The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-22
WOMAN DEEPENS
KI.NNAN MYSTERY
Mrs. Shippo Declares Murderer
Victim, Dying, Accused
Lawyer of Crime.

Journal Special Service
New York, June 22.-In secrecy as
deep as Assistant District Attorney Mi
chael ii. Cardozo, Jr., was able to main
tain, Coroner Mcdonald has conducted
preliminary inquiry into the death Of
Mrs Alice D. G. Kinnan, murdered on
the, porch of the old Stenton mansion
dozo insisted that the public and the
press be excluded, but the widest pub
licity was permitted to be given to the
testimony of Mrs. Mary Shippo, a ten
ant IN the basement of the Stenton
home.
Mrs. shippo today declared that Mrs.
kSAlln ma as she lay dying on the porch,
killed her. The police and the coroner
40 !. not believe her story, because it
differs from every other one she has
! told since the murder They do not
belleve that any lawyer. was in the
Stenton house that night, or that any
man ran away from the porch.
| Think It "Inside Job
Their confidence in the original theo-
strengthened by their discovery last
Sunday of the weapon with which the
murder was done.
This weapon, lather's Ratchet. they
have, carefully guarded, but today it
lay before the coroner on his desk in
the private office, and with it was a
piece, Of bone from the skull Of the
murdered woman One of the five
wounds on the back Of Mrs; Kinnan s
head was unusually deep and
/ showed that the weapon, while having
4 9 blunt surface, also had an edge or
Irregular surface which made this one
wound so different from the others.
hn hof hn{ hSal 4 - hDS \
slopes to a .wedge:shaped blade This
was fitted into the bit Of bone pre-
served from the autopsy and the fit is
perfect. q -.
This weapon, stained with the fresh
blood, was discovered by Captain sSam
Price 8 detectives between the wall and
a large bureau in the bedroom of Mrs.
Louise Stenton.
Had Been Hidden.
!. Its position showed that it had not
fallen there. but had been hidden. The
police, and the coroner have said moth
ing about this weapon because tomor,,
Mrs: Stenton under oath. She will be
confronted with the Ratchet and asked
to explain why it was, hidden. 49,. -,
Other witnesses who have been sub
poenaed to appear are Burton w. Glib
son, the lawyer; William Ashton, law
yer, who was associated with Gibson
in the Stenton property litigation on
a contingent fee; Robert Flaherty, who
held power Of attorney from Mrs.
Stenton for few days, and who has
taken a great interest in Mr.. Gibson g
connection with the case ever since
Mrs. Stenton revoked the Flaherty
power Of attorney and issued new
one to Gibson and Mrs Sidney Lund,
the latter daughter of Mrs. Kinnan s
husband. . -, eAgsE1. a@~,. -. IT,
| With the discovery of the weapon
and much evidence not,yetsmade public,
Captain Price and 3the ocoroner. agreed
last Monday that the. mystery was in
a fair way Of being cleared up. They
hesitate ito make an arrest as their
1 suspect cannot possibly escape, gand can
scarcely expect Worse punishment than
incarceration imam. asylum. i, Now comes
story of the dying woman IS. practical
accusation, and now coroner and po-
: lice are {fretting over what they believe
to be- a confusing and needless prolonn-
cation Of the mystery. ..-.