Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-07
ACCUSED OF MURDER
John Bell Held Responsible for
Dr.. ToWnsend's Death.
VERDICT OF CORONER'S JURY
Relatives Swear Prisoner Confessed
After Crime.
STORY OF PHYSICIANS WIFE
Gives Clear Account of Shooting of
Her Husband - Much Circum-
stantial Evidence.
TORY OF PHYSICIANS WIFE

NEW YORK, February THE cor
oner's inquest yesterday into the murder
of DR.. Charles Wilmot Townsend at mis-
home in New Brighton, s. l., on jan
uary 26, ended in verdict that DR.. Town.
send came to his death a result of
bullet wounds, and that John Bell was re-
sponsible for his DEATH The evidence
which brought about this verdict was in
the main the relation by Bells relatives of
stories told to them by Bell shortly after
the shooting.
Two Of the relatives, William Coar,
Bells brother-in-law, and Howard Bell,
his half brother, testified that Bell had
made the direct statement to them that
he had shot the Staten Island physician
ito avenge Name" 1t also developed
through the testimony Of DR.. William C.
Walser. Mrs. Townsend's brother that the
Bells had once been his patients, and that
he himself had been asked to attend Mrs.
Bell in the Illness whose fatal termination
caused John Bell to hold DR.. Townsend
responsible. But for the fact that he had
declined to care for Mrs Bell. it was
have been the victim instead of DR.. Town.
send.
Bell Remains Silent.
Bell himself refused to take the stand,
saying: Il would prefer not to answer
any questions at this time" His counsel
Frederick G. Milligan, jr., added that it
was by his advice that Bell declined to
testify.
Mrs. Townsend, who wore a thick veil,
which she did not raise, told in clear
and circumstantial way of the happenings
Of the night Of the murder
1--WE went to bed happily" said she, "in
a gay mood and the doctor spoke very
lovingly to me- 1 woke up very suddenly
to find the room Illuminated by a very
uncertain light. A man in the dim light
the doctor say: will get up. I said We
hemently: You coward, put down that
pistol Then the man at the bedside fired
gas. My little girl came running in crying
What is the matter, mamma? 1 heard
Shots
My husband said to me: Emma. I'm
dead man: telephone for an ambulance
and telephone to the police
Sent for His Mother.
"I do not know the number replied.
1T is AZ West Brighton, he said. Later
wanted to give the doctor some morphine.
1 asked him where it was. He said it was
down stairs in the case under his coat.
After a time he said Send mother to
me. Let her kiss me. Then 1 brought in
his mother"
After Edward Schneider and William L.
Widemyer surface car employees at the
st. George terminal, had testified that they
had seen John Bell on the island recently,
Joseph Crawley, who lives in the neigh
borhood of the Townsend home, swore that
he had seen Bell on the night of the MUIR
der block away from the house at the
same time that the doctor had passed in
his automobile on his way home.
Revenge renews our happy love in heav-
en- forever was the inscription ordered
for Bells wife's footstone in Cypress Hills
cemetery, according to the testimony of
Peter Koehl, Brooklyn monument dealer.
Bell gave the order last month, he said.
William Coar of 439 Rodney street. Brook
Ign, John Bells brother-in-law. said that
Bell had come to his place at o'clock in
the morning of the day after the murder
and had confessed that he had shot DR..
Townsend ito avenge Name
Bells Alleged Confession.
Howard Bell told of the Sunday morning
when. after the newspaper containing an
account of the shooting had disappeared,
John Bell had called him aside into a room
where he had exclaimed: Name is avenged
I did the trick on the DOCTOR John Bell
had told him that he had remained an hour
in the house before deciding finally to shoot
DR.. Townsend. After he had fired the two
shots and had gotten to the ferry house
without having been molested, he had been
stopped by policeman who had asked him
| what he was doing out at that hour. IT
work on a newspaper" he had replied. do
you ever carry a gum" asked the police
man. Never less than dozen," John Bell
had told him.
Mrs Samuel Bell of 64S Hart street
Brooklyn, Bells stepmother, denied that
John had told her anything Of the shoot
| ing. She admitted that he had been out
all of Friday night and that she had found
| his pistols. The family, she said had un-
loaded them. She and her son Samuel Bell,
| jr., both asserted that no exploded cart
ridges had been in them.> After examining
| them they had replaced the pistols and
| notified the police that they had been found.
| A number Of the recipients of Bells let
| tiers which have been published were put
on the stand to identify the letters sneak
| ing Of revenge and suicide.
Pension Grew to Forum,