The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-05-23
CATHERINE NEIL
SENTENCED FOR
KILLING HUSBAND

Bridgeport. Conn.,. May 23.-Catherine
Neil. the artists model and chorus girl.
OF New York city, pleaded guilty to the
charge OF manslaughter i'm the killing Of
her husband, Joseph Neil. blacksmith
and pugilist, I'm Greenwich on Dec. IL
last. at a special session OF the criminal
superior court late yesterday afternoon.
Judge George w. Wheeler imposed upon
her an indeterminate sentence of not
more than nine and not less than fve
years in state prison. at the conclusion
OF a hearing that lasted two hours.
Mrs. Neil was attired In deep mourn
ing and showed the effects OF her con-
finement in the county jail since last New
Years day. During the hearing she lis
tened without any sign OF emotion. Az
ter the Indictment was read she gave her
age as 27 years. and offered her plea OF
guilty TO the charge OF manslaughter.
Mrs Neil retained her composure until
shortly after o'clock last evening, when
Judge Wheeler imposed sentence, after
which she collapsed and had 10 be car
ried TO a carriage. which took her bach
10 the county jan.
Special State Attorney Galen A. Carter.
addressing the court, said that the state
was willing 10 accept a plea OF man
slaugher for the reason, chiefly, that un-
I'll a week ago he had not learned that
the killing OF Neil by his wife was done
without premeditation.
"I have no evidence" he said, (which
consider OF sufficient strength TO obtain
conviction in this case on a charge OF
first degree murder"
Before imposing sentence Judge Wheeler
said that IL the prisoner has used an UNI
brella in the manner described she should
go free, but he could not accept the story
by reason OF the evidence taken at the
coroners inquest which seemed 20 show
~la - 81 hot tHa ND "A
by a sharp instrument and that only an
instrument such as a nail file could have
inflicted II.
Mrs. Neils statement, the court said,
had not been substantiated while, on the
other hand. there was abundant evidence
to show that the nail file caused the fa-
tai wound.
Judge Carl Foster, counsel for Mrs.
Neil, made a plea in which he said the
prisoner declared the fatal wound had
been given with the point OF an umbrella
which she had snatched up TO defend her.
self during "a quarrel with Neil, and that
in the scuffle the point had penetrated his
eye. She could not account for the pres
ence Of the blood-stained nail file found
in the umbrella later. and which the state
claimed had been used to infict the
death wound.
Catherine Neil was charged with hav-
ing killed her husband at a hotel in
Greenwich by thrusting a nail file into the
socket Of his eye. the blade penetrating
the brain and accusing death within
short time Mr.. and Mrs. Nell had gone
to the hotel an hour earlier and appar-
emily were on good terms. as no one in
the hotel heard them quarrel. Mrs. Neil
came downstairs early in the evening and
said her husband had fallen and hurt him
self. A physician was sent for and death
seemed to be due to natural causes The
coroner held an autopsy and found a
small puncture in the brain. Later the
nail file with blood stains on IL was taken
out of Mrs Neils umbrella, which stood
in a corner of the room where she had
left IL when she took the train to 60 TO
her home in Brooklyn after her husband
had died.