The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-09
FANNIE KELlEY'S DEATH.
A coroner's Jury Decides Il was caus.
ed by Shock. ~
VERDICT UNSATISFACTORY.
deputy States Attorney Orders Bert
Nrusty Ito lbe RELATIONSHIPS the a
, Evidence Strong Enough for
aCharge of Murder.

An inquest on the body of Fannie Kel-
Icy, cOlored, was held this morning
Deputy States Attorney Peter L. Coopes
represented the State aud JIG Walker an.
peared on behalf Of Bert Trusty, colored.
VINO was held pending the result Of the in.
Mrs Harriet Johnaon testified that on
last Monday night she heard talk between
thS dead woman and accused men,
Ihls was heard by her through the par-
gltioh' Then She heard the lamp fall
down the stairs and soon afterward heard
some one fall. Daniel Greeu went to tho
Wina gov anu then Witness heard Fanny
say I'm burned to death. Uncle Dan let
me in to Aunt HARRIET" We ran down
opened the door and took hcr in. Igaye
her 4 cup Of water.
Officers Peterson and Kelley were called
Went In next morning and saw the stair
steps where they had been burned and one
broken. There was little stand at the
head OF the stairs with some books and
and no fire upstairs.
Martha Duckery was with the deceased
and Lee huley. on Monday night. They
went to the shoot" at Front and Marker.
Had two glasses OF beer. Went to Mary
jeans house and got home about l.55 O..
clock. Deceased struck a match and saidl
'"They are all here" She lit a lamp and
uoho Wy s'aitni hearu uer say sOm0tnfu&
about giving Trusty money for a pair of
shoes and said sleep on for this is the last
-. night you'll be in this house. 49,;
Trusty replied you'd better 20 on and
let mo alone He then got up and looked
down stairs and said "Heigho." Five Oh
ton minutes afterwards heard the lamu
fall and then heard yell. Saw Fannie
run down stairs. She was all ablaze She
ran to the shed and set fire to paper on the
roof by her left hand which was ON fire.
When she was removed to Johnson's
house sho threw her arms about my neck
and said Oh, my, amt burned!
He threw the lamp at me and I lodged
1t. Then he throwed me Ia the fire; saw
cut on her thigs. The wound was fresh
and lying open. Her clothes were burned
OIL her. Trusty came down stairs with his
clothes under his arm and ran away. Ice
Ruley gave similar testimony. He was
sitting down stairs with the last witness.
Daniel Green deposed to seeing the woman
on fire. Put out the blaze and took her
on the settee.
DR.. Miller deposed he had been called to
the house and ordered the removal of the
woman to the Delaware Hospital.
Dr. John Palmer deposed that the wo-
man had boon severely burned about the
legs, arm and neck. She died from shock
incidental to burns received. He found a
cut u OF on inch long by ~ inches in
depth on her right thigh. There were
several small pieces OF glass In it. She
could have received the cut by going down
straight on tho broken glass.
At this point the jury accompanied by
the prisoner who walked between officers
Scott and Pierce went to the scene of the
alleged homicide. The house consisted Of
two small rooms and II shed. On the first!
floor was the remnants of the quilt which,
had been wrapped around tho burningi
WoE1an.
On the second floor was an old mattress
and some papers on the floor. The third
step from the top of the stairs had a small
piece broken off and four steps were satur.
ated with coal OIL
The witness, buckley, was recalled and
deposed that every hing was just as loft
on the night Of tho rtfair.
The jury returned to thei: room at Thea
mnrgue aud returned the following veR3i
dict:
Resolved That Fannio Kelley came to
her death in Wilmington Hundred on
April 6, 1898 from shock incidental TOT
burns received at No 8 Lord street. Oh
April 5, 1898.
Deputy States Attorney Cooper was
dissatisfied with the verdict. lie felt that
the evidence was strong enough to present
for q murder case in second degree Ward
was accordingly sent tu the Eolice station
not to release Trusty. .-,-~