The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-13
GrrrMAx GONE TO CHINA
Prosecution ina the Matthews Case
Embarrassed by HIS Ab~ence-Gits-
mans Testimony Before the Coro-
ncr-Another Mysterious Disappear.
ancc

mans Testimony Bcforc the Coro-
ner-Another Mysterious Disappear.
ance
There has been 5 much wild talk''
about the absence Of Pullman car Con-
ductor Gilman as & witness for the
prosecution In the Matthews case. now
In progress here. the condensed report
given OF his testimony az the prelimi-
nary trial OF Matthews before Mayor
Murphy which Is reproduced below, on
December ). will prove OF interest. II
has been impossible TO locate Glttman.
At the beginning OF this trial the pros
ecution stated that he was sick at a
sanitarium in Philadelphia The Phila-
delphia papers It cuce exhausted
every means known to modern news
paper enterprise TO find Gittman. and
could find no such person In any hos
pital. infirmary OF sanitarium. They
have bombarded the press correspond
ents here for Gittman's address but
even the prosecutors attorneys have
not been able TO furnish IL.
The Richmond papers say Gilman
left Richmond two or three months
ago. which would indicate that he
aAr MS run d. Il u4lLlAu
or between Richmond and Greensboro
pretty soon after he testified in the
Matthews trial. That his sister could
not give his address and had not heard
he was sick.
1t was learned last night from the
most reliable authority thar Captain
Gilman had set sail for China from
h port at San Francisco on the 10th
day Of February.
Whether the story OF the dead wo-
mans alleged abandoned life. intro
duced by the prosecution. To show that
DR.. Matthews had a mouve IN killing
his wife and that II was not lone un-
der an insane delusion has anything TO
do with Glttman's mysterious move
ments. is Of course the speculative ele-
ment In this remarkably sensational
and repulsive tragedy.
1t Is known that another mysterious
absence Is reported since that story
was introduced in the trial last Friday.
That night the High Point man. who
Or. Matthews told the policeman was
responsible for the last trouble. and
through whom his wife had invested
her $500, took the northbound train
and has not been seen since. though
IL suDpOtId Ids bSeH isSutu ioT It'll
1t will be noted that in the test-
mony of Conductor Gilman, neither
on the direct or cross examination was
any question asked him remotely sug-
gestive OF an improper life led by
Mrs. Matthews. although at that time
the prosecution must have been In pos
session of the same evidence from the
policeman that'it now has.
CAPTAIN GIT~rMAN'S EVIDENCE
December 6, 1905.-"The revelations
in the Matthews trial yesterday were
worse than had been previously told
or believed. IN Pullman car conduct
or, who runs between Richmond and
Greensboro and Raleigh, Capt. Jas. T.
Gilman, of Richmond, was the first
witness telling OF having called at the
Matthews residence at $50 on Friday
morning, being intimate with the fam
lily. Doctor Matthews, I'm a staggering
condition met him at the door and
asked him in the parlor. He first be-
gan to talk about his wife's not being
liked by her people or his people whom
she felt hated her. He then began to
talk about. not having slept n In
three nights and was very excited.
"He wanted TO talk about family
troubles until I told him to stop and
not to do 50 now or at any time with
me. Then BIZ said his wife was up
stairs and was very sick, having taken
30 30-1OO grains s%trychnine the night
before and thought he had gotten her
over It.
81 was Mortified and suggested that
she have another physician but he
said no, she was doing very we'll then.
Then he excused himself and said he
would go upstairs and give her some
medicine. I asked to be allowed TO
90 and see If I could be of any as
~sistance, but he said she was not in a
condition to see company.
HE left and while he was out the
door bell rung. l went to the DOORS and
in the passage [ heard his wife
breathing so loudly upstairs l went UP
there. The door was half open and I
saw DR.. Matthews before the dresser
preparing a hypodermic, it appearing
to me that he was using it oil himself.
I went 10 the door, he waved me back,
saying that his wife was in no condi-
ton to see company. He came TO the
door but I pushed on in. went TO the
bed, saw that the m was appar-
emily dead except for her breathing,
and I went Immediately down stairs
sent the little boy for Mrs. Hay. tel
ephoned fo1 physicians. and as soon a
Mrs. Hay came went and looked for
physicians myself, the little boy going
also.
Matthews was almost helpless from
the use OF drugs. / had never see
him that way but once when I dined
there and his little boy called atten-
ton 30 fathers being dopcd" at the