Evening star., 1898-06-27
HORTON CONFESSES
Admits Before Coroner That He
Killed Jane Nicholson.
PARTICULARS OF The CHASTITY CRIME
Jury Returns Verdict Holding the
Prisoner Responsible.
THE EVIDENCE SUBMITTED

IT was not conscious of what I had done
till I saw the woman with her throat cut,
was what ex-Policeman George William
Horton told the coroner's jury Saturday
afternoon at the inquest over the remains
of his victim, Mrs. Jane Nicholson, whom
he so brutally murdered Friday evening
in Armory Square. II did the work. he
said. Il don't ask any mercy; / deserve
my fate
The verdict Of the jury was:
I'VE, the jury, do find from the evidence
that Jane Nicholson came to her death
June "a. 1898, about O'Clock p.m., in the
reservation near AZ street and Missouri
avenue northwest, and that she died from
hemorrhage following wounds of the throat
inflicted by George w. Horton with pock-
ct knife. We find that the said George w.
Horton did willfully kill and murder the
said Jane Nicholson, and direct that he be
held for the action of the grand jury
The inquest was held at o'clock. When
the prisoner was brought in the room he
took a seat near the door, from where he
had to face the jury. He had recovered
some little from the feeling that he had
done noble deed, and showed more inter-
est than he had earlier in the day, although
he seemed to realize that nothing could
save him. During the giving of his testi-
mony his voice showed that the strain was
very severe. At times he had to stop talk
ing IN order to keep back the tears Early
in the morning visitors had been permit
ted TO see him, but later the heavy iron
doors leading to the cell room were locked
SO that the prisoner had time to reflect
upon the happenings of the previous tWen-
ty-four hours.
Deputy Coroner n Wftness
deputy Coroner Glazebrook was the first
witness called and he told the Jury of how
the woman's head had been almost severed
from her body. With the exception of
about an inch the wound extended entirely
around her neck. Witness counted four
teen wounds in all, some of them being on
her shoulder and hands. The knife he
thought must have been sharp as II had
cut e corset steel in addition to the flesh
and bone.
Two Eyewitnesses.
Archie Jacobs of No. IL Humboldt street.
Brooklyn. N. Y, and Nathaniel J. Davis of
liz Mckibbon street, the same city, were
also called and examined.
we were walking near the park" ths
nrst-named witness said, land 1 saw a wo-
man with her hands up and a man hacking
at her throat"
Did you hear ANYTHING said bo v.s
asked
Il heard the man say If you amt dead
yet. III finish you, was the answer
Witness said the groans of the woman
had attracted his attention
What did you do?'
I walked on to Pennsylvania avenue"
see him?'
Il think 1 would" he answered.
Look about the ROOM" said Coroner
Carr. "and see If he is here"
There he is,' said witness, pointing to
Horton.
The prisoner merely nodded to Indicate to
the witness that he had made no mistake
MI Davis gave similar testimony He
heard the man mutter something Just be-
fore he saw him using his knife What he
said witness could not understand
L was frightened" said witness, land
we hurried away"
Witness heard cries of Hang him. and
Lynch him.
DO you see the man here?"
TEers he is" answered witness. "And 4"
he added, 'he had blood on his hands"
Horizons Admission.
Horton" said the coroner, do you want
to say anything to the jury?'
Nothing to say except that I committed
the deed" he answered in a slow tone.
What actuated me 1 can't say. Under
what circumstances it was done, 1 can't
say We had no quarrel, nor did we have
any misunderstanding. We had agreed to
meet at $50 o'clock, and that's all'
He then related the circumstances of the
meeting, and told of their walk to the park,
Where they sat on one of the benches
handed her paper" he resumed, after
some hesitation, so she could read about
the Brooks murder. She scanned the naner
and handed it back"
The prisoner told of a brief conversation
they had In the park, and then related a
conversation with the woman two nights
before the killing. She then told him she
would not meet him again until she got a
pair of new shoes.
When you meet me again. he told her,
I'll give you money for the shoes"
The prisoner told of the parting Wednes-
day night, and then came down to the
meeting Friday night-their last meeting
We sat on the BENCH he said, "and 1
told her I didn't have quite enough money
TO get the shoes. told her to take what I
had and wait till could see her again, and
then / would put little more to it, Jane
said she would not wait, and that was all
of the conversation"
Then, resuming, he said that the woman
told hip she was sick and would have to
go to the hotel where she worked.
And, said Horton, Il told her she'd bet
ter go. / asked her when she was coming
out again, and she answered I'm never
coming out any more Those are the last
words heard her utter
Overcome by Emotion.
Here Horton almost broke down. and hs
said he could answer questions better than
he could tell the remainder of the story.
Did you kill this woman asked Juror
Garner.
II did" was Horton's answer.
why did you kill herr"
Il had no motive whatever"
Did she provoke you in any way?'
Not recently. We were the best of
friends. 1 can't tell which hand / struck
her with, and l have no recollection of
what happened before l saw her lying on
the ground with the gashes In her bleed
ing throat. When L what L had done,
l said. Janie, goodbye"
Had you been Drinking" asked juror
81 had taken three whiskies-three five
cent jiggers of whisky-and three beers
during the day." was the prisoners re-
sponse, but l was not drunk. Gentlemen,
/ was not drunk he repeated.
Horton declared he was not conscious of
what he had done before he saw the blood,
and concluded by saying:
II did the work gentlemen. I don't ask
any mercy. l deserve my fate"
The Prisoner Photographed.
This concluded the testimony and the
prisoner was led back to his cell. Before
the verdict had been written, Horton was
taken from his cell to the photographer 8.
On his way out he remarked that he wished
he were on his way to his execution instead
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