St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-04
THINKS HE DID IT.
Newman. the Lumberman,
Doesn't Know How He Re-
ceived His Wound.
NOT A MURDER AFTER ALL.
Takes Back What He Said
About Minnie SaltepS
and Others.
NOT A MURDER AFTER ALL.
THE SUSPECTS RELEASED.
Though a Surgeon Says New
man Could Not Have Cut
Himself.

The developments of yesterday in
the case of John Newman, the lum-
herman who was found Tuesday
afternoon in First street alley
with fatal wound in his abdomen,
conclusively proved that Newman
cut himself with suicidal intent be-
cause the abandoned woman who
had been his companion during his
drunken carousal had left HIM.
Newman's last statement, made
yesterday morning at the city hos
pital to Inspectors Hoy and Stavolo
and Assistant County Attorney
BeardSley, was to the effect that he
was not sure of his actions after
he had left Celia Wentworth's place
at 116 Second avenue south. Asked
If he had not done the cutting him
self, Newman replied that he did
not know; he might have done it, he
said. He identified the knife found
in the clubhouse as his property, and
when Minnie Salters was taken to
the hospital he declared positively
that she did not cut him.
Newman's condition yesterday
was very critical, and the hospital
authorities have scarcely a hope of
his recovery.
The statement which Newman
made to the GLOBE and later to
Inspectors Hoy and Stavlo and As.
sistant County Attorney Beardsley
Tuesday afternoon was made when
the man was half drunk, so that
but little credence could be placed in
1T. Yesterday morning it was ex-
pected that Newman would be in a
condition to make a rational and
clear statement, and he was asked
to do SO by Beardsley. Newman
stated then that, after he had left
the house at 116 Second avenue south,
he went around to the clubhouse in
the rear. He said he did not know
that he was followed until he got
inside When a man and woman
jumped on him. He could not see
which one cut him, but it was one
of the two. He was unable to call
for help, as he was half-drunk, and
in a semi-conscious condition He
medium height and slim build, with
a dark complexion and dark hair,
and declared that her name was
Minnie. The man in the case he
swore was one of the proprietors of.
Healey & Salter's saloon, in which
he had been with Minnie Salters
during the afternoon, and was posi-
Two no loA n
man repeated the story over several.
times, and finally the Salters woman
was sent for, but he shook his head
and said she was not the woman.
Minnie Salters was taken from the
hospital to the central police sta
ton, where she was locked up. pend
ing further investigation, as was
also Nellie King, the landlady at
Celia WentWorth'S place, and a
woman who answers the description
given by Newman. Bob Salters him
self was brought to the city hospi-
tai yesterday afternoon, but New
man at once stated that he was not
the man who cut him, and then
made statement to the effect that
he did not know but that he cut him.
self. Following this statement, Min
ME Salters and Nellie King were re-
leased from the lookup by order Of
Supt. Smith, and every one is salts
fed that Newman cut himself. One
of the hospital surgeons stated pos
itively yesterday, however, that the
cut-which is straight up and
down cut in the abdomen-could
not have been inflicted by Newman
himself.