The Washington herald., 1909-01-21


worker, yesterday afternoon crushed the
skull and mutIlated the body OF his wife's
grandmother. Mrs. Lucretia CorHss. aged
sixty-fve years. Of s12 L street southwest
AIusr leaving the PROSTATE woman lying
on the floor. Trilling went 10 an upper
room. took OF his clothing. and lay down
FOR nap.
Before lying down. however, he ran-
Sacked the bureau drawers and obtained
SIS IN cash and a few trlnkets- Mrs.
CorIiss was removed TO Emergency Hos
pital. where she died two hours later.
TriIling was awakened by Hiram Cor
Hss. husband OF the woman After a
struggle, he threw CorIiss 10 the floor
and ESCAPED He went TO the nome Of
Mrs Sarah Meredith. IS n street south
east his wi6s's a1ni, and threatened 10
KlH the members OF the family. As he
walked away he shouted back he would
return and clean out the family"
Prompted the Crime.
The crime was prompted. TrilHng says,
because he believed Ms. Corliss was in
StTUmental in causing his wife 10 leave
him TriIling was recently released from
Jan, where he served a nine-months' sen
tence for beating his wife. and when he
appeared at his home Sunday his wife re-
fused 10 live with him. She told TriIling.
Il is said, she would live with her grand
mother, who had offered her shelter.
Trilling told his wife II she carried out
her purpose he would XIII her and every
member OF her family. Mrs. TrnIing
laughed at his threat, and at the first
opportunity left the house and went to
The home OF Mrs. Corliss.
TriIling was arrested late last night By
ihe police OF the Third precinct. When
aiken before Lieut. Keefe he said:
Yes; sIashed her with an ak. and
I am ready to swing for T.
Further than this he refused 10 discuss
,he affair He was under the influence
II liquor admitting he had been drinking
al day
Coroner hewitt viii hold an INQUEST
on Mrs COrliss' body at the morgue this
morning
When Trilling ceased hacking the. body
Of his victim. he left the room. smiling
Mrs Coriiss, when she partially revived.
-rawied through the kitchen door On her
hands and knees 10 a wOodshed in the
rear yard Il was here she was found by
her husband
Conducts Harness shop.
Hiram COrliss. husband or the murdered
woman, conducts a harness shop At 7p7
Sixth street southwest, several SQUARES
from his home.
Mrs CarricIz, who lives next door 10 the
Corliss home, hearing a scufle in the house
followed by grcans coming from a wood
shed in the rear. became alarmed. and
ran TO the harness shop TO tell Nr Cor
hss that something had happened in his
home The old man. who was busy mend
ing set Of harness, put down his work
and went 20 the house
Corliss hurried home and met Thomas
Trilling. the murderer's brother To-
gether they entered an upstairs room
and recognized John TriIling lying on the
bed.
Corliss. who rad experienced much
troubie with the man before. asked him
what he vas doing there. TriIling jump
ed rom the bed with an oath, and start
ed 10 beat the two men asking them ar
me same time what they meant bvi
ordering him out After a struggle fbnv
succeeded in getting TriIIing 70 f+,a f-s+
floor, when he threw COrliSs down Cor
liss then went 10 the door and. called for
help Hearing some one in the crowd IN
front OF the door say he would call the
police. Triliing ran from the house. &C.
companied by his brother
COTliss resumed the search for his wffn +
re found her sitting on q hOd OF coal
n the shed Her head was resting against
the shed and there were gashes in her
head and face Her throat was cut from
ear 10 ear. Her skull was crushed and
her clothing torn into sfreds. Picking
her up IN his arms. Corliss asked her
what was the matter
She Knew who Did IT.
That scamp TriIiing did this. He tried
10 kill me, she said CorIiss carried her
into the dining-room and placed her on
q lounge
Policemen who had arrived summoned
the Emergency Hospital ambulance
TriliiEg's whereabouts from the time he
left the Meridith house until re was ar
rested by Policeman Herman HoIz seven
hours later cannot be learned HoIz had
been stationed at TriIIey's brothers
home with instructions to arrest the for
mer on sight About 10 O'Clock the Do /
Eceman noticed a man Of Tr1Iiing's de- I
go 70 the door Of a house al 1
zzl2 h street Crossing the street. he 4
arrested the man and took him TO the
station Trilling cursed the policeman /
ali the way 70 the station
Irilling had been locked in cell but ten 4
minutes when he was sleeping soundly.
Irilling has been married about hvet
years His wife was formerly Mss Pau
line Lee They have been separated /
about year Their three children
John, aged three; Marguerite. aged four.
and Francis. aged eighteen months-are
IN -. AIMS Infant Asylum. His wife
has been living with her father and step
mother. Mr. and Mrs Paul Lee. al so
Orleans street northeast. Mrs. Triuinr
IS employed at the PENNSYLVANIA freight
yards cleaning cars
Ms Corliss. besides being survived by
Der husband. leaves two daughser<. Mrs..
Veal of Baltimore. and Mrs. Sarah i
Sz6fS1, and sen. George c. Co~liss.
= q 0at q the city.