Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-08
Henry Silas Held for the Murder of
Nettie Carter.
ACTION OF TIE CORONER'S JURY
Testimony Of Witnesses Regarding
Quarrel Between the Two.
WHAT THE AUTOPSY SHOWED

! of Nettie Carter. who was shot in the head
| at her home, No. 1924 H street northwest,
| was before a jury of inquest this morning
| at the sixth precinct station.
| Considerable interest was manifested in
! the case because of the nature of the wound
/ and the claim on the part of the prisoner
| that the affair was an accident The
| weapon was fired. he claimed, while the
| girl was struggling with him for possession
! of it. They were engaged to be married,
and were about to separate after having
quarreled He had the weapon In his over
coat pocket, he told the police, and the
| girl attempted to take it from him.
] Assistant District Attorney Bingham APP
| peared for the prosecution, while Attorney
| J. Mcdowell Darlington represented the
| prisoner. Several witnesses We're examined,
! and the jury held Silas for the action OF
| the grand jury. The prisoner did not make
! a statement, and was committed TO JAN.
| The First Witness.
| Maurice Carter colored, brother of the
! victim of the tragedy, was the first witness
examined. He informed the jury that there
was a social gathering at the H street
| house Thursday night. Witness played q
| mouth organ, while another man in the
| party performed on an accordion. The
| suggestion was made that they get a pint
| of whisky, and Henry Silas was sent FOL
| the liquor. He remained so long that mis-
| sister Nettie and another girl went out to
| look for him. They returned in few min
| utes and Nettie and Henry had some words
| Henry went down stairs. witness said, and
| at his request Nettie followed him Wit.
| ness heard her say to Henry: i don't Wan'
you any more" and Silas asked the Others
| in the room to withdraw, as he wanted q
| private conference with Nettie. Shortly
| after witness returned to the upper floor he
/ heard a noise. Mary Emma Grady toio
J T.; Ohio bad Iarv CT ~ md
| somebody had gone out the front door
| Witness broke open the front door and also
| the door to the room in which his sister
had been killed. The light in the room mao
| do you know who owned this pistol"
| inquired the coroner
| Henry Silas owned it. SO he told me. y
| the witness answered. The pistol is calico
! a baby"
| Witness said he saw the prisoner put the
weapon in his overcoat pocket the night
of the tragedy. Carter said when he broke
open the room door he found his sister lying
on the floor. There was blood on her face.
He saw Henry Silas' overcoat on chair.
Rita Carter a sister of the deceased. was
next sworn. She was so much overcome by
the tragedy that her testimony could not be
taken,
Henry" she cried while passing the
prisoner why did you do it?'
Heard Noise of Fall.
Amelia Scott, colored, who lives In Shows
row was also at 1924 H street Thursday
night. She reached the house about $50
o'clock, and Henry Sias was then in Net
tie Carriers room. During the evening she
heard Henry and Nette engage in a quar-
rel
Did you hear any Disturbance" the wit
Il heard Nettie Carter when she fell"
Amelia answered.
Did you hear the shot,
The witness answered in the negative
Before the parties to the tragedy went
downstairs, witness said, she heard the wo-
man tell her friend to take his overcoat
SIas turned to witness and asked her to
keep his coat for him, but she refused.
Had the people In the house been drink
ing?' the coroner inquired
Yes, sir she answered The witness
explained that they had had one pint of
whisky, and said she was not acquainted
with a girl named Hattie, who lives at the
Maury, corner of 18th and G streets north
west.
Mary Emma Grady, coIored, who lives in
the house where Nettie Carter was killed,
told the jury that she reached home Thurs
day about o'clock. Henry Silas was there
at the time mentioned. Witness retired soon
after she reached the house She heard Net
tie Carter tell Henry Silas to take what
things he had in her room and leave, as she
did not want him any more. Witness heard
the back shutters slammed and then she
heard the key turned in the lock of the mid
die door The pistol shot followed and wit
ness heard the noise made by Nettie falling
on the floor. The front door was shut and
she heard somebody go out the front door.
Mary said she cleaned the room in the
morning and left the stoveppe in position
The pipe, she stated, frequently falls when
people walk across the floor.
Witness Heard n Scufie.
A colored man who answered to the name
of John Thomas told the jury that he lived
in the H street house He heard Henry
Sias and Nettie Carter talking Thursday
night. but he paid no attention to their
| conversation. Late at night. after the
couple had gone down stairs, witness heard
''rummage" in the room.
What do you mean by 'rummage?"
he was asked. DO you mean scuffle?"
Yes sir"
How long did it last?"
TT didn't last any time" the witness
stated. 1T wasn't more than two min
utes."
Witness said he knew nothing Of conduct
on the part of Silas which would have
given the woman cause to be jealous. He
knew that Silas owned revolver similar
to the one shown
Precinct Detective Thomas Lynch Of the
third precinct testified that he saw Sifas
after sergt. Williams had arrested him,
and he told witness that he had given the
pistol to his brother-in-faw, Ernest Still
yard. Witness saw the latter and got the
revolver from him. Detective Lynch iden-
tl0eQ q written statement or The affair
which was signed by the prisoner.
Ernest Stulyard, colored, who married
Silas' sister, testified that Henry came
! home between il and - o'clock, and asked
witness to keep the revolver for him. After
the police visited the house Stillyard called
to Henry and told him to surrender to the
| police. Henry said nothing to him about
the shooting.
Deputy Coroner's Statement.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook testified that
he performed an autopsy on the body He
| found a bullet wound about one inch from
| the inner corner OF the right eye Powder
| burns indicated that the weapon was very
| near the face when the shot was fired The
| bullet entered almost against the nose
| passed through the brain and cracked the
| back of the skull. The wound caused
| death. Witness said the woman may have
| shot herself by using her thumb on the
trigger. or the bullet may possibly have
I been detected. He thought she could MOI
| have fired the shot holding the weapon tr
4 the usual way. DR.. Glazebrook read par
! OF the prisoners statement, in which h.
claimed the woman was jealous, and alss
| that she took the revolver from his pocket
! This closed the testimony and the cas-,
| was submitted.
Australian DtnG0es.