The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-06-20
DRAMATIC SCENE
I'M CORONER'S COURT.
CoIored Servant Accuses Son
of Rich Mrs. Higginboth-
am of Murder.
BOTH ARE HELD FOR CRIME


tended with sensational disclosures
attracted a crowd to the coroner )
court. Until yesterday the police
were convinced that Mary Rider. the
colored servant was the person who
dealt the fatal blow All efforts to
make the girl talk, however. have
been unsuccessful.
The inquest proved to be one OF
the most sensational in the criminal
history Of Philadelphia. When John
Higginbotham, a son OF the aged
victim, was called to the stand, his
conduct attracted attention. As he
made his way through the coroner s
court he seemed dazed He paused
before the chair where sat the ac-
cused negress.
Mary, Mary, he cried, ''come to
me.
The girl eyed him stolidly, but said
nothing.
A detective led him to the witness
stand He trembled so violently and
seemed in danger of collapse that
Coroner Dugan ordered him to sit |
down.
Mary Rider was then called. In IA
firm voice she accused John Higgin- |
botham of the murder He wept 81 |
lently as her narrative proceeded and |
group of detectives silently sur
rounded him.
COLORED WOMAN HIS ACCUSER.
The colored woman said: Il was ia
the kitchen early in the day when a
man came in and said You are
Mary, ain you? Well here are two
bundles that John gave me to get
you to put in your trunk to take to
SOmer's Point
The man had blood on his hands
and said: My, but that fellow up
stairs has a hard heart. | am going
to get out of this. There is nothing
in this Job for me
The strange man also said that he
guessed John was upstairs putting
the finishing touches on her,
Mary said she went upstairs. As
she reached the top John Higgin-
botham opened doorand came into
the hall where his mother lay
Il said to him. What $ the matter
john He answered, Hush, Mary
The man got to do this has weak
ened and won't do the Job.
l said | was going down stairs,
when he stopped me and said he
would give me a home in Somer's T
Point all my life if | would not tell {
on him. Just then his mother raised tU
her head and said: oh, what did c
you and that man do this to me Il
for?'
"John turned and said: Ny God,
| can't have her accusing me Of this.
He then stopped and picked up the
brick, bent over his mother and II
struck her about three times in the g
back and then threw the brick into il
his mothers face, making the blood a
squirt in all directions. 81
Mary said she promised to keep )
quiet and took the brick ana hid it a
beneath a sofa where it afterwards IL
was found. )
Coroner Dugan tried to shake Il
Mary's testimony by cross-eXamina- h
ton, but the servant Girl was firm q
aud said: q
Il am telling the truth. a
The Jury, after brief deiheration. b
returned a verdict that Mrs Higgin-
botham came to her death from con-
cussion of the brain, the result OF
injuries received at the hands OF her y
son John, and held Mary Rider as =
accessory before and after the fact Z
Both were committed 10 prison. !"
After the inquest one OF the most
sensational phases of the case devel d
oped Mrs Elizabeth C. Ferner. of 1t
Somer's Point, \. J. housekeeper for =
Mrs. Higginbotham ut the latter's =
country place, secured a marriage .
license to wed John Higginbotham. l
the accused man. She asked Magis- "
trate Cunningham 70 perform the =
ceremony, but he declined II is pos,
itively known that Higginbotham
desired to marry his mothers house
keeper, but the aged woman opposed /
the match. [
The detectives say Hiccinb0tham q
Is a morphine tiend-
---- '