The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-02-01
A SUPPER.TABLE HORROR.
4 San Francisco Husband shoots IIiS
wife ana EiIIg Himself, in Pres
cnce Of Their Children.
IFrom the San llrnncisco cam


Last evening, at $50 o'clock, II trag-
edy was enacted at No. $40 Powell
street, between Bush and Sutter. a
man and his wife exchanged angry
wolGs just as they were about to sit
down to supper, and he ordered her to
leave the house. She refused to de so,
whereupon he shot her, and then shot
himself in the head, producing
wound which caused his death half an
hour after he inflicted it. The man who
attempted murder, and then killed
himself, was named Lewis Nj. Henry,
and was by profession an engineer.
been employed in the United States
Mint, from which place he was
discharged for some reason which is
not given. Some time after his reno
val from Office he preferred charges
against General LAGRANGE, the Super
intendent, but these have not been dis
posed Of. After he had made the
charges he sought to regain his lost po-
sition, but proved Unsuccessful. He
then became Respondent, aud took to
drinking to excess, and often returned
home in state of INVESTIGATION. This
led to trouble between husband and
wife, and within week she refused to
occupy the same room with him, and
slept in n room in the basement with
her children. Last Friday night he did
not return home, and yesterday he did
not come home until about six o'clock
in the evening. lie went into the
dining-room, which is in the front part
of the basement, and sat down in Il
rocking-chair near the Fireplace, while
supper was being prepared. The table
was spread, the meats served up and
the tea poured out when Henry's two
sons Lorenzo and Lewis NJ, aged re-
spectively fourteen and ten years, sat
AT the table, The wife entered the
dining room, and rsked her husband
to have some supper. He refused, and
said that he would not eat Il meal in
the house so long as she refused to oc-
cupy the same room with him. She
told him that she would not remain
with him while he was drunk. He
thereupon said, "Then, by the Eternal,
you shall leave the house.n AS he
made this remark, he drew revolver
from his pocket; but before be could
use it his eldest son arose from his seat
at the table and took hold of his father,
saying, "'Father, you put that up.n
Heidi 90, but instantly drew it Sec
ond time, and pointing it at his wife's
head, fired. The ballet missed its aim
and lodged in the wall. The wifegave
scream and started to run away,
when her husband fired second shot.
This took effect, and the woman fell to
the floor. The husband, probably
thinking that he had killed her, turned
the muzzle to his own head, fired, and
fell to the floor. The eldest boy, before
the second shot was fired, picked up an
infant which Was going towards Mrs.
Henry, and ran with it into the
Kitchen while the youngest boy, too
terrified to act or speak, sat at
the table, a witness of the tragedy.
A few minutes after the last shot
had been fired. Mr.. Robert Pateman
and wife, who occupy rooms in this
house, entered, and were soon in
formed of what had transpired. Mr..
Pateman summoned officer Niles,
while other messengers were sent after
physicians. When the officer arrived
he found Mrs. Henry in the dining
room holding wet towel to her head
to staunch the blood which flowed
from slight scalp wound, and discov-
cred Henry lying on the floor where
he had fallen, Between his knees was
a silver-mounted ivory handled revolt
Yer of the Smith Il Wesson pattern,
three chambers of which were empty.
The officer picked up the wounded man
and placed him on lounge, on which
he Remained until he died. The
wounded woman was taken to her
room, where o medical man attended
her. The wound she received is not
dangerous. The deceased man was a
native, OF Illinoin, about thfty-eight
years or age He came TO California in
1850. The Coroner was notified, and
he took charge of the case, and will
hold ap inuIlpst