New-York tribune., 1906-06-24
DEFIES THIRD DEGREE.
MRS. STENTON 4DAMANT.
Mother of Murdered Woman CONF
pIetelg Battles Police.

After an entire day spent in examination of
Mrs. Louise Stenton. mother OF the murdsrsd
Mrs. Alice Kinnan. detectives. coroners and q
representative OF the District Attorney retired
from the field last night. beaten and bAnso az
every turn by the adroit cunning Of a fsecle.
decrepit old woman. Meeting their courtesy by
a polish and gentleness suave as vslver she
turned aside their pertinent questions with the
proverhIal soft answer. Wrath she arswsre~
with wrath. until the authorities. daxperafa~
found themselves shouting questions 10 =
screaming, vituperative. snarling old harrdAn-
Apathy succeeded rage on her parc-apAtny.
seemingly dense ignorance. contradicted only
by the furtive cleaning OF her small shrsw6
eyes-apathy not even ruffied by as gnasrly and
dramatic touch ss any torture OF the Inouin-
ton. when section of the skull OF her mur-
dered daughter was fitted TO a olooo-s<aaoso
hammer and exhibited TO her
From the examination not one raot waA
learned: not one answer received which even By
Inference could aid in the detection OF the unur-
derer Coroners and detectives alike see but one
more hope-the confronting OF Mrs Stenton and
Burton w Gibson. her lawyer. and a JOINT ex-
animation of the two. This they win try to-
morrow If 1t fails. they are at thsir wits end
They will work but they admit the work win be-
ainIess and almost necessarily barren OF re-
suits
"Old Mrs Stenton is the key TO the whole situ-
alton" declared Coroner Mcdonald last night.
II am convinced she knows who did the murder
and why it done Yet not one word could
we get from her. Senie dementia2 Senils moth
ing! That old woman has active brain as
most of us and is blessed with almost supernat-
ural cunning. She battles US: she held US at
arms length. and she did it Intentionally
ANOTHER sANDBAG FOUND.
Further examination Of the House of Mys-
third discovered. This was far longer and larger
than the others. 1t was hidden in pantry
across the large hall from the closet in which
it's companions had been found When il was
shown to Mrs. Stenton she Immediately asked
where it was found. and almost in the same
breath demanded:
Did you find anything else?
This query has been her only comment on the
recent discoveries Of sandbags. claspknives.
daggers and guns
The apparent eagerness with which she asks
has been noted and leads the detectives to be-
Heve that she knows the weapon which killed
her daughter and knows where il Is hidden Be
cause of this they reason she has been able 10
face unfinGhingly the section OF gas pipe, the
iron bolt and the bloody axes which have been
exhibited to her various occasions as the
fatal weapons.
Certainly no qualms troubled her yesterday
have hoored strong men The marvellous quail
ity Of mind of this old woman. writer OF senti-
mental poetry, who has lived in unspeaEabla
squalor and filth for years; woman OF refinement
and high education. who sat placidly for whole
afternoon within three feet OF the hood-stained
spot where her murdered daughtsr had fallen.
and who refused even TO attend that daughters
funeral has astonished alike the authorities and
the physicians who have studied her case Her
bearing under examination as searching and
wide as 10 methods any probably n police
history In a decade. added volumes TO this
amazement for after working herself into rasa
which left her qutvertng and exhausted she
went home, took slight nap. and devoted most,
Of the afternoon and evening TO badgering ant
ridiculing the police and coroner.
WOMAN GOES WILLINGLY TO COURT.
Considerable difficulty had been expected by
the authorities in getting Mrs Srenton 70 the
courtroom True 10 her amazingly contradictory
nature she made none. A closed cab drove to
the Miller home in Briggs avenue. where she is
living under the constant surveillance OF plain
clothes men Acting Captain Price OF the Bronx
Detective Bureau and Chief Clerk Austin OF
the Coroners Office escorted her TO the carriage.
II was almost a gala occasion for the old
woman new black bonnet was perched On
her abundant hair. and she wore a new dress
and cloak PIacidly she waved palm leaf fan
as the cab drove away.
What are you going 10 do with me7" she had
asked before she entered the cab
We're only going TO take you down 70 the
Coroner's Office" answered Price. reassuringly.
It's all right"
Yes. 1 know you're my friend" remarked the
old woman.
on the way down she wanted 70 be driven
/ past her old house. The detectives humored her.
I As the carriage was passing she craned her neck
out of the window. looking eagerly at the house
rs it AL rightr' she asked anxiously. Then
few minutes later she said. a man killed Alice.
I'm sure" Immediately relapsing into silence
! once at the cOroner's Office she showed mucn
nervousness. asking with concern II the exam
| ination were 10 be public. once assured that II
/ would be held in private she seemed 20 lose ali
/ anxiety. Coroners Mcdonald and Schwannecke.
| young Mr., CardozO. who seems busy on the case.
/ Acting Captain Price and two detectives, went
/ c0M vvIIIETSsS