Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-02
DEATH BY VIOLENCE
The Result of the Autopsy in
Nellie Fuller's Case.
TWO MEN UNDER ARREST,
A Mystery Which the Police Are
Trying to Solve
Which Has to Do With the Death of a
Young Woman Found Badly Wounded
and Unconscious in Salem
Street Tenement.


Nellie Fuller, wife of George Fuller,
about % years of age, died at the City
Hospital Saturday mbrning, from
causes which led the police to believe
that manslaughter or perhaps murder
had been committed. The woman was
taken 80 the hospital about o'clock
from the tenement of John Carni, 6S
Salem street. She was unconscious and
was bleeding from wound in the head.
At the hospital she remained uncon-
scious until about 30 o'clock, when
she died, not having regained conscious
ness. Upon the notification of her
death, Inspector Stone placed Carni
and Charles w. Page under arrest on
the charge of assault. The men were
taken to the police station when the
woman was removed to the hospital,
but were not locked up until it was
learned that she was dead The
theory of the police is that Carni and
possibly both men are responsible for
the death. This theory was based prin-
cipally upon the improbability of the
explanation for the woman's presence
in Carnis tenement as given by that
man. After the woman's death an au-
topsy was held upon the remains, and it
was determined that death was due to
violence. Whether or not the violence
was at the hands of the two men under
arrest, is not definitely settled yet, but
Inspector Stone who is at work upon
the case, viii endeavor to establish the
guilt, if there is any.
City Physician w. I. Clark summoned
the police ambulance to the house 6S
Salem street about O'clock Saturday
morning The house is part of the big
Arlington block, which faces on Salem,
Myrtle and Orange streets, and con-
tains about rs families. In the basement
at 68 Salem street .Tohn Carni lived
alone and it was tc this place the am
bulance was caled The woman, whose
name was given as Nellie Fitz," was
placed in the ambulance and taken to
the hospital. Carnis story, which had
been told to DR.. Clark, appeared I'M
true, and Carni and Page who was in
the house at the time, We're taken to
Station l. There Carni related his
story, which Substantially is as fol-
lows:
Some time about o'clock Friday
morning, he was awakened by loud
groans and meanings from an alleyway
which leads from Myrtle street to the
open quadrangle formed by the three
sides Of the building. He went to see
what the trouble was, and found the
Fuller woman lying on the concrete
walk. She was grooming, and he sup
posed she was in a drunken stupor, as
she had been known to drink heavily at
times Carni picked her up and placed
her on a blanket on the kitchen floor.
He then put a pillow under her head
and then returned to his bed. About
6.15 o'clock he arose and noticed that
the woman was as he had left her. Sup
posing that she was still under the in
duence of liquor, he prepared to go to
work, and at g. As o'clock left the house.
He left the woman lying on the floor
and did not think anything of it, as she
had been a frequent visitor at the house.
He is employed at the belt mandatory
of ]. f. & c. G.. Warren, at 151 Front
street, He worked there the greater
part of Friday morning, leaving about
II o'clock. He went to the house and,
finding the woman in the same position
and condition, became alarmed and
went out to find his friend Page. He
called at the latters house in High
street court, but Pages wife said her
husband had not yet come to dinner,
and Carni started out to find him.
Page was met on High street and he
went to the Salem street house with
Carni. The Fuller woman was as she
had lain since she was brought into the
house. Both men staid in the house
until evening, when Page went to his
supper. He returned Immediately, and
both remained in the house until about
II o'clock Friday night, During the
evening, Carni claimed he removed a
handkerchief from the throat of the
woman, and was surprised to see blood
upon it, 1t was the first indication of
bleeding he had seen, although the wo-
man had been in the house at that time
about Is hours. At midnight the men
became alarmed over the woman's con-
dition, and were of the belief that it
was something more serious than
drunken stupor which was affecting
her.
1t was decided to call physician, and
DIR. George A. Jordan of SO Myrtle
street was summoned. He believed it a
case for the city physician, and conse-
quently DR.. W. T. Clark was called. Dr.
Clark declared the woman in a serious
condition and ordeHsG her transfer to
the City Hospital
The police decided to investigate the
story and Officer Andrew Harper
brought them into the station shortly
before o'clock.
Carni related his story to Capt Mat
thews and Inspector Stone, aEd the
latter was detailed to look up the case
He worked upon it an day and part OF
the time he was assisted by Inspector
Fisher From the discoveries made by
inspector Stone the police are led to
discredit many OF CarnTs statements
He went to the Carni tenement and ex-
amined the locality where Carni claimed
the woman was found. He found that
the alley was in the rear of Ca Tvs tene-
ment and separated from the room in
which the man slept by o heavy brick
WALL hallway and kitchen. Carni
claimed he heard meanings but people
living in the block who We're closer to
the spot where II was claimed
the woman was fund did not
hear any unus tai noise Friday morn
Ing. Inspector Stone called upon the
Rich family, whose bedrooms face upon
the alley. In the family are George
Rich, his wife, Rose, and his sister
Mary. They aid not retire until 11.45
o'clock Friday night. and up to that
time everything was quiet Nothing