Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-22
A POINTED HAMMER
Discovery Made in the Stenton
House.
HELD BY THE POLICE
Might Have Been Used in the Kin
nan Murder.
RESUMPTION OF THE INQUEST
Little Light Furnished by Witnesses
Contradictory Story Of the
Shippo Woman.
RESUMPTION OF THE INQUEST

NEW YORK. June 22.-The preliminary
inquiry into the murder OF Mrs. Alice Kim
nan, who was killed at the doorway Of her
home In the Bronx two weeks ago, was con-
tinued today before Coroner Mcdonald It
was the belief early that Mrs. Louise STEM
ton. Mrs. Kinnan's mother. would be the
star witness OF the day. but she was not
present at the morning session. and 1t was
thought likely that she would not be called
until tomorrow.
The witnesses threw little light on the
murder, and their stories were, in the main.
Of what they saw about the house after
they had learned that Mrs. Kinnan had
been killed
Pointed Hammer Found.
The most important fact that developed
In the case today referred to a hammer
which has been in the possession of the
police since last Sunday. when 1t was
found in the Stenton house. This hammer
Is heavy and like those ordinarily used by
roofers. One end of 1t narrows down to q
fine point
The hammer was found behind the bu-
reau in Mrs. Stenton's room. and, accord
ing to the police, could not have fallen
there accidentally. Coroner Mcdonald says
that marks on 1t are blood stains and that
they were left there recently. 1t was said
that the hammer fits into the indentations
that were made in Mrs. Kinnan's head.
and that the sharp point of it could have
caused the peculiar wounds that were
found in the neck.
DR.. Curtin. Coroner McDonald's physi-
clan, who performed the autopsy, gave 1t
as his opinion that the wounds were made
by some such weapon as that to which the
police attach so much Importance. He
said too, that the blows must have been
delivered with great force, because the
skull was unusually thick.
Mrs Shippo's Storiess
The statement of the Shippo woman, who
occupies the basement of the old dwelling,
and who was the first person, outside of
Mrs. Stenton, to reach the veranda after
Mrs. Kinnan's screams were heard, was
the subject today of a most rigid analysis
What mystifed the coroner. the police and
all others whose business called them to
make an investigation of the case was
that she should at such a late day change
story that she had told at least fifty
times Up to yesterday the last words of
the dying woman had been recited as
Hit me, hit me-" Now she has a vari-
alton of the story
When pressed for an explanation as to
why she had not told this story before,
the Italian woman said that she had gone
to priest in the Bronx, had recited the
tale to him, and that he Instructed her not
to repeat 1t unless she was before
judge"
The priest whom the Shippo woman saw
was found this morning. He denied alb
solutely that the woman had told any such
story to him. On the contrary, she said she
had no knowledge of the murderer.
Capt. Price, in charge of the investigation
Of the mystery, today absolutely discredi-
ted the story of Mrs. Shippo. He said that
the woman had undoubtedly perjured her
self for money.
'sHer statement that lawyer committed
the crime,'' said Capt. Price, "is without
foundation. There was no motive for any
lawyer to have killed Mrs. Kinnan. The
woman is anxious to go back to Italy, and
she has been persuaded by promises or
money to tell a sensational story. / am
still convinced that Mrs. Stenton knows
who killed her daughter, and 1 think she
will tell us If we keep at her long enough"