New-York tribune., 1912-10-20
NEGRO ADMITS KILLING
WIDOW WITH HAMMER
Chauffeur Says Liquor Made
Him Reckless When S5
Loan Was Refused.
MAIDS CONDITION GRAVE,
Receivers Consciousness, How.
ever, and Identifies Assailant
Mrs. Bells Son Sus.
poets Premeditation.

Charged with the murder of Mrs.
Margaretta Bell and with attacking her
maid, Miss Mary Hogan. George Bishop,
d negro chauffeur, was arraigned yes
terday before Magistrate Dodd, in the
Gates avenue police court BROOKLYN,
He pleaded not guilty, and was held
without bail for further examination
Tuesday. The prisoner Is twenty-three
years old and has been living at No. ga
Pulaski street. He is employed by
Winant B. Wardell & Sons, coal dealers.
Before he was taken to court, the
negro confessed to Deputy Police Com
missioner Dougherty that he had en-
tered the Bell home, at No. 80 Fort
Greene Pplace, and had attacked the
women with a hammer. His wife, Mrs.
Jean Bishop, had formerly worked for
Mrs. Bell, and Miss Hogan, upon re-
gaining consciousness at the Brooklyn
Hospital told the police she recognized
her assailant as Bishop. After scme
difficulty, the negro was caught at g.
o'clock yesterday morning and taken
before Miss Hogan, who easily iden-
tilted him.
His confession, as given out by the
police, was as follows:
Il attacked both of the women with
hammer. / worked yesterday for my
boss, Winant B. Wardell, fixing a
fence, and used hammer on the jol .
1t was q hammer with a handle abb IL
six inches long and clawed. When I
left off work took the hammer with
me. In the evening / went 10 No. So
Fort Greene Place. / was somewhat
intoxicated. The servant let me In
and | sat down in the room with Mrs.
Bell. / asked her TO loan me s. and
she said she did not have any change
Impulse, He Declares.
The liquor worked on me in the
warm room and I became reckless
started right in with the hammer when
Mrs. Bell refused to loan me the
money. and the first thing l knew l
struck Mrs. Bell on the top OF the
head. She fell and then the maid
came in. / struck her with the ham
mer, and the marks on her cheeks were
made by the claws After struck
them and both OF the women were ly-
ing on the floor i made a search OF the
room to see II could find anything u
value. I didn't find anything at all
and went away.
II walked to Fulton street and Hud.
son avenue. where the subway excava-
ton is, and dropped the hammer into
the excavation. 1t was at point next
to the hardware store, and | think
could find IL II taken there. After drop
ping the hammer I went uptown and
met Lillian Dobbins."
Mrs. Bell was seventy-eight years
old and her maid is fifty. Mr.. Bell diei
thirty years ago. He was q hardw re
merchant, with a store at York a..i
Adams street. The Bell home is an old
fashioned two story and basement
frame building. Mrs. Bell lived with
her maid and her son, Charles s. Bell.
in the first floor and basement, and
Miss Catherine Foster and her mother
occupied the top floor. Mrs. Bell slept
in the back parlor.
Jean Bishop was Mrs. Bells servant
until few months ago. She Is now st
Wilmington. n. c. She has been
Bishops wife about a year. The negro
had been hanging about the Bell home
for the last ten days. pretending he was
out of work and wanted a recon-
mendation.
According to the story told by Miss
Hogan, the negro called at the Bell
home at 7:30 o'clock on Friday evening
and said he wanted 10 see Mrs Bell
The aged woman was preparing 10 g.
to bed, but consented to see him, and
took him into the front parIor, The
maid returned TO the basement and
stayed there until, shortly after 8
o'clock, she heard her mistress fall
Then she ran upstairs, was attacked BY
Bishop and lost consciousness.
Found by Prayer Party.
Mrs. Mary Roth, who lives next do0
In Fort Greene Place, heard groans o.
$50 o'clock. While she was wonder
Ing what to do, Or. William II. John
ston, a dentist, Of No. 80 Fort Greene
Place, came along with his wife, on
the way home from a prayer meeting
at the Hanson Place Methodist Episce-
pal Church. Mrs. Roth called their at
tention 10 the sounds, and the three
went to the Bell house. When they
got in aud lighted the gas they found
Mrs. Bell on the floor and the maid
sitting In chair. DR.. Johnston called
the police, and an ambulance was sent
from the Brooklyn Hospital. where
Mrs. Bell died soon afterward.
Miss Hogan is still at the hospitsl
and Is In serious condition. Mrs
Bells two daughters-Mrs. Frank Top
ping, OF Greenwich, Conn, and Mrs
r. Il. Allin. of Richmond, Mass.-haye
been summoned TO Brooklyn. :,
Charles Bell, son OF Mrs Bell, SAID
last night that the negro called az me
Bell home week ago, 10 get a refer.
ence for his wife, who had gone 20
North Carolina
Il have an idea he intended TO roe
my mother at that time, but as vss
Ill at the time In the back room Dc
probably heard me there" said Mr.. Bel
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