices are on the floor above . McSie %
Office up into Kernans. Herman Was called to the
stand He said that some time after p m , on
steam steam pipes witch he aid no. understand About
O ye 20 hOme h s heard T Mage s ~ css for help
went back and found Mr. Lord. VINO has al once {
nan went into Muen's Office and found Miss Fuller
sitting at the base OF the radiator her head hahg
though f" she an had sank down Where she lay lie
moved the body loot or Two away va, diO'' '
' herman d Sah agee q" and 'hen his testimony
was interrupted While Frank f. Towie explaiInte,d a
The diagram among other things showed the 10
Keenan, then resumed his testimony saying: y
thought 70 ease the young woman ape heT Ep
body / interfered with something behind me
boxed around and saw an armless caneseat Gnai M
northwest corner between the steampipes ana Ma
case / looked for the pistol. but saw nothing Of
Il and have not seen 1t yet Miss ruler wore d
face She was not bleeding on the left side. After
oyed her saw The blood stain At her pc Sft % Sna
tuttoned up Her right hand was in the folds Of her
dress On the left hand was glove drawn on up
10 the thumb. The right hard was uneiove1
SAYS HER LEFT HAND WAS GLOvED.
Charles f. Winters. Of No s92 Hancock-st, Brook
Ign. insurance agent. who has an Office In the
building said Il was called into Mr.. Mullens
Office about $50 p. m. on March II by some one
Who said that a young woman had shot herself
found Miss Fuller lying on the floor before her
desk her right temple turned slightly upward ier
hat her head. her right hand ungloved, heT
left hand entirely glOvcl Her dress WdS up 20 IL
Prom her LETT temple upon the caTpet. 2iip a.
breatang she gasPed "ni Nj SOFT s'd iei 5sn ~,
IN . a2 pu i down the glove from the wrist and
fet her pulse. 1 found that she was alive but IN
looking up | that was alone. arose anu
went toward the door. met Mi Magee. MI riley
4 asked where the pistol was. and it pointed
out TO me. with the eXpianation that boy haa
Mr. Winters statement about turning back the
glove from Miss FG.er's left wrist was a dlsoiCSIrs
positively that a revolving bookcase stood within
Jew inches Of Miss Fulicrs head when he entered
The testimony in regard to the presence OF the
bookcase and japanese screen Is lmborIIInt me
prosecution expects to show by the conGtins stye
mens Of wtass in regari to them r M ,h1J
of sy S' Greater G ' pr56"bty to his story that
Mss Fuller committed suicide. Mr. KEENAN, dii not
BODY e Tbo ' bow T Beanqn ne picSed no fier%srd
near Miss FuIers hand The PROSECUTION W!She 40 70
show that Mage placed the pistol on the hoor
MT. winters aid Ia; he carefully examined spots
them with his knife. They were not blood spots
WHY He MOVED THE PISTOL.
Frank Dsnn,ger. the boy VINO picked up the pis-
sol. was :hen called. lie said that he saw several
men in the hail They appeared to be excited. ana
he asked them what the trouble was When he was
'O.c he went directly 10 Mll.ens ONCE. lhere was
no in II except Miss Fuller, VINO was SUI breath
where It was Magee mad followed him into the
nom and stood b. his side, Mage pointed oui
On the floor between Miss Fu.ier's arm and body
MSgee told him NOT 10 touch Il untl the Coroner
came
Denniger said that he saw Miss RULERS chest
seaying and heard her groan. He knew sac was not
Sead, and he thought the pistol should BE- paced
DeyOnd her re2cn, lest she should attempt 70 use
y again He picked it up and placed II on Magee's
desk
Colonel Fellows closely questioned Dcnnger about
tne pistol Tho boy said IT lying ia plain view.
70 pert Of Miss rulers clothing or body was over
u or screened IL from view IN any way. fie dld not
zee II, however until Magee called his attention 10
~ Magee could not have placed the revolver on
The floor while he present.
Richard Ii0ll Burton Mr.. Mullcr's office boy told
an apnaronty siralghtforWard storv and whom