Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1914-10-22
TESTIMONY
Is BAD FOR
MRS.CARMAN
Colored Girl Admits She Lied
for Her Mistress as She
Was Sorry for Her.

MlNEOLA, N. Y. Oct. Zl-TCStimOny
tending to directly connect Mrs. Flor
ence Conkling Carman with the MUIR
der of Mrs. Louise Bailey at Freeport,
on June 80 last, was presented by the
prosecution today in Mrs. Carman' s
trial for the crime.
Celia Coleman, a timid, soft spoken
southern negress, who was a maid in
the Carman household at the time the
murder was committed in the office
of DR.. Edwin Carman, husband of the
defendant, and Frank Farrell, an un-
employed stationary engineer, excit-
able and prodigal with slang and man
nerism, typical Of the lower East Side
of New York, were the chief witnesses
against Mrs., Carman.
The testimony they gave was cor
roborative.' Celia said her mistress,
dressed in a flowing dark silk kin1ono.
passed out through the kitchen just
before the maid heard the crash OF
breaking glass and the sharp report OF
a revolver. She 'swore that Mrs. Car
man entered the kitchen through the
back door just afterward. Mrs. Car
man showed her g. long, blue steel re-
volver, the negress said, and re-
marked:
81 have shot him."
The next morning at daybreak, Mrs.
Carman came to the maids room in
her night robe, urged her TO forget
what she knew and lie for her mis-
tress, the maid testified. Celia said
she did this for Mrs. Carman at first
because she "felt sorry for her. "
Farrell said he was on his way to
the rear of the Carman house to beg
food when he heard a crash of glass
and shot. Looking up, he saw a
woman dressed in dark garment that
extended from her shoulders to the
ground, standing by the window in
DR.. Carman's office with one hand
holding wire screen above her head
and the other hand thrust into the
window.
Farrell said he was frightened and
ran away. He looked back once ana
saw a flash OF white as "if the woman
had raised her petticoat to move
faster.
On Farrells cross examination,
which will be continued tomorrow
morning, he contradicted himself in a
few minor details. On the whole, how
ever, his story remained unshaken.
If Farrell stumbled and apparently
grew excited at times under cross ex-
animation, Celia Coleman did not.
Not once did she raise her voice,
despite the fact that she was on the
stand more than four hours.
Mrs. Carman seemed to be amused
by Farrell and the odd picturesque
way he had of saying things and an.
swering questions. But when Celia
Coleman was testifying, the defendant
leaned far back in her chair and
stared constantly at the witness.
While the direct examination was
in progress and during the cross ex-
animation of the negress, Mrs. Carman
tried to catch her eye. Once while
questioning the maid, the attorney for
the defense moved to point directly
behind his client Celia then allowed
her eyes to shift from one side of the
room to the other.
After she was excused from the WITT
ness stand. however, Celia looked at
Mrs. Carman for the first time. Tears,
it appears, came into the colored girls
eyes, for she placed her handkerchief
over them and sat down, out of sight.
Mrs. Carman was radiant when her
12-year-old daughter was brought into
court today and allowed to sit behind
her mother