Evening star., 1898-03-04
Result Of the Inquest Over Body Of
Clara Slater.
HER HUSBAND ADs. KEgEER HELD
Pistol Discharged While the Men
Il
Engaged in Scuffle.
THE EVIDENCE ADDUcED

Ter, VINO was Killed during an ARRAY IN
Chester court yesterday, wss held in a
crowded room in Lieut.. Kelly's police sta
ton at noon today, -Four attorneys were
present representing the prisoners. Benja-
min Slater and Isaac Kenner, and half
dozen young physicians who had witnessed
the autopsy were also in attendance. Be-
fore the taking of testimony was begun
Attorney Jones said he thought there had
been a mistake about the attorneys in the
case. 1t was his idea that the father OF
enc of them had employed one set of at
tcrneys, while the prisoner had employed
arother set. The coroner said he was not
interested in any manner in the dispute
between counsel.
During the taking of testimony the men
sat side by side. and frequently conversed
and seemed much amused at some OF the
Incidents related. Kenner passed part Of
the fatal affair in which ne had partici-
ps ted. When the jury Lad heard the evil
dence Coroner Carr explained the law. The
Jury rendered a verdict to the ehect that
the woman's death tsulted from gun
shot wound. The shot was fired from
pistol in the hands Of both men while en-
gagged in q scuffie. The jury directed that
both men be hel1 for an investigation by
Result of the Autopsy.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook testified that
he made the autopsy this morning. In the
morgue he found the body Of a small col
cred woman fully dressed. Her clothing
was besmeared with blood. There was a
glance shot wound OF the left thumb. A
bullet hole in the woman's left breast was
found and the examination showed that the
bullet had passed between the third and
fourth ribs and penetrated the heart. He
found the bullet in the left ventricle of the
heart. The bullet, said witness, was per-
feet in shape and had not come In contact
with any hard substance. The two wounds,
he thought, had been made by the same
bullet. Death resulted from hemorrhage
following gunshot wound. In other re-,
spects, the doctor said, the woman gave
evidence OF remarkable health.
Mary Walker, a colored resident Of Ches-
ter court, was sworn.
Il don't know anything about the mur-
DER" she said. Il only helped to take the
woman in the house after she was shot"
What do you know about the peopIe?'
the coroner asked her.
Il know Mr.. Slater and Mr.. Kenner to be
hard-working gentlemen" she answered
but l didn't know the woman who was
killed.
Witness said Mr. Slater asked her to as
sist him In removing his wife. The woman
was unconscious, but she dill not think she
was dead
Were you there when she diedr'
NO Sir: left as soon as I helped to
take nef IN the house"
Were you the first one there?"
There were others there. but they didn't
seen to have heart enough to help"
The witness repeated that Ben Slater
asked her to help him. She did not see
Isaac Kenner.
Mamie keDner's Testimony.
Mamie E. Kenner. colored. wife of one
prisoner and sister Of the other, was next
examined. She testified that Wednes-
day she went out to work and had Mrs.
Slater dhe deceasetD prepare her hus-
bands dinner. At night when he returned
she and her husband had some words. He
asked her concerning her WORK During
this quarrel her husband smacked her
and Mrs. Slater remarked:
He thinks he's smart, showing Off be-
fore company"
Later on he returned to where she was
and ordered her out. She left, but return
ed about midnight, and slept on the sofa
The trouble was renewed yesterday morn
irg, she said, and her husband repeated
his order for her to leave. She had Mrs.
Slater go and look for room. She kissed
her husband several times before she went.
Soon after she returned the quarrel was
again renewed. and her brother suggested
that she and her husband kiss and make
up; o:1 Amt going to d. no ,,.s,n~ q. .,o to,,
him.
Her husband did not take her brothers
ADVICE Eut proceeded to assault her. She
said he hit and kicked her, and her brother
begged him to desist.
THE men ran for the revolver in the
Kitchen" said the witness, "and were
struggling for 1t when II went or"
who had the pistol?" the coroner asked
Both OF them had 1t.
Mrs. Slater, she said. ran out the door,
crying: "kenner you've shot me-"
When she reached the doorstep she cried:
Lord have mercy" and fell.
Her husband ran upstairs and said to
Mr.. White: Its all over now; Clara has
been shot"
Slater went for doctor When the men
separated her brother took the pistol up
stairs with him.
What did they want with the pistol?"
II guess to kill one another"
Mrs Kenner declared her belief that the
killing of her sister-in-law was ON acct
dent and told the jury that when her hus-
band was acting right he was as good q
man as there is living. The pistol was on
the shelf in the kitchen about two hours
before the shooting occurred. She could
not say Just when or by whom the pistol
was taken from the shelf. Several times
the witness repeated the statement that
the affair was accidental.
The Prisoners on the Stand.
The prisoner, Slater, testified that when
he went to the house yesterday he advised
Kenner and his wife to kiss and make up,
or do as he and his wife had done, separate.
When he had become convinced they were
going to separate and break up he got his
revolver to take 1t away. Kenner and his
wife renewed tine quarrel, the former
threatening to throw her down the steps
or out Of the window. When he got be-
tween Kenner and his wife he and Kenner
struggled. Kenner, he said, grabbed the
pistol from his pocket, but he (e'later) did
not think he was going, to shoot. They
were struggling for possession of the
weapon when X went on.
Kenner was then sworn and questioned
about the shooting. 4 He told of the trouble
he had had with his wife, and said Slater
was there as peaceIpaker. He said Slater
put his hand to his pocket to take out the
pistol and he grabbed it to prevent its be-