Robert "Robin" Hemingray - Carlotta Campiglio

ROBERT HEMINGRAY TELLS

HIS STORY BEFORE THE

SAN FRANCISCO JURY.

HE WANTED IT MADE CLEAR THAT THERE

WAS NO WRONG TO BE RIGHTED SO

FAR AS THE GIRL WAS CONCERNED.

SAN FRANCISCO. Dec 2. — The inquest over the remains of Carlotta Steffens, the young woman who killed herself in the apartments of Robert Hemingray, a race horse man, at the Knickerbocker Hotel on Saturday night last, commenced today. Robert Hemingray told the story of their relations and insisted that he knew of no reason why the girl should have take her own life, but questioned by Coroner Leland, Hemingray said:

"One night in the Palace Hotel, the woman said she would kill herself. McCue, the jockey, was in our room. He had been drinking and she asked him to go out. We had a little dispute as to the way to get him out, and she said she would kill herself, in a laughing way."

C. T. Hemingray corroborated the testimony of his brother and said that beyond one or two little "tiffs," no quarrel of a serious nature had occurred between the two, and he could assign no reason for her act.

J. E. Locke, proprietor of the Knickerbocker, told the jury that the conduct of the couple was exemplary. Locke stated that on Saturday night Hemingray came to him and asked him to go to his (Hemingray's) room, as he feared that his wife had killed herself. Locke entered the room and was horrified at the sight, which met his gaze. He said:

"The woman was lying on the bed. In one hand was a pistol. I took the pistol and went into the hall and reproached Hemingray."

"Mr. Hemingray left the house as soon as I told him what had happened. Before the Hemingrays left they asked that 'their women folks' be kept out of the matter."

"I saw no evidence of ill-treatment while they were at the house. Once Mrs. Hemingray said she was her husband's hoodoo. She seemed to be quite positive in this belief. She was a woman of exceptional buoyancy of spirits."

"In her own mind, she was quite positive that she brought ill-luck to her husband."

Robert Hemingray was recalled. When asked by the Coroner, he said there had been no promise of marriage on his part, nor had she asked it of him.

"I did not take her from her home," said he. "Our relations were thoroughly understood between us. There was no wrong to be righted. This I wish to make clear."

The wound, according to the testimony of Dr. Bacigalupf, the autopsy surgeon, was no doubt self-inflicted.

SAN FRANCISCO, December 3. — This afternoon, the coroner's jury returned a verdict, finding that the deceased Carlotta Steffens, came to her death by a gun-shot wound, self-inflicted with suicidal intent, while in a melancholy mood.

No criticisms or remarks were appended to the verdict.