Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-26
SOCIETY WOMAN SLAIN
BY DEMENTED BUTLER


through the rear door She evidently
turned on the top Of the step and then
| Thomas fired.
! The first bullet went through the worn
! ans hedrt As she fell the Negro fired
! again, the bullet striking her In the left
arm. Mrs. Sarah Thomas cook for the
! Hastings and wife OF the Negro, was on
| the third floor at work at the time. She
! ran downstairs in time to see her husband
| plunge down the steps into the rear
yard and run toward the garage.
CHILD GIVES ALARM
Nlne-year-old Frances Bartlett, a little
! girl who attended the Sunday school of
st. Johns Presbyterian Church, Devon,
where Miss Watson was a teacher, was
passing the house at $50 o'clock. She
heard what she described to neighbors
as "a buzz"
81 heard something buzz" she said.
Neighbors rushed to the front OF the
| house. but saw nothing Then they heard
the screams of Mrs. Thomas and ran
| around to the rear The Negress was
| standing at the top Of the steps in the
doorway, shrieking. Miss Watson's body
was lying face downward on the steps,
which were spattered with blood
| POLICE HEAR SCREAMS.
| Policemen Costello and Clemence, of
/
| the screams Of Mrs. Thomas The lat
ter pointed to the garage in answer to
| their questions. They found tho door of
Iths building locked. Hearing some one
moving about inside, the bluecoats
clamored for admission and then started
to smash their way through When they
] had almost succeeded In forcing the
heavy door they heard single shot
| Thomas was found dangling from the
| Mi NJ ri a
| his neck. A soap box was found kicked
I TO one side The Negro, standing on the
| box with the rope around his neck, had
thrust the muzzle of a revolver in his
mouth and pulled the trigger Then he
! had kicked the box away. The bullet
wound would have been sufficient to
cause death.
Justice of the Peace Washington H.
! Smith and Coroner Harrigan, of Radnor
township. had been summoned by this
| time. They impressed jury from among
| the spectators, who began to arrive afoot
| and in automobile to Investigate the
shooting, news of which spread through
the fashionable community with lightning
rapidty,
.. JURY IMPRESSED.
The jury was Immediately convened IN
the kitchen where the struggle preceding
the shooting occurred, and the inquest
was held.
The inquest. which lasted two hours,
resulted in a verdict that Miss Watson
was killed by a gun In the hands of
Thomas temporarily insane, who then
hanged and shot himself
Among the witnesses was j. Crawford
| Bartlett, of Devon, who was nearby and
who said he heard a cry for help after
! the firing, Others examined We're Mr.
| Hastings and Special Policeman Keithle
and Policemen Clemence and Costello,
who were the first to arrive on the
scene,
The authorities are making an effort to
learn more of Thomas career before he
appeared as a Main Line servant, and
to this end the Philadelphia police will
no doubt be requested TO give assistance.
Neither Justice Smith nor Coroner Har-
rgan anticipates any race disturbances
as a result of the shooting. The colored
inhabitants are not the objects of re-
| sentiment because Of the crime, they said.
Nevertheless all necessary precautions
will be taken to prevent any disturb
| ances.
Chief of Police Mulham of Radnor
township, and the Coroner started an In
vestIgation. Mrs, Thomas was closely
questioned in the kitchen while the body
of Miss Watson still lay on the steps and
that OF Thomas was hanging In the gar
age. A curious, stunned crowd OF spec
tators iammed the doorway and trampled
the Gne fowerbeds In the extensive lawns
surrounding the Hastings home.
VICTIM HAD NO HELP.
The bodies had been taken into the
house when Mr.. and Mrs, Hastings got
home. They had been attending funeral
a. BFoomall, when Mr., Hastings got a
telephone message from one of his neigh
bors telling him to return at once. as
Something terrible had happened at
his home.
Apparently Miss Watson had been pre-
pairing a light luncheon for her sister and
brother-in-law when she was attacked
Two dishes OF salad were found ON the
kitchen table. Another was overturned
on the floor, The footprints OF the Negro
were plainly outlined on the floor He
had been working IN the garden, One
trail led from the door to the table AZ
which Miss Watson had been at work
Around the table the footprints were all
together indicating stFu gle, and a SEN
arate trail led 70 the kitchen door,
Miss Watson was active IN church and
Sunday school work AZ Devon. She lived
at Northampton, Mass, antil ~ years
ago. One OF her principal charities was
taking poor children from the slums sd
the city into the fresh air OF Devon for
outings
She vas the daughter OF the late John
Watson, of Northampton, who made a
fortune IN that town IN the manufacture
Of paper
ONCE ENGLISH SAILOR.
Thomas had been married ls years, ae-
cordng to his wife. lie came 10 thIs
country from England four years ago.
after serving e term In the English navy.
He and his wife had worked ia various
Main Line homes and were recommended
to the Hastings b. a negro amploymant
bureau on Lombard street MI Hastings
said today he had been perfectly saiIs-
hed with the negro's work and could not
understand why he eommitied the crime.
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