Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-26
WOMAN MURDERED;
OLD SU|TOR HUNTED
Nellie Williams Shot Down at
Home of Capt. J. J. Knapp,
u. S. N.
SEVERAL BULLET WOUNDS
FOUND IN VICTIMS BODY
Husband of Colored Cook Declares
Wife Had Been Threat
ened With Death.

Nellie Williams, colored, cook in the
family of Capt J. ]. Knapp. U. s. N
now in command of the battleship Con
necticut was murdered last night In
the kitchen of her employers home, al
1916 I'D street northwest
The fact that the woman had been
murdered was not discovered until some
time after she had been found lying
on the floor, despite the fact that there
We're two bullet wounds in the front ot
her body and four in her back The dis
covery of the bullet wounds was made by
Coroner hewitt, who had gone to the
house to investigate what was thought
to be death from heart disease
Former Suitor Sought.
A co1ored man. who is said to have
kept company with the woman for
several years prior to her marriage to
Carl Williams July 5 last, is being
| sought by the police. The police went
to 1417 Hopkins street northwest,
where they were told the suspect re-
sided, but he was not found there.
They next went to a house at l422 Cor
coran street northwest. where they had
been told the mans brother resided, as II
was thought he might possibly be there
man was sent to all of the police pre-
cincts late last night. but no trace of him
had been found at an early hour this
morning.
was mace by Lena Carter, a colored maid
at the house.
The woman had been given an order
by Mrs. Harrison, mother-in-law of Capt.
Knapp, to have dinner ready at $50
o'clock. Lena Carter went to the kitchen
to find out why the dinner had not been
served. The kitchen is in the rear of the
basement. She spoke to the cook, and
declared to the police that the woman,
who was sitting on a chair. answered
her. She declared, however, that the
cook appeared to be i'll. and that she
went upstairs and reported the matter to
Mrs. Harrison.
Finds Body on Floor.
The maid returned to the Kitchen, she
stated. and then found that the cook
had fallen upon the floor. She placed
pillow under her head. A physician
was called to the house and he pro-
nounced the woman dead. He said he
thought death had resulted from heart
disease.
Coroner hewitt was notified and went
to the house. "A tiny spot of blood show
ed on a pocket on the upper left shoulder
of the woman's white waist. The coroner
OellSNeQ IIdC tie WOtlau HaQ apparently
died of heart disease, but made closer
examination, which disclosed hole
through the pocket. He turned the body
over and thereupon discovered four bull
let holes in the woman's back, while her
waist was saturated with blood. An.
other examination showed that one bullet
had entered her left leg just above the
knee.
Sylvester Directs Work.
Mai. Sylvester took personal supervision
Of the police work and directed that de-
tectives be sent to the scene. Detectives
O'Brien and Muller arrived a short time
later from police headquarters, while De-
tective Evans from that place was also
placed on the case Detectives Webber OF
the tenth precinct and Detective String
fellow of the third precinct and Lieut..
Judge of the tenth precinct and reserves
were called out on the case.
The husband of the woman had been
notified of the murder and was at the
house when the police arrived He
told them of the colored man who had
kept company with his wife and de-
clared that his wife had told him the
man had stated he would shoot her
IL she lived with any other man.
The husband also stated that his wife
late yesterday afternoon told him that a
boy arrived at the house with q note
from the man, but that she refused to
accept 1t.
Capt Knapp sailed from Newport News
| yesterday with the United States fleet
| for the Mediterranean. while Mrs. Knapp
who went to see him off, is at that place.