The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-21
Coroner Carries Out Announced Intention Of
Having a Private Inquiry.
FOUR WITNESSES EXAMINED TODAY.
Mrs. Harriet Swaris, Jchn 0eYine and The Two
Servants In the PaImsr Residence Gave Tes-
ilmOny Nothing New Brought Out.

Coroner Hawkins is carrying out his
announced program of holding a secret
inquest relative to the death of Mrs.
Addie NJ. Palmer, whose husband, Amos
ID. Palmer, lanquishes in cell at the
Providence county Jail. upon the charge
of numbering her by shooting, at their
house in Edgewood. on the night of
Sunday. February II.
The inquiry began at o'clock in the
consultation chamber of the Town Hall
at Knightsvlle. Among the early call
ers were the press representatives and
Mr.. Rathbone Gardner. who is one OF
Palmer's counsel. Mr.. Gardner had
anticipated being permitted TO take the
testimony offered. and at the same time
watch his clients interests. but the COR
oner said may" gently, but with that
persuasive force which indicated that
no amount of argument would induce
him to change his mind. So Mr.. Gard
ner gracefully withdrew and left the
field to the reporters, who kicked their
heels On the floor of the lobby Of the
court room and watched for something
To drop.
The dripping were not many. neither
were they particularly entertaining.
They saw Mrs. Harriet Swarts, Joha
Devine, Mary Farrell. and the other
servants i'm the Palmer menage pass the
portals and heard the key click i'm the
lock as IL was turned from the other
side by Chief of Police Bigbee who
aided the coroner in upholding the dig
nifty of the law.
These were all the witnesses called
for today.
The other people under summons are
ten in number. and they are all the cor
x.yfII in it,1i in. nv
proceedings They are Drs. Hersey.
Longfellow and Perkins, Chief Bigbee.
two patrolmen detailed TO keep Palm
er i'm custody at the house and TO take
him to the knightsvile station, and Mr..
and Mrs. Fred Talbot and Mr.. and Mrs.
William j. Tully.
The last four were guests OF the
Palmers on the day of the shooting.
and were aiding them To celebrate the
eighth anniversary of their wedding
Mrs. Swarts was a neighbor of the
Palmers and was called i'm by one of the
servants before DR. Hersey the first
physician Palmer could reach by tele-
phone. arrived. She, the three servants.
DIR. Hersey, DIR. Perkins. and the police
will tell what Palmer said 10 them af-
ter the shooting. The Talbots and Tul-
lys will tell of the conduct of the Palm
ers during the afternoon and evening.
DR. Longfellow and presumably the
other doctors VIII describe the autopsy
and give the results thereof
Today nothing new was brought out.
II was literally case Of thrashing over
old straw. The authorities do not expect
any additional information because ev-
erybody told everything he or she could
at the house before Palmer was taken
To the loch-up.
The main feature of the inquest, out
side of the routine proof of death. who
were present, and the relations of the
palmers, that is whether peaceable.
disCordant or strained by reason of
jealousy, we'll founded, or based upon
Imagination. will be a careful arraign-
ing of all that Palmer said Immediately
after the shooting and up to the hour
he was placed in a cell at the county
Jail.
The secrecy observed is not based
upon any pull Palmer or his friends
may have had or may be believed to
have. Relatives of the dead wife, the
people who were at the house on the
fatal day, and others who think the
less said about the Palmers and who
were intimate with them, the better il
would be for all asked that the eVi-
dence be not made public, and Mr..
Hawkins has exercised his rights in the
premises. and that is the sum total of
the business.