The evening times., 1897-03-29
MRS. IRWIN VISITS WAYS|DE
Widow of George Matthews Vic
tim Returns to Her Home.
TALKS FREELY OF THE CRIME
Declares She Did Not Know Mat
thews Intended TO Kill Her HuS.
band or He Would Have Had Il
XIII Her First-Does Not Fear
Public Opinion.

Pope's Creek, Nd, March 80. Mrs Emma
Irwin, widow of James J. Irwin, for whose
murder George Matthews was hanged at
La Plata, on the 18th of this month, Ie-
turned to Charles county Saturday, and
is now at Pope's Creek, with her brother,
Lorenzo Jackson. She came down by the
10 O'Clock train Saturday morning and
was not generally recognized until she
reached La Plata, although she was sitting
in a car with people who had known her
from her childhood. She was dressed in
very stylish black and heavily veiled. When
La Plata was reached, no wever, she could
not resist the temptation of raising her
veil and giving a smile to some Of her old
friends who were at the station, as is Usual,
waiting for the train.
She was Immediately recognized by sew
eral people who knew her and the news
soon spread. At every succeeding station
on the road the good people OF Charles
county were informed by some one of the
passengers that Mrs. Irwin was on the
train. A reporter who had rec
ognized her at Bowie and made the trip
with her to Pope's Greek, talked with her
about the muder of her husband and the
hanging of Matthews.
Don't you think you are running some
risk in returning to Charles county?''
Il am not afraid Of anyone hurting me.''
s'Do you know there is considerable feel
ing against your returning to the county,
as you could have seen by the papers?''
"Oh, yes, you can see lots in the papers.
The papers said knew ali about the killing
of jim. but / didn't. / am returning to
Charles county on business. Lam not going
to live here, and will only stay a week or
two. I want to get away and want to have
my children away. That is what 1 am go
ing down for now. I don't think there is
much feeling against me- | have friends at
home, and good friends, too. They write
me to come, and am going and no one is
goin & to trouble me. The papers aid was
to be notified not to return after my trial.
Ali taxi They said the other day that 1
was living in Baltimore with a brother who
kept q saloon on Cross street. / have no
brother that keeps a saloon in Baltimore,
and was never ON Cross street in my life.
/ came from Philadelphia four days ago to
Baltimore and left Calvert station ut 7:30
Saturday morning. I have been stay
ing in Philadelphia nearly all the time since
the trial.
"How was it that Matthews did not
testify against you?"
HE had nothing that he could say about
me-"
Ibid you know that he was coming to
kill your husband?"
mo, j did not; il I had known it he
would have had to kill me first
Then, there was no truth in what he
said when he stated that you and your
sister told him he had better look out for
Jim when you saw him on Friday before
the murtier?"
mo; my sister did not talk to him at
all. She had her children with her, and
he and 1 were in the woods together. /
will acknowledge my wrongdoing in going
with Matthews, but 1 did not have any
thing to do with his numbering my hus-
hand 1 did not dream of such a thing"
Where were you Swhen he shot your
husband; did you know he was in the house?"
II didn't know he was in the house You
know. Jim and had been to Cedar Point
lndl SuDbdy HnuSJOppeu dJ III DrOtneF SIOr
supper / wanted TO stay there all nigh t, but
jim said, No; we have to go home We
reached home after dark Jim took the
horse out and went to put him away. got
into the house by the window-the one they
say Matthews gotin-which had the tobacco
stick under it. / did not.see it. We all had
to get in and out of this window when we
went away. One OF the children lost the
doorkey, and we had to latch thedooron the
inside and get out OF the window when we
went away. l got in by the window and
went upstairs. Jim got in by the same
way when he came, and we went to bed,
leaving the lamp burning. We were tired
and soon went to sleep. The next thing l
remember was hearing an awful noise; it
sounded awful loud and kind ofstunned me-
/ jumped up in bed and called Jim and
grabbed him. He did not move | then
grabbed for his head to shake him, ard put
my ha nd in the blood. Justthen he groaned
I suppose he was dying then. jumped out
of bed overthe top ofhim, a ndthe child hung
on TO my nightgown. i ran and halIooed
1 think Matthews must have left the house
when L halooed, as remembered hearing !
tue window COUP or down with slam. The