The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-11-03
wanted to use them. Both of these
letter were found in Phillips's pocket by
Coroner Rich.

EullllpS slstdrs duu VINO gave n6f uRtne
as Eva Thompson the following facts were
learned about the dead woman and her
husband. According to this story Mrs.
Phillips had met her husband some years
ago in one of the Boston theatres. At
that time Mrs. Phillips was taking
small parts in burlesque companies and
appearing in the choruses. Phillips was
photographer by trade, and fell in love
with Fannie Thompson. and about q
year ago the two " ere married. But for
some reason the pair did not get On we'll
together and having quarrelled, Mrs.
live longer with her husband. She had
obtained this engagement at the Palace
through friend, and the woman who
claims to be her sister had come down to
Portland with her to appear for few
weeks at Manager Littlefleld's 8 theatre.
The house at SO Pearl street, occupied
by Manager L'ttlefielo where Mrs.
Phillips and Eva Thompson lived is the
second house on the left hand side of
Pearl street below Federal, and only q
short distance from the house in which
another murder and suici de-that OF
Nettie Godfrey who was shot and killed
by George Young who afterwards killed
himself-ocourred last August. These
two tragedies are similar in many re-
spects and the fact that they occurred SO
near one another Ia q strange coinci-
denoe. The house is of brick and is q
very neat looking dwelling. Mana ger
Littlef1eld occupied the upper tenement
and William E. Brown lives In the lower
part OF the house. There are several
people residing In this houss besides Mr..
Brown and Manager Littlefield but none
of them seemed to know much about
Mrs. Phillips and Eva Thompson, who
occupied room on the second floor of
the house. The girls attended the
theatre performances regularly and had
little to say to any one living in the
house.
On Saturday night man appeared at
the Palace theatre and inquired for
Hattie Marston. He was told where the
woman was staying and after the per-
formance at the theatre was over he went
to SO Pearl street and found the woman.
She did not appear very glad to see him.
In fact she was much disconnected when
he appeared, but there was no row or
angry words between them, and they
treated one another as IL they had al
ways been rs thick as turtle doves, The
people in the house Of SO Pearl street
kOo thah kho or = I.
rived was the husband OF one of the girls
occupy ying the room up stairs. but be-
yond this nothing vas known about him.
Phillips, for 1t WAS he who had come
down to try and Induce his wife to re-
turn to Boston, passed Saturday and
Sunday nights out of the house, pre-
sumably at one of the hotels, but spent
most of his time with his wife ut her
room on Pearl street. Eva Thompson,
as she is called was with the couple a
great deal of the time, tut did not hear
them quarrelling any, and In fact
thought they got on very well together.
Yesterday Phillips and his wife were to-
gether about all day and at seven O'Clock
when Eva Thompson started for the
Palace theatre. Mrs. Phillips said that
she was going up to the theatre in a very
few minutes. When Eva Thompson left
the house Mrs. Phillips was seated in q
rocking chair near the window sewing
up rent In her brown sack, and her hus-
band was also in the room talking with
her. Neither Mrs. Phillips or her hus-
band seemed at all angry OF excited
when Eva Thompson left the house. On
the contrary they seemed to treat one an
other very well ana were talking pleas
antly together. just what occurred aftsr
Eva Thompson left that room no one
will ever know, but three hours after
wards when the woman returned home
she found both husband and wife dead
and cold.
Mrs. Phillips was due to arrive at the
Palacs theatre about eight O'Clock, but
at that hour she did nor put in an ap-
pearauce. Eva Thompson thought that
possibly Mrs. Phillips might have for
gotten or overlooked her engagement at
the Palace. and at the suggestion of
Manager Little1eld sent a boy to her
room to see what had become of the
woman. The hoy, whose name could
not be learned by the PRESS reporter
last night, went to Mrs. Phillips's
room as directed and after laundering by
mistake into the room of a man named
Libby who occupied the room next to
that of Mrs. Phillips's, was directed 10
the right room and Knocked on the door.
There was no response to his knock and
the boy pushed the door of the room
open. Mrs. Phillips was seated in q
rocking chair by the window, her head
tipped over the back of the chair and
resting on the top of q commode. In her
lap was the sack which she had been
sewing on when Eva Thompson left the
room, and on the finger of one hand was
the thimble, while in the other hand the
woman held needle threaded with black
thread. A lamp burned brightly on the
table near Mrs. Phillips, and all was