The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-10
KILLED FOR MONEY.
Widow Harmon Murdered in Her
Dingy Junk Shop.
Her Sjayers Expected to Secure HeI
Insurance Money.

New York, March 10-Mrs. Elizabeth
Harmon, widow, was found dead yester-
day in her dingy junk shop at No. 233
Kent avenue Brooklyn, with her skull
crushed in. She had been murdered dur
ing the night by somebody who evidently
expected to find a large sum OF money in
the shop.
1t was supposed in the neighborhood
that the widow had just received 5000, for
which amount her husbands life had been
insured He died last August.
Everybody in the neighborhood believed
that Mrs Harmon was in the habit of
too. lf she did, the murderer or murderers
took it away. They We're wrong in the
supposition that she had received the in
surance money, however. 1t was to have
been paid yesterday.
Three men are locked up in the Bedford
avenue police station. They arc suspected
of knowing something about how Mrs.
Harmon met her fate, but the police have
no positive evidence against any of the
men, although one will have TO give bet
ter explanation of blood stains on his hand
than he does at present.
Mrs. Harmon occupied the ground floor
and was well known in the neighbor-
hood. The shop was in the front and q
kitchen and bedroom in the rear. She
lived alone for the last three weeks. Be
fore that she employed Charles Kelly to
assist in the shop. He slept i'm the place.
Kelly left the woman, he says because
she had grown irritable He went TO live
i'm furnished room ut 12l North Fourth
street.
When a milkman called at Mrs. Han
mons store yesterday morning he found
the place locked, something unusual.
He spoke TO Mrs. Mary Schepp the owner
of the building who lives in an adjoining
house. Mrs. Schepp knocked loudly on
the shop door but got no response. Then
to notify Mrs. Mary Kelly, Mrs. lannon's =
sister, who lives at l25 Canal street, this
city.
Mrs. Kelly reached the house about II
O'Clock She instructed Soifert To climb
through n rear window and slip the spring
lock ON the rear door. He did SO, and
Mrs. Kelly Mrs. Schcpp and Mrs. Mar
above the junk shop, entered.
Near the store door and To one side, in
an inclosure containing old rope was a
barrel OF old iron, behind which they found
the body of Mrs. Harmon. She was
lying on her side with her head resting
crushed in. 1t was evident that she had
been beaten with an iron bar or n club.
Mrs. Harmon was fully dressed, except
that she had on only one shoe. Her
clothing was disarranged, and had evil
IDENTIFY been thoroughly searched. The
rooms, too had been ransackod. An old
trunk had been broken open and the mat
tress aud pillows had been tossed on the
floor. Boxes had been taken from shelves
over the bed and their contents scattered
about. A small black walnut desk had
been broken open and searched, too.
The police learned that Charles Kelly
was seen i'm the shop at O'Clock Monday
night. He has been arrested
Captain Short OF the Bedford avenue
station, has two witnesses against Kelly,
whose names he did not want TO give out
last night. One of these lives in the house
where Mrs. Harmon lived. This man
was standing at the street door with u
friend at half-past ten O'Clock on Monday
night. The men say that Kelly suddenly
ierkcd open the door and left the house
He walked up tho street and entered a
hallway two or three doors above. They
called at the station last night and identi-
fed Kelly as the man who left the house
Kelly still insists that he left the house
az four O'Clock In the afternoon.
The police also learned that Charles Sam
mon, n son of Mrs. Sammon, had not bcen
home on Monday night He was found
intoxicated yesterday morning i'm the
neighbOrhood and placed under arrest.
Hclold contradictory stories when he be-
came sober. He says that he finally went
down TO the foot of South First street, and
slept ON board the lighter Monitor
While talking To Sammon, Coroner
Mason noticed "a dark stain on his left
thumb
Whats thatY" asked the coroner.
"Only dirt" F" answered Sammon.
"Why it's blood ~ declared the coroner.
ooh. yes, hurt my thumb several days
ago. said the follow.
The coroner felt sure that the blood had
not been there long
Sammon's thumb nail was scrapcd
The dirt was saved and will be examined
Sammon and Kelly will I've arrai9ned I'm
the Leo avenue police court this morning
"a will also Charles Seifcrt the young man
who climbed I'm tho window of the mur-
dcrcd woinan's appointments and opened
the door. After Kelly had left the store
Hannon-