The San Francisco call., 1899-06-18
Suspicious Conduct Of
Her Relatives.
THEY ASKED NO QUESTIONS
A SIGNIFICANT QUARREL BE-
TWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE.
Her Letter to Friend Harshman Evi.
IDENTIFY the Provocation for a
Fatal Dispute Between
the Couple.

A Coroner's jury rendered a verdict yes
terday charging Mrs Frank Parry with
manslaughter. They believed from the
evidence that she and her husband quar-
relied last Monday evening over letter
which Mrs. Parry sand that she was going
20 send TO a man named Harshman ana
which her husband forbade her to send,
and that after he slapped her face she
shot him. Parry died last Thursday from
the wound. after making dying state
ment to the effect that while he was try
ing to take a pistol away from his wife
the weapon was accidentally discharged
and he was shot. He added that nobody
was to blame for his death.
The Coroner and the jury did not be
lieve the dying mans statment because of
the suspicious actions of the wife and
other relatives Of the deceased and the
improbable stories which they told. Po-
lice Officers Henry l.. Folsom, c. j. Jo-
seph. j. A. Feeney ana J. Fitzgerald told
the jury that they had considerable
trouble in getting into the house, l07 Guer-
zero street. and that they had found a
disposition on the part Of the relatives to
conceal the circumstances attending the
crime The most important witness at the
inquest was Druggist Charles H Hammt.
whose store is at 20O0 Market street Mr..
Hammit swore that on the evening of the
shooting Mrs. Parry came to his store
considerably agitated and weeping and
informed him that her husband had been
shot and that she wanted Hammit to at
tend to his injuries. Upon his inquiring
the cause she replied that Parry had
slapped her face and then shot himself.
The police officers and others were told
that the pistol had been accidentally dis
charged while Parry was trying TO take
the weapon out of her hand.
Mrs Parry. yelled and in deep mourn
ing, took the oath in tears, and fell into a
lit OF weeping at the close OF her teSti-
mony. She said that Al supper table she
had informed her husband that she had
written a letter addressed to the man
Harshman. who had been a visitor at the
house and whom she claimed as d distant
relative. and that she was going to send
it 10 him. Her husband forbade her 10 do
SO, and they Went upstairs. She allowed
him 70 look at the letter and he tore it
into pieces
After they had talked the matter over
for about half an hour she remembered
thai her stepfather William Van Nalken-
burg. wanted his pistol, which was in the
bureau drawer, where she had placed it
about two weeks before after cleaning it
at his request. Telling her husband that
she was going to take the pistol to her
Stepfather, who Was in the back yard
playing with a pup log she took the fire
band demonstrated with her on the
ground that She might hurt herself, but
she replied that there was no fear that
she had handled guns before. u pom her
refusing To lay down The pistol. he seized
hold of il. and before ne could get il away
from her II was discharged. She positive
ly denied that she told Hammit or any
body else that her husband had slapped
her
William Van Nalkenburg. the step
father. whose business Is route rider for
the Great Eastern Milk Company swore
that he went into the house after he
heard the shot and met Mrs. Parry com
iGG downstairs very much excited. with
the revolver in her hand He took the
weapon away from her and went on his
bicycle for a surgeon. He never asked
her any questions.
Mrs. Anna Van Nalhenburg wife Of the
preceding witness and mother of Mrs,
Parry heard the shot and shortly after
ward heard Parry calling her, Mamma
come here; I'm shot When she reached
the room Parry was holding on to the
door and her daughter had disappeared
Her daughter told her afterward that the
shot was accidental.
Mrs. Parry was at once placed under
surveillance by the detectives. Later in
the Gay her counsel. Knight & Heggcrty.
asked that the arrest be deferred until
after the funeral tomorrow afternoon.
Mrs. Parry was released from prison at
s o'clock last evening on $1,000 bonds ac-
cepted by Judge Graham. She en-
uhaucally refused TO discuss the shooting
except To say that her innocence would
be established at the preliminary eXami-
nation in the Police Court