New-York tribune., 1901-02-15
MINNOCK TELLS HIS STORY
DESCRIBES II DETAIL ALLEGED AS
SAULT on HILLIARD.

cREDIBTLTTY OF THE WITNESS ATTACKED
BY AIR. wELINIAN. OF COUNSEL
FOR THE DEFENCE
In the trial Of Jesse r. Davis a Bellevue Hospital
nurse. charged with killing Louis II. Iiillisrd.
patient the prosecution put what is considered 10
ne its most damaging witness upon the stand YES
ferday. He Thomas 7. Mirnock. who was in
the hospital the time of tho alleged assault by
Davis upon Hilliard Minnock had gained access
10 the hospital as pretended patient but his real
purpose get material for a story sell TO
Newspaper. On crass-sNaminaiion he confessed
thar stories which he had previously written for
newspapers were fictitious. though purportine %
he true. He also admitted that in statements
which he msde 10 the Coroner who held the inquest
on Hiriards body he, the witness forgot 10
mention one Of the most graphic and horrible in
Nidenfs Of the story which he now tells. and also
that his account of another part Of the alleged
ssult Hillisrd only partly true.
The is being tried in Part II Of General Ses-
sions. before Judge Cowing Assistant District
Attorney Franklin Pierce has charge Of the
prosecution. Francis l. Welman. Charles Simms
and II. B. Anderson counsel for Davis The
examination Of Minnock conducted by Mr..
Pierce as follows
o.--Dld you see Filliard when he entered the
o-was Davis there then? A.-No Dean was
acting head in his place
oIWhst nurses Were with Dean? A.-Marshan
9mMhat q time DID you ge up on Wednesday? A
aelNten ~ and Y O'Clock
,0-Mhe We're me nurses that day? A-Davis.
.o-Did you see HilHard at the dinner table.
Q-Did he eat? Ale ate little
Q-After dinner what occurred? A lot oc-
CURED before dinner.
Q-what occurred before dinner? A-superin-
tendent O'Rourke came in and made the rounds
with Davis. He noticed Hillard and said: You
said Hiiard. y have been Scratched Before
S ts 9Gt 4 go5 az ] ne pauen5s on me benches and
moutns & or say anyt hing about your treatment here
boay Else nao anythinE 10 say | said | would give
80 Pi ale N toa @ mem was sreai ITlena OF
system OF gambling. After dinner DR.. Wildman
psrisnt = here wdman said; "wen Teu Know Know
what 70 DO with him Davis said: I'VE did. and
81 don't seem 10 do any good"
Q-Did you observe any violence on the part OF
Q.-what was he doinge Ale was walking up
aqS "a qo%n 1%d ena % %9S ,s Tery restless ~ t.t,,.ra
part that would admit Of his conduct being cha'-
scterized violent?
Mr.. wellman objected, and the question was with
drawn. Mnnock resumed his testimony, saying:
on the afternoon Of December p was ordered
came. He saw Mrs. Hilliard when She came TO
sfs i heT ON husband G mo o T b ne me Pay PHSp
then sat down on bench Al After I Or Fitch M ., le5t
room and stayed there a quarter of an hour. Then
he came out and sat down on the table. He was
over and ne slept about an hour
n TELLS Or CHOKING WITH SHEET.
Minnock Their showed on a diagram where the
table placed for supper and where he and
Hillard the end OF the table opposite
each other. and then continued his evidence
follows:
Hiliard was ordered several times by Dean and
There was apple sauce, crackers and tea He was
ordered BY Marshall TO eat Davis was in the Office
Mershall said. GO on. eat your supper. DO you
went what you got last nght?" Hiard said in a
what he won'ii eStP Damn him viii make him
cat" and hit Hilliard on The head iillisrd arose
Marshall. They grabbed him and Davis came alons
on srds breast to and @ grabbed RiisTd BY the
throat and held him there about two minutes while
began to KICK Davis Sun with 7 one hana Ia & on s his
hand from billiards throat and said:
viii YOU eat now Iiilliard replied No no no
cat Go get sheet Some one got a sheet and
Ssn tang R1i 6 he saa w You aId
gasped Amt you ashamed; ain't you aShamedE
said, Give him chance"
put the sheet again around Hilliard's throat and
hraced himself against the bench and twisted s ne
twisted il again and loosened II vii I,.,i E99 eat
DAVIS tWisTed the Sheet aSsin and loosng il said
VIII you eat?" There no reply, and Hilliards
grabbed him by the back and they carried him 10
the shower bath and turned the shower on iin ana
tried 70 stand him under il and he collapsed
While taking Hillisrd 70 the bath Marshaa sl
room; I began clearing. the table, and while hand,
Ing the dishes 10 Ann McLeTmott peepeot tI,, 1n a
tn the bath about five minutes. Then they carried
hobeng up and down on the. floor. 10 his room,
Davis then came out and ordered us all 10 bed.
My was the FIRST room near the Office
o.--What did you see or hear there? Al heard
Davis say. Dean, come here think this fellow
is dying; Dean went past my room on a run; run;
hen 1oth sane % py & 1h ph se vsnt 9g M,
rhe once and heard him telephone 10 DR. Moore
c6e s" DT Moose Ss Gf snd Davis 90 II the
room. and when they came out ] heard Dr, Moore
shat" Next morning Davis said. We have 10 re-
move that patient TO another ward We don't keep
o.-what did Davis do that day? A.-He tele-
yhoned number OF times 10 the Morgue, inquir-
Ing X the autopsy had been made on Hiiard- Davis
called Dean 10 his ohiee. and heard him say:
Dean, how are We going 10 fix this?" Then Davis
said. Dean, tell Marrhal to come here Marshall
went in and closed the door
Then told Davis that was from The Herald
20 get story, and that could not get 70 Wards
Island as Superintendent Blake and j belonged IN
England and he would know me- so wanted to
nurse. said. Restrain that man. Then they
began 20 treat me pretty nicely. Davis asked me II
fixed up for me and took bath. and Davis asked
II I did not want To sit up in my room. They
gave me magazines ana oranges. Davis called me
Into the Office and said: 'Minnock you keep your
mouth shut and say nothing, and don't write this
your enemy. Remember. Minnock, you not olt
az here We have The power oi ife and death here
Minnock next told OF his enorts 20 communicate
with people outside. He finally takeR on Sat
urcay morning 10 Magistrate Hogan's court, and
discharged. MlnnOck Illustrated how Davis
manipulated The sheet with which he is alleged 10
have checked Hilliara, and the witness then
rurned 10 Mr. Wellman. The cross-eXamina-
lion proceeded as follows:
Q.-You published the story % your life in The
Bridgeport Herald" December .? Att was MOI
efOr Of my was aeipa ti,,a sto,,,
dealing with hypnotism.
o.-You dealt with facts and dressed them up 10
pin cushion n Chicago?
he ed