The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-24

shelves was hardly blackened. On the
other side of the closet was "A curtain par
TALLY burned and also towel sus-
pended from roller. The glass OF the
closet window was cracked by the heat
and the paint on the door which was
closed as far as the head of the dead
woman would allow, was blistercd, and
tho side of the flour barrel against
which the body was pinned was slightly
charred. There was no evidence OF scorch-
ing up and down the wall between the
prostrated body and the burned towel and
curtain.
A large pail of water was in the kitchen
within "A few feet of the closet door but
that had not been resorted To.
The mystery is that If HonorahHennesSy
was accidently burned to death and with
no one else in the room how did the dry
wood work and greasy paper escape with
nothing more than slight charringy
The police have asked that question, but
can find no reasonable answer.
On the other hand the supposition Is
that there had been quarrel between
Hanorah and someone who had grudge
against her and that she got the worst OF
it, and further that the fire was an after
thought with the assailant who went to
work with "a cunning and shrewdness sug-
gestive of insanity.
The applying of the match to the cloth
ing of the victim and watching the same
until the waist and skirts were reduced
to ashes, and then the careful burning OF
the shelf paper, just enough to create a
false impression when the police should
come, is horrible idea and not that of
sane man, no matter how brutal
Quarrel of the Sisters.
Honorah was one of four sisters. She
was married 30 years ago to James Hen
Messy The other three, Mary, Nellie
and Bridget, McCartin, are still spinsters
and have never approved the action of the
other in surrendering her maiden name.
The spinsters and the wife were not on
very good terms and so far as Nellie was
concerned there had been no recognition
for the last four years, although she and
Honorah lived under the same roof and
nothing but an inch of plaster separated
the apartments in which they spent the
greater part of their lives.
The three sisters were all interviewed
this morning, although Nellie did most
of the talking while Mary urged her not
TO lose control of herself and Bridget
threw in enough side remarks to show
that, although living together, she and
Nellie had quarrels of their own.
Nsllie's Vivid Story.
Miss Nellie McCartin says that four
years ago she came home from where she
had been working as a servant and was
met at the front door by Mrs Hennessy,
who refused to let her come into the tene-
ment or to leave her trunk there. For two
years the trunk was stored at a weekly
cost of % cents to Nellie, and the latter
was not fully reinstated in the house
until after the intervention of the Oldest
sister, Mary.
Nellie and Honorah had not spoken to
each other since the unfriendly meeting
at the front door and the spinster had
broodcd over the matter ever since its oc-
currence.
Today she was extremely violont in her
denunciation of the husband and her
story of the tragedy was "a vivid one.
she told OF the manner in which her
sister had met her death in as startling "A
manner as that of n mind reader who ap-
peared here in Infantry Hall several years
ago, and created a sensation by describing
the murder of Emily Chambers in car
fiage on the Scituate Pike, before the
arrest of Lawrence kcegan.
Nellie was talking To an audience of
officers and reporters crowded into her
small kitchen. She told of the piercing
scream heard yesterday afternoon in the
other room and then suited her action
To her word by raising both hands and
shrieking herself.
The sister Bridget interrupted here
and said she didn't hear any scream.
Then Nellie went on and told how
Honorah had been killed. She crouched
down on the floor herself and cried, My
sister was on her knees this way and her
husband killed her. -
Bridget interrupted again and said that
Nellie killed her with her talk and then
the two sisters had wrangle between
themselves.
Nellie screamed You call mo pig and
COW and horse, " and Bridget laughed
ut her
In conclusion Nellie denounced James
Hennossy again and said that he ought to
DO burned to doath on an electric light
pole and that the bedding and clothing
owned 10y her dead sister must come To
her.
The autopsy was held at o'clock this
afternoon.