Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-06
CECILIA COLEMAN AGAIN
ACCUSES MRS. CARMAN
Diffident Negro Maid More Convinc.
Ing Witness Than at Previous
Trial.
REPEATS CONFESSION STORY
Effect Of Strain Weighs Heavily on
Alleged Murderess as Attorney
Wages His Ruthless Battle for
Her Life.
Especial to The Timcs-pispatch. ]

MlNEOLA. l.. T.. May 6.-Mrs. Flor
encc Conklin Carman, hard pressed,
sat lmage-like to-day, her face crim-
son, listening intently while District
| Attorney Smith of Nassau County,
| waSed his ruthless battle for her life.
This second trial is Weighing on her.
she shows the effects of the strain more
plainly than when she was first put on
! trial for her life in October for the
murder of Mrs. Louise Bailey last June
Celia Coleman. the dindent negro
maid of-all- in the Carman home
| in Freeport when Mrs. Bailey was MUIR
| dered there, related to-day FOR tho sec
ond time her story In which she says
| that she saw Mrs. Carman leave the
kitchen before she shot; return after
| wards, and confidc to her that she was
| a murderess.
And Celia was better. steadicr
Sad more convincing witness this time
than she was last October. when ten
, of the jurymcn disbelieved her.
Mrs May |. Black. OF BROOKLYN and
her daughter. Ruth---ncw Witnesses
told stories that practically nunifled
Mrs. Carman's main defense in her
first trial Last October Mrs. Carn,an's
| lawyers commended that the murderer OF
| Mrs Bailey--whoever 1t was-raced
across the lawn after the Shooting and
lcapcd over the fence separating the
| Carman property from that then occu-
pied by the Black family.
FIRST JURY CONSTRAINED
TO BELIEVE HYPOTHESIS
The first jury was constrained to be-
lieve this hypothesis.
! But to-day Mrs. Black and her
daughter declared that they were on
! the porch Of their home at the time OF
the murder. 1t was about o'clock and
still light-quitc light. They said that
| ihey heard the crash OF glass and the
almost simultaneous shot They walked
across the lawn. almost to the fence
IhcH saw man in SLOUGH hat, stand
ing near the window. But they saw
nobody running and heard nobody
either running or walking
| Moreover, both declared that they
stood where they could see the entire
Carman lawn and the broken window.
Who the strange man by the window
was could only be conjecturcd The
state contends that it was John ].
Farrell. the tramp. who at the first
trial testified that he was crossing tho
Carman lawn when he saw woman
break the window and fire. George
Morton Levy, chief of Mrs. Carman.s
counsel. says that it was Dudolph I.oew.
the patient just arriving on the Car
man premises when the murder was
done Loew testified in October that he
went around to the window. Both
l-oew and Farrell are short and square
~ ouilt-the description given OF the
man by the Blacks
STORY OF CELIA COLEMAN
MORE ESTHRALLING THAN EVER
the story OF Celia Coleman. She told
1t with the same wistful manner, but
the old hesitancy. dread and utter lack
of confidence was gone. She took the
stand At 3;55. At 42o Levy began
his DISCRIMINATION He was still
hammerins away at 6:35 when court
adjourned for the day
She amplified her original tale slight
ly. On one or two occasions she took
advantage OF Lcvys questioning IA
make stronger certain stanch nosi,ions
she had taken
Celia. quite gorgeous in new hluo
frock and two huge white plumcs in
her hat. admitted frankly that she lied
TO Levy. who came TO her the morning
after the shootng-July land took
her deposition. She said that she again
lied at the coroner's inquest, but she
maintained that her story at the frs,
trial was the truth.
| She repeated her story of little Eliza
| beth Carman's coming to her I'm tho
kitchen as she was washing the sup.
per dishes on the night of June 30
! Then Mrs. Carman entered she said
Mrs. Carman. according to Celia, was
dressed In a night gown. n kimona, .
shawl, slippers and cap
She told Elizabeth to stay back O,
stand back" lisped Celia II saw he,
as she passed me at the sink. She
went out the Kitchen door. Then soon
heard the crash of glass and tho shot,
Then in about one or two minutes Mrs
Carman came back in the kitche,
through the same door
MRS. CARMAN CONFEssEs
MURDER TO MAI
She said to me: I shot him, see, nj
she held out a dark revolver The,
She said, Don't tell anybody did II.
Then she went into the doctors office
She had her hands under the shawl
followed her. The body of the lad,
was on the floor. ] was scared. Mrs
Carman then went upstairs. didn'
see her until next morning about half
past five. didn't sleep all night
! The next morning she came into m,
room and sat on the edge OF my bed
oh. Celia she said, what did
XIII that woman for. I hope God viii
forgive me-
II told her that God would forgiv,
anything except self-murder." wills
pered the girl.
Mrs carman told me to say no i
anybody asked was she downstairs tina
night" said Celia, "and I did"
When DR.. Carman brought me owe
TO Mineola for the grand jury on tn
9th," continued the girl. "he told me t,
say the same to the grand jury as
said at the inquest or else they'd but i