Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-21
Celia Coleman Says Accused
Confessed Murder to Her on
Morning After Crime.
BEGGED HER TO KEEP 1T
SECRET, SERVANT SWEARS
Mistress Came Into Kitchen
With Revolver, Saying u Shot
Him." She Declares.

household and star witness for the
State. testified today at the trial OF
Mrs. Florence Conlllin Carman, ae-
cused of the murder of Mrs. Louise
Bailey. that Mrs. Carman had ap-
peared, revolver in hand moment
after Mrs. Bailey had been shot and
said:
II shot him..
THE next morning about daylight
Mrs. Carman came to my room,'
Celia continued "She said: oh,
Celia, what did I kill that woman for.
] hope God will forgive me. You
stick to me, and if anything happens
TO you III take care of your little
boy"
Emotionless, stolidly and express
sionless, Mrs Carman sal perfectly
rigid while her former maid told the
damaging story against her. Her lips
were tightly drawn and she sat up
right in her chair, but She did not
finch. She, did not look towards the
jurors once while the negro girl was
talking.
Under the questioning of District
Attorney Smith, Celia told her story
as follows: IT am from Charleston,
S. c. | went to work at DR.. Car
June 80 ! served dinner at 6:45
O'Clock. After dinner | started to
wash the dishes.
While | was washing the dishes,
Elizabeth-Mrs. Carman's daughter
came into the kitchen. Soon after
wards Mrs. Carman came in. She
was dressed in a kimono and had
shawl around her neck. She told
Elizabeth to go back into the house.
Then Mrs. Carman went out the back
door minute later [ heard crash
of glass and the report of pistol.
Mrs. Carman came in the door again.
II Shot Him"-Mrs. Carman.
81 was standing in the door between
the pantry and the kitchen. She said
to me, i shot him. Then she showed
me d revolver, black revolver that
was about nine inches long. ]
gra bbed her BY the arm and told ner
not to so into the Office. She said
she was not going to do anything elses
Then / went into the Office
THE body of dead white woman
was lying on the floor near the oper-
sting chair. Mrs. Carman followed
me into the office. She stayed there
about half minute and then went
out to the waiting room. DIR Carman
was there and so was another man.
went into the kitchen and returned to
the office in about minute. Mrs.
Powell (Mrs. Carman's sister) was in
there then. Then | went back into the
kitchen, finished washing the dishes
and went to my room and went to
sleep.
THE next morning about daylight
Mrs Carman came to my room. she
was dressed in a night gown. She
said: oh, Celia, what did ] kill that
woman for? | hope God will forgive
me. You stick to me, and if anything
happens to you I'll take care of your
little boy.
II saw Mrs Carman later that
morning at the breakfast table, and
she burst into tears. After breakfast
she came into the kitchen and told
me to forget that | had seen her the
night before Later that day Mrs.
Carman came in with her lawyer, Mr..
Levy. Mrs. Carman winked at me
when he asked me what ! knew. L
told Mr. Levy that / didn't know any
thing.
''Mr. Levy came again the next day
Before he came Mrs Carman told me
to tell him | was not down stairs
statement and l signed it without
reading it. He read it, however. The
statement was not true
Told Father to Get Revolver.
''rhe day after the murder Mrs.
Carman came into the kitchen and
asked me to make wood fire in the
stove, which | did. Later she came
downstairs with a bundle of letters
and burned them UP in the fire. That
same day she told me to call her
father from the barn because she
wanted him to get the revolver out
of the house. Mr.. Conklin, her father,
came in and went to her room and
then came downstairs again.. He had
hammer with him. He returned to
the barn. The next day, Wednesday,
Mrs. Carman came into the kitchen
and asked me to step into the office.
] went in and the detectives began to
question me.
Did you tell the truth at the coro-
ners inouest?'' the. district attorney
asked.
II did not" the witness answered.
The district attorney then turned
the witness to John Graham Mrs.
Carman's counsel, for examine
ton.
Attorneys for Mrs. Carman are abb
SOlutGly comment OF dCuuittdi. lHo
accused wife of the physician is still
ready and anxious to take the stand
i'm her own defense. She is confident
her story will convince the jury of her
Innocence. The calm procedure of
Mrs. Carman after the shooting is
shown by the fact that she de-
scribed II to neigkbofs. while Mrs
Bailey lay dead in the Office.
The largest crowd that has yet
turned out to seek admittance to the
courtroom where Mrs. Carman is on
trial was on hand long before the
hour set for the opening today. Fash
ionably gowned women made up the
largest part of the assemblage. They
were in the struggle for places in the
courtroom, too. When time for OPEN
ing arrived the room was jammed to
its very doors with women-packed in
a solid mass.
Great pains are being taken to pre-
vent any tampering with the jury
In addition to being kept locked up,
the Jurors are not allowed to receive
any letters, messages or telephone
calls without an officer first acting
as censor.
Mrs. Carman is in excellent health
and does not give the least signs of
being fatigued by the trial, accord
ing to the Jail physician who called
on her this morning before she left
the jail.
cafe sayarin. Street Floor. Kinney