The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-05
NEW HAVEN MURDER A MYSTERY
Charles A. Edwards Shot While Lying
in Bed
Came From New York to Attend Birth
day Party of His Sister-Thought at
First to be Case of Suicide. but Abb
sence of Weapon Led to Suspicion of
Murfier-Coroner Investigating the
Affair.

New Haven, Conn. January s.
Charles \. Edwards, of New York.
| formerly president of the Asiatic
Chemical Company of New jersey and
imore recently an officer Of the General
chemical Company with an office in
New York city. was mysteriously given
a death wound from a pistol ball while
| lying in bed during the night, the
guest of his brother-in-law, Charles
| A. Hitler. SO mysterious was the case
from the outset that Deputy Coroner
Pond opened an inquest at police
| headquarters, following a long and
| searching investigation at the Hitler
| home.
| Mr. Edwards was found dying in his
chamber by Charles A. Hitler. He had
| retired about II o'clock last night af-
| ter attending a birthday party in hon
| Or of his sister, Mrs. Samuel Harris,
/ who is a cousin of former President
| Timothy D. Wight, of Yale. Early in
the day he had come over from New
| York for this special purpose and Of
| late he had been a frequent visitor
| here. usually as a guest Of either
Charles a. Or A. Maxey Hitler, both
! hrothers-in-law. He retired appar-
emily in the best of spirits. His failure
to appear at breakfast led Charles A.
| Hitler to go up stairs. According to
| the latter the chamber door was not
| locked and going in he saw Mr.. Ed
| wards apparently unconscious from
! what was at first thought to be a
| stroke of apoplexy. In the course of
| treatment Of the dying man the ply
| sicians found a bullet hole in the left
| side of the head directly behind the
ear. The hemorrhage from it had not
| been prOfuse. but as it later was de-
terD1ined the bullet had gone directly
into the brain.
The death of Mr.. Edwards was re-
ported by Charles A. Hitler to Deputy
Coroner Pom. At first glance Deputy
Coroner Pond thought that death was
an act of suicide, but the absence Of
the weapon, which hours of searching
failed to reveal gave rise to suspicion
of murder. The police reached the
conclusion that there had been mur-
der and the investigation proceeded
ON this line. They found that the
house had not been broken into forci-
bly,, but an unbolted kitchen door
which the house servants claimed was
| securely fastened during the night
| gave possible clew that some one had
| passed out Of the house by that means.
| There was no sign of weapon.
| The coroner's inquest in the Edwards
shooting case was finished shortly be-
| tonight Charles A. Miller and A.
Maxey Hitler were the only witnesses.
One of the servants when questioned,
said that she went to her own home
| last night, having extinguished all The
lights in the basement. This morn
| ing she says she found several lights
h11y~ 1ir,er fho1- md hol
| Mr.. Edwards married Miss Sarah
| Mrs. Abigail Hitler, and sister to
few weeks ago. Her estate has not
| yet been settled, and it is stated that
| the division of the property caused "a
bitter disagreement between the Hill
lers and Edwardses.
For almost five hours Deputy Coroner
Pond conducted the preliminary in
quest. Those who were examined were
A. Maxey Hitler and his brother.
Charles Coroner Pond said after the
| inquest that he would make no formal
statement He talked with the news
paper men, however, and said that as
far as he could learn there was no ga
son for Mr. Edwards taking his own
life ION the other hand" continued
the coroner, there seems to me to be
good reason to believe that Mr.. Ec"
wards was killed
He was asked if suspicion pointed 70
any one man, and he replied that he
would not discuss that phase of the
case. The coroner was asked whether
or not the shOoting,in his mind was the
result of quarrel between members OF
the Hitler family. but declined TO speak
denitely ON that point
It was stated tonight by one close to
the situation regarding the alleged diff
ferences between the Killers and Mr..
Edwards that about three weeks ago
Mrs. Edwards came to New Haven,
and at that time there was trouble
over the settlement of the estate of the
elder Mrs. Hitler who died few weeks
before. 1t is alleged that Mrs. Edwards
called at police headquarters for a po-
liceman to accompany her to the rail-
road station in order to protect her
from the threatened violence of cer-
tain members of the family The pc
lice tonight state that the case proba-
bly, will develop into one of the most
sensational in the annals Of crime of
New Haven. A police guard was kept
over the Hitler homestead tonight.
Threatened to Publish Compromising
Letters.
Rome, January 3.-Cardinal Vincent