The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-05-01
Details of the Shooting of Mrs Blackwell
at FhiIlIpsburg.

suicide remains to be determined There
are apparently good reasons for believing
that she was murdered, and Samuel Car.
penter, of Easton, Pa, was committed to
the Easton Jail Friday night to await devel.
opments. He protests his innocence, but
has little to say.
The facts, so far as developed before
the Coroner's jury, which held a three
hours session at Phillipsburg Friday
afternoon, are these: Mrs. Blackwell
was the widow of DR.. Blackwell, of Mad.
isou. For several years she had been in
Easton and Phillipsburg, leading a life
which caused her to be talked about. Car.
penter, who is married man with fam
lily, has been in the habit OF calling on her
for year. Thursday evening Carpenter
went to Mrs. BlackwelI's house and had
supper. He was seen there at o'clock.
He was seen coming from there at Z
o'clock.
The woman was found dead by the po-
lice at 1880 o'clock Thursday night, and
indications were that she had been dead
several hours. Shortly before the finding
of the body, Henry Engle, barber,
knocked at the house to gain admission,
but received no reply. The knocking
aroused Mrs. Mary Hammell. neighbor.
To her Engle said he had an appointment
with Mrs. Blackwell. She replied that
Mrs. Blackwell must be at home, and
added that probably she did not dare 10
open the door, as she was afraid Of Car
penter, who threatened to kill her. On
the strength of this Engle informed the
police.
the house, and, as they could not get in
by the door, they opened window which
was not locked. Everything else about
the house was tight shut. Lighting a
lamp, they went upstairs, where they
found Mrs. Blackwell dead on bed.
There was bullet hole in the right tenn
pie. A small pistol lay underneath the
woman's right hand. The hand did not
appear to have had anything in it when
the bullet entered the brain. The pistol
may have been placed where il was found
after death.
The inquest brought out the fact that
a letter had been found apparently writ
ten by Mrs. Blackwell as sort OF Will.
In it che set forth that she feared death
would come TO her, and, in case it did,
che left everything TO her sister, Mrs.
Liscombe Schenck, of Ringoes, Hunter
don County. Mrs. Hammcll testified that
Mrs. Blackwell had told her she had
found that letter III Carpt nter's pocket,
together with pistol, and that when she
refused to give the letter back to him he
threatened to kill her. She finally gave
it to him for So.
A note written by Carpenter TO the wo-
man ON Wednesday was also produced at
the inquest. The handwriting in The two
letters is the same. Mrs. Blackwell told
Mrs. Hammell that che believed Carpenter
had written the first letter intending to do
her harm. Carpenter, Mrs. Blackwell
said, was very angry when she found it,
and sbe was so frightened that she did
not sleep all night, fearing he would come
In and kill her. Carpenter, Mrs. Black
well added, was jealous. She found q
bottle of laudanum in his pocket at the
same time.
Other witnesses were Mrs. John House.
The former testified that she was at Mrs.
Black wells house on Thursday at about
8 o'clock aud that she loft Carpenter there.
The latter testified that she heard a noise
about g. Do o'clock Thursday afternoon,
and II sounded somewhat like a pistol
shot, though at the time she thought it
was n picture failing. She lives next door
to Mrs. Blackwell, and The noise came
from upstairs
Miss Alice Paterson, also next-door
neigbor, testified TO hearing noise aboat
quarter of 0 O'Clock, and To calling the
attention # the family to il. She thought
1t came from upstairs, but when she went
TO investigate there WAS nothing disturb
ed. She heard no sound after that in the
Blackwell house.
All the witnesses testified that they new
or saw any man at the house but Carpen-
ter They Indicated in their testimony
that the shot WAS fired about 8. 45 o'clock.
Carpenter was at the house at $50 o'clock
and was seen by policemen coming from
that direction about 7 o'clock.
Carpenter was formerly Postmaster at
Asbury. His age is forty two years. Mrs.
Blackwell was about the same age.