The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-09-08
MARY BURNS SAD FATE
THERE VAS NOTHING IN THE CASE
 ITO WARRANT AN ARREST.

|
 The Three Young People Told Substanti-
 ally the Same Story-Johnson and Miss
 Abeles Talked for Publicatlou.-Their
 Story of the Sad Affair.
 CoronerMiX inquired yesterday morn- ing into the circumstances surround ing the death of Mary Burns, the young woman whose body was taken from the harbor at the docks of the New Haven steam SaWmill company on Chapel street Sunday evening. The young men who were in company with Miss Burns and her chum, Miss Annie Abeles, were identified yesterday morning as Charles s. Johnson, d clerk employed by Dillon & Douglas. of this city, and k. Ward Hillman of New York Hill- man was returning to New York yes- terday morning when accosted by Pa trolman Cannon and told that he was wanted to testify at the inquest of Cor oner Mix concerning the cause of the uedtH or Mary Burns.
 At the close of the testimony given by the three young people who were the last persons in company with the drowned girl, is was decided that no l evidence had been secured to hold any one responsible for her death.
 MT. Johnson was seen after the in 1 quest and had the following to say about the sad affair:
 My reputation in New Haven has always been good and am very sorry that my name should be connected with anything of this kind. It was simply very unfortunate. It might have happened to three hundred other l fellows in New Haven Sunday night I played the organ at Christ church on Sunday and in the evening took walk. MT, Hillman, who is the confidential clerk and cashier of the Barstow Stove company came up from New York to spend Sunday and Labor day with me, | We met these girls on Chapel street and I knew Miss Abeles. l introduced MT. IIlllman and we were both intro 1 duced to Miss Burns. had never met 1 her before In my life. Miss Abeles is a very ladylika young woman. We walked down Chapel street, and down by the sawmill one of the young ladies said that she wanted to go home. Miss Burns stated that she was tired and would wait for the car We went into the lumber yard and sat on pile of lumber. After staying there awhile we started to go to the car. We were only a little way from the sidewalk. The first thing knew I heard a splash and looking around saw that Miss Burns had fallen into the water, How she did it I don't know, I'm sure. It seems to me it must have been deliberate She had to walk about so far Qndi- eating a point fifteen or twenty feet distanD."
 Miss Abeles, who is much shocked by the accident, had the following account to give last evening: T went to Mary Burns house last night to call upon her, as I have frequently done before Mary was in her evening wrapper In response to my invitation to her to go out with me for walk she replied that if I would wait until she changed her dress she would be pleased to accom- pany me. We only intended to take a short stroll, and left Mary's house about 8 o'clock. Both of us were in good spirits Mary laughed and joked ali the way down town.
 "On Olive street we met Charles S. Johnson. I had previously had some acquaintance with him. He was &C., companied by his friend, whom he in- troduced to me as MT Hillman. I af- terward learned that the young mans name was R. Ward Hillman; also that he was from New York. It could not have been much over twenty minutes from the time We met these young men steam saw mill
 We went out on the dock and were standing there fer a time talking. Mary was not far from where I stood and was nearly behind me. All at once I heard a splash in the water. looked around but did not see Mary and realized that she had gone overboard Both of the young men heard the splash in the water and realized as quickly as l myself that something terrible had | happened. Neither of them could swim; at least they so told me. We were all very much frightened. There had been no scuffle or the dock, nor was Mary to my knowledge pushed overheard. I think she must have started toward us and accidentally dropped off.
 T did not see her after she fell nor did 1 try to discover her whereabouts: neither did the young men that were with me. We ran from the spot as soon as we could and nastened home. On the way the young men met another man and told him that girl had fallen off the dock and was probably drowned This man ran toward the spot we had just left.
 MT. Johnson and myself hurried home and went at once to Mrs. Burns house and told her the sad tidings o1 Mary's death. We were not with these young men great while that evening We had not met them by appointment The encounter was accidental. Mary and I were employed in the American Optical companys shop and were chunls. l am greatly overcome by this sad affair, which has shaken every nerve in my body
 q am at an utter loss to know why or how Mary should have gone over board. l did not see her fall nor stut her toe against any of the lumber. only heard the splash in the water anG seeing my friend gone knew that al