Putnam patriot., 1916-05-12
CORONER'S INQUEST Lawyer 4. G. Bill Began Hearing TeSti- mOny ill PettiS Murder Case
 Last Friday Rrs petfis ives Over Aoain inc Early
Mrs. pettis Lives Over Again inc Early Morning Tragedy as She Relates Story

of wtndham county, began his in quest in the death Of Burt Pettis and his daughter Sybil, at the PettiS home al 8 o'clock Friday afternoon. All of the afternoon was consumed In the ex. animation of Mrs. Pettis, the only sur- vivor of the little family,
 Mrs. Pettis testified that her name was Lulu F E. Pettis, Il. She mar ried Mr. Pettis September, 26th, 1904, and had always lived in the same place. She had known John Elliott, the accused, by sight for good many years, but had only known him to speak to for three years.
 The first time Elliott came to the house was about twelve years ago. From that time until his next visit was nearly eleven years December, 1914, when he came to bring a pig for Miss Cunningham. Three weeks ago, April 11th, he showed up peetedly at s o'clock carrying the same bag in which he carried all of his deadly weapons. He also carried paper bag. Sybi was playing the piano and her father was dozing in his arm chair. He was invited in and he took of his rubhers and shoes and put on pair of slippers. He then asked for pan. Sybil came in but did not speak to him. The mother asked her to get the ba ft ha d .aa lot of peanuts into it. Sybil appar- ently didn't want to have anything 10 do with him only eating one or two peanuts. Elliott remained until mid night. After he left he came back and told them it was showing and she had never seen him again until the morning of the murder. She felt that he came to do the deed that night but that his nerve failed him.
 Mrs. Pettisi story of the murder:
 An alarm clock went off at 4 30 and MT. Pettis got up and went down. She told him to call her at and fell asleep at once. Next thing she knew was when she heard her husband ex- claim, "Wheres the gun?" and he went to a clothes press for it. She asked, "What is the matter?" and he said, "John Elliott has shot me in the elbow" He got the gun and she held him saying, "Don't Bart. Don't kill anybody
 Sybil then came out of her room. Mrs. Pettis went into the hall and saw Elliott coming up the stairs with two revolvers in his hands. She dodged back as Elliott fired. Sybil then came into the room and said, "Mother, I am dying" An instant later MT. Pettis came in and fell down. She begged him to speak and she saw he was gone She saw that Syoil was dead too. She heard Elliott come up the stairs and she slammed the door and held 1t. El- liott pulled and kicked ion the other side and threatened to shoot through the door and kill her if she didn't let go. She opened the door and he came in and looked at the bodies and grinhed and said, "Poor Sybil, 1 did- n't mean to kill her, l meant to get Pettis.n He then turned and left the room. She opened the window and screamed, crossed the hall to another room and opened another window and screamed. He then told her he had cut the telephone wires.
 They then went down stairs. He took two revolvers in one hand and took out stick of dynamite saying, "I'm going to blow this whole place to he'll" She held onto his coat and begged him to spare her. Then they went out into the woodshed and up stairs. His bag with all of the things was there but he did not touch t.They came down and then Elliott turned and said, "You have got nerve.o She then ran to the Kies house, expecting to be shot down all the way over. She aroused the family.
 Mrs. Pettis claims that Elliott did not have a scratch or drop of blood on him. She said she knew this as she held onto him and looked right into his face.
 The coroner then went back to the subject of her pleading with Elliott and brought out the fact that Elliott had said that he was going to blow himself to pieces.
 The night before the murder the family sat up until 'after II as Sybil had been writing an essay. She heard no shots, the first she knew was when her husband came into the room- The hearing was adjourned about o'clock.
 Two things brought out at the in- quest seem to conflict with previous theories advanced. Mrs. Pettis says she is positive that Elliott did not have scratch, cut or bit of blood on his face or head. If this is so then the theory that MT. Pettis and Elliott had a tussle and that Pettis inflicted these injuries is exploded and how the mur- derer received his injuries remains a mystery.
 An exploded cartridge shell picked up near the apple tree in the orchard back of the house may be significant. This might show that Elliott was fin the orchard behind the apple tree and that Peilis came out of the woodshed