The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-04-04
TRAGEDY AT THE DINNER-TABLE.
Another Case of Fatal Shooting..-A
mother Slain by Her Husband Her
LITTLE Children by Her Side.

Little Children by Her Side.
Pitiable in the expreme is fatal case
of shooting which occurred in the Seven
teenth ward yesterday afternoon. A Ger
man, when intoxicated, shot his wife dead
at the dinner table, while surrounded by
their little children. The man is Will
liam Frevert, a grocer, residing in the
rear of No. 334 East Six street, where he
keeps a store. His wife, Sophia, was
small woman with regular and pleasing
features. They were married ten years
ago, and have four children, the eldest
nine years or age, the youngest baby
eight days old For the last three years
and half, during which time Frevert
has resided in Sixth street, his conduct
has been most exemplary and his behavior
towards his wife Of the most affectionate
character. Three months ago Frevcrt
opened a lager beer saloon at No. 324
East Houston street, which he placed in
charge of young German named Louis
Miller. Yesterday afternoon Frevert
went into this saloon with an old friend
named Peter Latimer, German carpen
tier. FreveIt was Intoxicated After
drinking some beer they left and went in
to the bakery of Joseph Kneidler, No.
326 East Houston street Mr.. Kneidler's
| foreman had been shooting rats in the
bake room, and his pistol, seven cham
bered Smith & Wesson revolver, lay on a
bread stand. Frevert took it up and in
qnired whose it was. The foreman said
he had been shooting rats. Frevert put
the pistol in his pocket, asking ''is it load
cd ?" The foreman answered "no," and
asked him Why he put it in his pocket
Frevert answered that lie wanted to shoot
some rats in his own house. The fore
man said he could have the pistol, and
Frevort promised to pay for it. He then
invited Latimer to dinner, aud they both
went to the house in Sixth street. Lati.
! mer took OF his coat and hat Frevert
too of his overcoat, and taking the pistol
out of his pocket, laid it on the dinner
table Mrs Frevert was in the kitchen pre-
i pairing dinner The four little children
were seated around the table. The young.
: est began playing with the pistol, AID Laii-
mer told Frey ert that he should not allow
them. Frevert said, Here, it is not load
!, ed" Saying so he pointed the pistol at
the door leading into the kitchen, and
t snapped it. 1t exploded, for, although
, the bakers foreman thought he had fired
off all the loads, one chamber had a cart
, ridge in it. At that moment Mrs Ere
vert came to the kitchen door with tray
of coffee in her hand The ball from the
pistol entered her mouth, and taking :
: backward aud upward direction crushed
, through her skull into her brain.
SHE FELL DEAD on THE THRESHOLD
D of tie room Frevert for moment seem
: ed incapable Of comprchending the extent
of his act, but as he woke up to the con
sciousnees that he had killed his wife he
; became distracted He bent over her
; face and kissed her over and over again
and called on her to come back to life
The little children began crying, and the
second youngest hung inquiringly to his
coat skirt and sobbed, knowing not what
the trouble was. The man Latimer fed
: from the house, and gave the alarm. Mrs
, Braut, the landlords wife, came to the
door, and Frevert, seeing her, said, "Oh
come in, Mrs. Brant, and see what have
+, done" From kissing his dead wife, Ere
vert's face was covered with blood, and
, he presented a horrible appearance
Officer Burbank, of the sanitary squad
, which force occupied the Seventeenth pre-
cienct yesterday, came into the house anC
arrested Freyert He was locked up il
Seventeenth precinct station house III,
, was insane, as far as could be judged from
his Conduct last night-N y World