The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-15
FLusHINGs DEATH MYSTERY.

Seen for Year-Tells Conflicting
 Stories-Asserts That the Body is
 That of an Italian.
 New York, Aug. 14.-Mrs. Phoebe Wilson. who was arrested yesterday on suspicion of having murdered her aged husband, Edward Wilson, who disappeared early last Steptember, and whose badly decomposed body was found in an old cistern in the cellar of the Wilson house at Flushing, is still confined in cell in the town hall there She still stoutly protests her innocence, and declares that her arrest is an out rage
 The remains found in the cistern have been buried in the town poor ground pr. Maynard, who made an examina- ton of the skeleton, says that the bones were those of a man of small stature Wilson was small man. and the other circumstances surrounding the case seem to remove all doubt that the body found is that of Wilson.
 A crowd of curious persons were gathered this morning in front of the house in Pine street, where the ghastly body was unearthed. The building is a neglected looking structure of two stories, with long porch in front. Everything in it's immediate surround ings shows signs of disolation. Old boards and rubbish are piled up in the areaway and filth predominates. The lower part of the house is almost ob- scured from view from the sidewalk by vines and shrubbery.
 A lot of potted plants and flowers on the roof of the piazza shows that the woman had taste for the beautiful in spite of her eccentrieities. These are all that go to lend ray of brightness to the dingy habitation.
 Persons who have been quite intimate with Mrs. Wilson declare that she is in no sense of unbalanced mind but that she has such a disposition that all the neighbors feared her. For this reason she got her own way in the neighbor- hood. When she wished fruit or vege- tables that grew in her neighbors' gar- dens she would help herself to them and not.one dared to deny her the priv
 
 It was because of the fear of her that the neighbors had not before made complaint to the authorities based on their suspicious concerning Wilson's disappearance. 1t is said that Mrs. Wilson always entertained dislike for her husband and treated him accord ingly. She had paid no rent for the house in over two and one-half years, and the owner of the place would not order her out in the fear that she would carry out her threat to burn the house in such an event.
 The accused woman spent a quiet night in her cell, and slept as if she were not troubled over the terrible charge against her. This morning she talked freely with Mrs. Smith, wife of the janitor of the hall. She repeated the declaration which she made to Con- stable James Stanton yesterday that tthe body was that of an Italian. About this matter she refused to say any, thing further and pretends that she does not know how or when the body was placed in the cistern.
 The evidence already in possession of the authorities will suffice to have the woman held for the grand jury. l Wilson was carpenter, and was about sixty years old. For some time l prior tu his disappearance he was badly I crippled with infiammatory rheunla- tisni Mrs. Wilson is fifty years old Some persons Incline to the belief that l Wison9died a natural death, and that his wife secreted the body in the fear that she might be accused of his mur- l der, because of the trouble known by l the neighbors to have existed between I them
 ] Others believe that when he became l lielplessly III and a burden upon her she l in some way caused his death and hop l ed to hide the crime beneath the mur- l ky waters of the old cistern and the ! pile of boards and rubbish which she l placed over 1t.
 I She clings to the statement which 1 she made when first arrested, that hei husband is alive in California, where l he had gone for his health.
 The inquest will be held next Tues day. Meanwhile Constable Edward A 1 Slavin has charge of the investigation l A half-i rope was about the neck oi 1 the body when it was found, and rope l of similar character had evidently tied 1 the hands at the side of the body On one foot was what appeared to be the remains of a sock. Near the body were small fragments of cloth, apparently 1 the remains of what was once an un- l dershirt.
 ! It was the opinion of Dr. Maynard l who examined it for the purpose oi seeing if there were any marks of vio- l lence, that the body had been in the ! pool for at least a year.
 Wilson was seen by neighbors tc 1 come to the house last September He I was then crippled by rheumatism He I came home in a carriage. He was nev- I CT seen to leave the house after that.