Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-11

his private conveyance while returning
from drive with his wife. 1t was
about five o'clock in the afternoon, and
the carriage at the time was between
Sixty-sixth and Sixty-seventh streets
on Fourth avenue, in New York
Mr.. Prineveau was seated on the left
of his wife in the carriage, which was
a two-seated phaeton, and was driven
by their man, John Teedson, who sat
| on the seat in front of them. Mr.
Prineveau, who was sixty-three, died
| almost instantly, and the post mortem,
held the next morning at ten o'clock,
showed that he had been killed by a
pistol bullet that had entered his heart
at the fifth intercostal space, glanced
upward and severed the aosta A small
hole was found in his vest on the left
side corresponding to the bullet.
The post-mortem examination was a
long one. As it was impossible for
either of the other occupants of the
carriage to have got round to the lett
side of Mr.. Prineveau so as to have
inflicted the wound without accomp'
fishing an unprecedented feat, that
would have been seen. and as there
was no assignable motive for such an
act, the whole purpose of the examin-
alton was directed to finding out what
incentive some other person might
have had to commit the deed.
The following facts were then ellie.
tied.
Mr.. Prineveau had been married a
little less than five years to woman
who, previous to that marriage, had
been known as the widow of South
American merchant who had died
while on visit to Buenos Ayres. At
the time of Mr.. Prinevoau's marriage he
was reported to be very wealthy, hav.
ing amassed fortune in coal specula.
tions in Pennsylvania and New York.
He, too, had been previously married,
by which marriage there had been
two sons, one of whom had died three
years before the father, in California,
and the other of whom was still living
somewhere in Ohio. The only other re.
lation that could be traced was a neph.
ew, Jared Clarkson, about twenty-eight
years old, who was scapegrace, and
had lived for several years upon the
bounty of Mr.. Prineveau, but whose
whereabouts at the time of Mr.. Prime
veau's death could not be ascertained.
1t was shown that the deceased had
been man of singularly weak charac,
ter in the management of his estate;
that he gave away vast sums of money,
was easily frightened or cajoled, and
hot oil nc l,
vice and influence alone saved him from
many foolish speculations and mis-
fortunes in his old age. Among his
papers were found receipts for over one
hundred thousand dollars signed by I'M
known persons and covering the four
years Immediately preceding his death.
His relations with his wife had always
been of the most amiable and trustful
kind. None of the servants knew Of
his ever having quarreled with her.
Mrs. Prineveau looked after all his per-
sonal comforts, was continually solicit
tous about his health, accompanied
him everywhere, and bore the repu ia
ton of being q discreet domestic
woman with an obvious affection for
man who was twenty years her senior.
There was in his house on Fifth ave-
nue. a servant who had been with
them for five years-hcr name was
Rose Kenny, and she testified that
about a week before the murder Mr..
Prinevcau had been visited at night
by the nephew Garrison, whom she had
let in, and who was seen by Mr.. Prime
veau in the library, a small room in
the wing at the rear of the house.
From appearance she thought the man
had been drinking. He wore rough
and soiled overcoat and an imitation
astrakan cap pulled over his face.
He stayed over half an hour in the
library. and she heard him from the
front parlor speaking in loud and
angry tones. She admitted that she
had listened, and swore that she heard
him say: "Thon look out for yourself,
for you viii not live to accomplish it."
To which the old man in a soft voice
made some kind of appealing reply.
This was about ten o'clock at night,
and Mrs. Prineveau, who had gone to
II concert at Stcinway hall with a
party of friends, had not returned.
She came back at ten minutes of eleven.
and, upon making inquiries of the
maid, Rosy, learned these facts and
showed a good deal of Indignation be-
cause Mr.. Prineveau had been subject
cd to the annoyance of worthless and
reckless scapegracc.
Mrs. Prineveau herself corroborated
his statement explicitly. but could
give very little information about the
habits or antecedents of Garrison, ex-
cept that she had learned incidentally
from her husband that he was drunk
ard with wife and two children, and,
owing to his dissolute habits, had
never been able to take care OF himself
or his family.
1t was also learned that on the after
noon of the 18th of March Clarkson had
been seen by the coachman hanging
about the house, and the hall boy, who
had been sent on an errand, encoun-
tered him on the corner and was there
held in conversation By him, Clarl1son
asking him, among other things, if Mr..
Prineveau did not take drive usually
in the afternoons.
These bits of testimony led to the