The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-27
WEST SIDE EVENTS.
Sad Death of Miss Mary Jane Lewis
Causes an Assault and series
OF Conflicting Charges.

"Cansiderable excitement was caused
In the reighhorhood of Twelfth anu
Thirteenth street last night py the mr.
ing of two pistol shots at newspaper
vendor. II transpircd that the paper
sold by the young man cohtaihru y
criticism on the conduct of Richard
PHILLIPS and that The latter's sister en-
deayored to retaliate by means OF the
pistol. Fortunately both shots missed
their mark.
Tbus reads n note in one Of yester-
DAYS paper. Investigation proves that
there were no shots fired in that neigh
Lorhood on Saturday night. The orig
I'm of the report lies in the fact that
Mrs. Sarah Crew assaulted Patrick
Campbell, of the North End. Campbeil
was peddlng the Harrisburg Telegram
in which was an article regarding the
death of Miss Mary lane Lewis, when
was attributed 20 the periidy OF one
Richard Phillips. of Thirteenth street.
As Campbell went along he shouted
several of the strong phrases OF the
article. He made direct FOR Thirteehth
street, and there cried his wares. When
opposite, the Phillips home he was toid
mot to go oyf@ 4thcre.1 but the news
vendor whs bold. He -Hteredthe front
yard o, Bhillips, .hoRSe apd ShAute1,. 3
'9:aisiRptcd ~ a kbuHs viItam from
Thirteenth street" - - '..f
Then il was that Mrs Crew. a sister
to the. accused young man, came out
of the house and asked:
What are you saying ..
Campbell repeated his words and in
II taunting way added: And l can
prove it, too"
This angered Mrs. Crew and she
struck the news man in the face three
NI,n Ia. iS,o n
about 30 years of age. When a Tribune
reporter called at the Phillips home last
evening the family had not heard of the
considerable excitement"
In the house were several friends of
the parties concerned. Mrs. Crew and
her husband. Samuel Crew, live with
the Philipses. Mrs. Crew stated it was
: not his nephew, Richard Phillips. act
which caused the girls death. He said
that she had taken II drug which did
the terrible work and produced small
bottle as an evidence of the truth of
his statement.
The bottle was more than half filled
with u dark-red colored liquid.
This it was the girl took" said
Crew.
How do you know" queried the re-
porter.
For this reason" answered Crew, as
he held the drug in his hand. Il found
this bottle in my house. 1t was given
to my daughter by this Lewis girl
When ] discovered the bottle | de-
mandeG my daughter to tell me where
she had got it. She told me. and l then
asked Mary Jane Lewis where she had
obtained the drug. She said that she
had purchased it from a woman on
North Main avenue, Providence. This
'waS the seventh bottle she had bought
she said,. paying 81 for each bottle
Last Saturday ! took the drug t.
Koempers pharmacy, on the corner OF
Linden street and Washington avenue
Mr.. Koempel looked at and examined
the medicine. He asked me where
got it,; | told him. He seemed much
excited. and said that for the past thre,
years he had tried to discover who II
was that compounded the drug. Thre,
years ago Mr.. Koempel was shown b!
some one another bottle containing the
same drug. Upon analyzing the medi-
cine, he found that the compound was
of turpentine. Dutch drops oil of al.
mOnds and one other ingredient"
Mr.. Crew AYERS that Mr.. Koempel
the druggist, will proceed against the
North End woman for compoundinG
and selling the vile drug. He expressed
his willingness to prove conclusively
that Richard Phillips is not the villain
that he has been painted.
Alfred Lewis. father of the dead girl
was also seen last night by Tribun,
reporter He said that his daughter
confided to him and West Side minis
ter orrher death bed that Phillips wal
responsible for her condition.
There may be a series of counter ar
rests as a result of the trouble. Camp
bell, the news man, threatens to SUI
Mrs. Crew for assault and the Phillpse
say they will bring suit against tn
Harrisburg Telegram. Saturday night
as Mr.. Phillips. ST., was on Lackawan
ma avenue, he encountered Campbell
A fight was imminent, but Campbell
ran. Phillips following. The news ven
der escaped in the crowd near the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western sta
tiOn.