Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-19
ELLIS SHIELD FOR MURDER
TO HAVE FATALLY
STABBED ANDREW SILVIA.

A coroner's jury, consisting of c. H.
Wire, Fred Rose, John F. Sheehan, James
Mcpherson, C. c. Langley and Frank
Belts today found that John Ellis, the
colored cook at the restaurant of Brown
& Savoy at IS c street northwest, was
responsible for the death of Andrew Sill
via, waiter in the same establishment,
and Ellis was held to await the action o:
the grand jury. The ARRAY which re-
suited in Silvia's death, occurred Monday
night last about $50 o'clock. 1t was
stated that Ellis stabbed Silvia with a
carving knife. From the result Of his
wounds Silvia died at the Casualty Hos
pita1 a few hours later.
s The inquest was held at the morgue
this morning at II o'clock. Coroner ].
Ramsay hewitt presided. Among the
spectators present at the inquest was the
widow of Silvia.
Substance of the Testimony.
DR.. L. ]. LAMA of the Casualty Hospital
was the first witness. DR.. LAMA described
the hospital treatment Silvia received. de-
scribed the wounds, and told of his death
about six hours after his admission to the
hospital. The condition of the wounded
man was fair when he was brought to
the hospital, he said, and Silvia was per-
feCtly conscious. He told the witness tnaC
he had been STABBED by a man named Ellis
The witness did not then think the man
was going to die.
Dr.. Clazebrcok. deputy coroner. stated
that the mans death was due to deep
stab wound in the chest.
Howard NJ Vermiiion, precinct detective
of the sixth precinct station WAS the next
wi illness sworn. He told of the arres. OF
Ellis and of the prisoners acknowleds lent
to him of the ownership of a carving k life.
which was produced in court. Ellis a-sJ &C
krowledged having cut Silvia duri,,
quarrel in the kitchen of Brown & Sa.oy's
restaurant
William Queen. residing at 40 Temper
ance court southwest, the next witness,
saw the fight between Ellis and Silvia. He
was eating in the kitchen of the restaurant,
wi en- Silvia came in and asked for md
witch. Some words passed between the men,
and Silvia threw glass at Ellis. they
then clinched. and in the struggle Ellis used
the knife Silvia.
Samuel Jessup, residing at 622 E street
southwest, the next witness, stated that he
went into the kitchen while the men were
fighting. Witness attempted to part them,
and when they We're separated Silvia put
his hand to his breast and said Il am
ruined man.
James H. Queen of 2122 street north
west, who was in the restaurant at IS G
street northwest the night of the ARRAY.
testified that he heard a quarrel between
Ellis and Silvia, and saw the men clinch.
He tried to separate them, and, as he did
so, saw that Silvia was cut
Gus Jackson, 800 c street northwest, was
also an eyewitness of the cutting. Wit
ness heard the quarrel and heard Ellis
curse Silvia. Silvia then struck Ellis with
a glass. and ran toward him as if to
strike him again. and then Ellis stuck
fell, and witness left the room. Witness
recognized the knife produced in court as
the one with which the cutting was done.
Heard Threats Made.
John Lomax of 1897 Wiley street north
east the next witness. stated that he had
heard the prisoner, Ellis, tell Silvia early
Monday evening, before the quarrel, that
if he did not stay out of the Kitchen he
would cut him.
S. D. Brown one of the proprietors Of
the saloon at IS C street northwest IN
which the ARRAY occurred. was next call
ed AS far as witness knew the two men
were on apparently good terms.
George H. Tancll, residing at 90 Ar
thur street, the next witness, was the
first person to reach Silvia after he Was
stabbed. He did what he could to check the
flow of blood. Silvia made no statement to
him as to how he was cut
DIR. Frank W. Romaine, resident physician
at the Casualty Hospital, described the
treatment the man received after he was
brought to the hospital No eXamina ton,
the surgeon said, was made of the wound,
the patient appearing 10 be in fair condi-
ton.
The prisoner Ellis after being warned
by the coroner that wha tever he said might
be used against him, next took the stand.
He acknowledged having cut Silvia, but
claimed that it was done in self-defense.
Silvia had attacked him, he stated, and
struck him and was making toward him
with a knife in his hand and Ellis cut
him. Ellis claimed to be afraid of Silvia,
who had, he said, made threats to harm
him several days before the trouble Mon
day night
This closed the testimony and the jury
rendered the verdict given.