Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-17
SHRANK FROM FATHER
Child Convinces Jury Of
Donovan's Guilt.
INQUIRY INTO DEATH
ALLEGED WIFE SLAYER APPEAR
ED NERVOUS AND FIDGETY.
Examination Of Physicians Gives Salts
factory Evidence-Marks on Face
and Body---he Verdict.
INQUIRY INTO DEATH

factory EVlQe0Co-MaTKS on r ace
and Body--he Verdict.
The coroner's jury this afternoon held
Jeremiah Donovan for the action of the
grand jury on the charge of murder. 1t Is
alleged that while under the influence OF
LIQUOR last Sunday Donovan quarreled with
his wife, Elizabeth II. Donovan. AS re-
suit of the quarrel 1t Is further alleged that
the man assaulted his wife, knocking her
down the stairs and causing injuries which
resulted in her death about o'clock yes
terday morning at Providence Hospital. as
told in The Star yesterday.
The trouble occurred in the dingy home OF
the Donovan's, in apartments over livery
stable. Of which the prisoner is proprietor,
in rear of 1927 goth street northwest.
At the inquiry into the cause of the wo-
mans death, held by Coroner j. Ramsey
hewitt today at the District morgue, there
were several incidents of unusual interest.
One of these occurred when the patrol
wagon from the sixth police precinct
brought jeremiah Donovan to- the .norgue.
Inside the building was little Mary Dono-
van, the eight-year-old daughter of the
prisoner. She was neatly clad in blue, and
the officials of the grim morgue house.
who are accustomed to viewing death in
all its most hideOus forms, were too con-
siderate, to inform the bright-faced child
that the dead body of her mother occupied
a slab in the same building. and she re-
manned unconscious of the fact.
When the patrol wagon had backed up to
the door with Its prisoner. guarded by the
stalwart forms of Headquarters Detectives
Frank Baur and Tom Hartigan, who are
in charge of the case, some one sang out:
Here comes the prisoner, Jerry Dono-
van." - STs e'
At the mention of her fathers name the
little girl shrank back into enc of the shad-
owed corners of the morgue building and
cried in terror:
''Oh do not let him hurt me. Please
don't"
The girl was led into a room, and the
prisoner, closely guarded by the headquar-
ters men, was escorted to the inquest room.
Little Mary Donovan was again a central
figure in the case when she was called be-
fore the coroner and his jury to give evil
dence which resulted in her father being
held for the grand jury.
Beginning of Inquiry.
Coroner hewitt began the inquiry into the
death of Mrs. Elizabeth H Donovan short
ly after II o'clock this forenoon, with the
following jury: William A, Foy. George
Linke. James NJ. Pridgeon, Harry F. Don
aldson, A. ]. Sandford and Charles Dixie
man.
ne uuSDdHu JcTeHlldU IOnoNdH was
given Il seat facing Coroner hewitt, the
witnesses and jurymen Detective Frank
Baur sat stolidly by his side. Donovan
listened attentively to the testimony, and
only once did he appear nervous and f1dget-
ty, and that was when his pretty little
daughter stepped forward to give damaging
evidence against him.
The inquest room was we'll filed with
spectators, many Of whom were friends of
the accused
The first witness called by Coroner New
lit was DIR. L. L. Frederick of East Cap
itol street. He said he was called to attend
Elizabeth H. Donovan by DR.. Jewett. who
had already been attending the woman.
This was on Friday, March TO- He found
her in a room over stable in rear of 1227
Goth street When DR.. Frederick reached
the place he found DR.. ,Jewett there. and
he vas getting ready to dress Mrs. Dono-
vans wounds. She was in half-conscious
condition, but could answer questions.
The surroundings" said DR.. Frederick.
were anything but sanitary, and insisted
that she should be taken to Providence
Hospital for treatment. / was informed
that she had been treated at the Elmer
gency Hospital. Mr.. Donovan insisted that
she should be treated at home. She was
taken to Providence Hospital, and walked
to the carriage that conveyed her there
Marks on Face and Body.
DIR. Frederick was informed that Mrs.
Donovan had fallen in a fit and received
IeT injuries III tHdl manner Ills informant
was Mr.. Donovan.
Were there any marks on her face or
body?' asked Coroner hewitt.
Yes, SIR replied DR.. Frederick. Her
left eye was blackened. there was a cut on
the back of the head about one and a half
inches in length. confusion of the hip
and shin, her elbow was bruised and there
were other bruises
nv ba of r.
she had been taken to Providence Hospital
He was In company with DR.. Jewett. At
first after her admittance to the hospital
her condition became slightly better. She
was later seized with commissions. Dr.
Frederick insisted that an operation should
be performed on the woman to relieve the
pressure on the brain. The witness did
not detect any odor of alcohol on Mrs.
Donovan's breath when he was called to
the house to attend her.
DIR. Frederick described the opera ton that
was performed after consultation with DR..
James Mitchell of Providence Hospital. The
result of the operation was to find contu-
sion and hemorrhage of the brain. She
also had feasure and loss of memory.
The skull was trephned, a small piece of
bone was taken out and a clot of about four
ounces of dark blood was removed from the
brain. She died about 6 o'clock yesterday
morning. The cause of death was concus-
sion of the brain and hemorrhage on the
brain.
Are such Commissions as you found likely
to be caused by single fall?'' asked AS
sistant United States Attorney Turner, who
appeared before the inquest in behalf of the
government.
mo, SIR" replied DR.. Frederick, but she
might have fallen down stairs"
Attorney Michael j. Keane. who ap-
peared for Mr.. Donovan, suggested that a
number of falls might have caused the
wounds and bruises found on Mrs. Dono-
vans head and body.
DIR. Henry NJ. Jewett of 1884 14th street
was then called to the witness stand. When
called to the house to attend Mrs. Dono-
van he found the patient in bed over a
stable, the conditions of the place being
most insanitary. He learned shs had been
treated at the Emergency Hospital two
days and advised that she be sent forth
with to Providence Hospital He describ-
ed the numerous injuries to her head and
body and came to the conclusion she was
suffering from decorations of the brain.
There was a wound on the back Of her
head and one of her teeth had been knock
ed out and there was blood in her mouth.
Coroner Nevitt-"Did you find any bruises
on her body?"
DIR. Jewett-"Yes. there were many"
Information From Donovan.
Dr. Jewett added that jeremiah Donovan