The San Francisco call., 1899-02-10
MRS. REGAN'S
VILE STORY OF
THE KILLING
Describes Her Fight
With Kennedy.
He WAS SHOT IN A ROW
BOTH STRUGGLING FOR POSSES
SION OF A PISTOL.
Disgusting Tale of Vulgarity and
Vice Is Recited by the Alleged
Murderess on the Witness
Stand.

Mrs. Elizabeth Regan continued her tes-
timony in Judge Graham's court yester-
day and described the killing of Police
man Thomas H. Kennedy in her house
on January u. She declared that, al
though she did not dislike him, she had
ceased to love the man she claimed had
promised to marry her long previous to
that time, and strenuously contended. that
she had no motive in causing his death.
She said she had continued to tolerate his
presence because she feared him, even
though she defied him whenever he
showed a disposition to be ugly.
Almost in the same breath the woman
who is accused of numbering her lover
because he was about to sever his rela-
tions with her told how he had shed tears
copiously on the slightest provocation,
and said she could make him cry by sim
ply raising her finger at him. She denied
that he had informed her that he intended
to marry another woman, and swore she
had never heard of Miss Sohrman until
questioned about her by reporter for
The Call after her arrest and confinement
in the City Prison. She admitted that
she had continued to receive Kennedy at
her house at all hours of the day and
night up to the time or the tragedy, al
though their relations of intimacy had
practically ceased in November of last
year.
Mrs. Regan was on the stand all day,
anu lOlQ the SLOTy Oh neE TeldIONS Win
Kennedy, including their frequent quar-
rels from the time they first became ac-
quainted up to the time of his death, even
TO the minutest revolving detail so far as
her memory served her, and concluding
with a recital Of the events leading up TO
the final act in the disgusting drama.
repeating the language which she alleged
he was accustomed TO use in addressing
her, and the vileness of the recital caused
even the barnacled court habitues to
blush. She barred her shame to the world
and did not falter until late in the after
noon, when under the merciess cross
examination of Attorney Barrett her
nerve failed her and a few tears found
their way to her eyes. But she stuck to
when court adjourned, but. the cross-ex-
animation will be completed to-day.
The courtroom was well filled when the
hearing was resumed in the morning, a
fair sprinkling of women being among the
spectators attracted by the expectation
of hearing the story of the crime from
the lips of the defendant, together with
the spicy details of her previous life. The
exhibition probably fully equaled their
expectations, but the testimony as given
is unprintable.
Mrs Regan resumed where she left off
the day before and in answer to questions
put to her by Attorney Long said Ken
nedy had never mentioned Miss Sohr-
mans name to her. Kennedy, she. said,
came to her house on the evening of Sun
day, January u, the day before he was
killed. She was in the kitchen preparing
supper. He came up behind her and said:
Liz. 1 am the biggest - in town
Then he commenced to cry. He was al
ways crying" continued the witness. He
sat down by the kitchen table and l went
over and put my arms around him and
asked him what was the matter.
That - = old hen is continually
throwing her daughter in my way, and
you know the result
Il told him to do what was right by
her. He said he knew he had not treated
me right and when | said that was moth
ing new he got mad and began to abuse
Mrs. Regan said Kennedy dried his
tears and left the house soon after. He
came back the next morning (Monday) at
he took his shoes off in the kitchen so
as not to awaken her sister and little
daughter who were sleeping. He went to
to her own bed, where she remained
about fifteen minutes and then arose to
prepare breakfast. After her sister and
daughter had left the house Kennedy
called to her and she went to his room.
He began to abuse her and she left. A
few minutes later, she thought 1t was
about $50 a. M, she looked in and he was
sound asleep. Kennedy got up at about
80 p. m. and came into the dining room,
where she was, and Immediately began
Quarreling.
"Finally he threatened to fill me full of
holes or full of lead testified the wit
ness, land 1 said: You are too big a
coward to do that. You stood by while a
DTdNe uldH " DIS Stipl QSIeIIlIlS 10 the KILL
ing of Police Lieutenant Burke). That
made him mad and he rushed back into
McDevitt's room and grabbed his revolv-
er, which was lying on the bureau, and
started toward me. l told him if he came
at me l would let him have it,
Have what? What did you mean by
that?" asked Attorney Barrett, but the
witness could not give lucid explanation
of the meaning Of the phrase as used by
her.
She then described how she grabbed the
pistol and wrestled around the room with
Kennedy, oyerturning chairs and tables.
Her sister, Mrs. Deane, came IN and she
cried:
''For Gods sake, Annie, come and help
me; Kennedy is killing me-"
Annie ran over to the house of Mrs
Johnson. another sister. and told her
into the house and said something which