The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-12
DYING BY HER LOVERS HAND
EVA GEIsS STORY OF HER SHOOTING
BY EDWARD AREAS, TOLD.
Suffering from the Wound for Nearly Year
Before she Would Make Complaint Eninst
the Man Who, She Ayers, betrayed Her.

Yesterday morning Coroner Ellinger went
to S0s East Thirty third street to take the depo
sition Of Eva Gels who Is dying from the effects |
Of a pistol shot In the head. received year ago. |
at the hands OF her lover The wounded girl |
was lying on a bed in the front room on the |
third floor. She is Just II years Of age and |
though the left side OF her face is disnRured by
the bullet. her countenance still bears traces OF |
no ordinary Rirlsh beauty.
Up to yesterday Miss Gels had never betrayed |
her lover. always asserting that tho pistol was
accidentally discharged but learning that her
death was imminent. she finally told the story
OF tho shooting. According to her statement
made to the Coroner and others she was only
IA years Of age when. In October, 1876 she per-
suaded her father who could hardly earn enough
to support his little family. TO allow her to go
IA servant into the establishment OF
Mrs. Sperb, Of SOC Sixth avenue Mr.. VIM.
Sperb, Jr.. is "A butcher doing very large bust
ness. and his wife's brother. Edward Arras. lie
now. and was then. foreman OF his store. Ed
ward Arras was about 80 years OF age. and a
nne-looking young man. He lodged and
boarded for the most part at 303 West Thirty
eighth street. but frequently. when business
detained him later than usual at the store. he
slept in his brother in laws house. occupy
ing small front room that was always kept
prepared for him.
Before many months had passed he became
acquainted with Eva. md though she was little
her. and she reciprocated his affection. She
says that, again and again. he promised 20
make her his wife, and finally IN March, 1877.
| he betrayed her. The secret OF their intimacy
was well kept and they lived as husband
add wife for many months without the knawl-
| edge OF the other inmates OF tho house Eva
frequently asked Arras to marry her in tho
| ordinary way, and he always promised to do So.
| saying he hoped he might be pargly2cd u he
did not" Still he deferred the day from month
| TO month. and in November Eva told him that
! she was about 10 become mother' She t9ll
| Arras OF her condition. ana she SAYS hc WIS lor
| time greatly disturbed about II but after o
| few days he seemed 70 be relieved. and desired
| On the nrsi sunday in November. she thinks.
| he asked hertz take walk with him. and ne
| took her 10 the house Of Mrs. Blanco In West
| Thirty-nrst street. They went to the Same
| house three lines and on tho first two occa;
| sions Mrs. Bunce questioned her, but did
| nothing to relieve her. On the third visit she
| was given some medicine, which she drank
when She got home. 1t made her terribly sick.
| to die. In two months. however. she was well
again and then she and Arras resumed their
This state of affairs continued until May 8.
1878. aud then Miss Gels determined to make
should he still delay In having the ceremony
| performed she resolved, at any cost To sep9-
| rate from him. She told him that she had made
| up her mind not to be imposed upon any
| longer, and that II he would not marry her At
little sister and tell them Of her degradation.
| This. she says, scanned TO alarm him. and he
| vowed that on May 10 he would take her 70 the
| church and marry her.
| The poor girl made such simple preparations
| for the wedding rs were in her power for she
| believed her lover then rs implicitly as in the
| beginning. But the appointed day came with,
out bringing the expected bridegroom. and
| from that date until June ~ she never saw him.
| At about o'clock in the evening of the DAY
last named she was sitting In her own little rear
To" 10 and lover
entered. He seemed greatly excited and was
about TO speak 10 her. when he noticed that his
aHaNA mr. IYAEr
for his ABRUPT entrance he hastily withdrew
Fifteen minutes later he entered the room again
| In the same manner as before, but his sister was
| still there and he went out Quarter OF an hour
| afterward he went in the third time. and found
| that Mrs. Sperb had gone away. He locked the
door quickly, and approaching the astonished
| girl he se-zed her by the throat. She shrek ed
and struggled but he held her light +, a nd, draw
sers, he pressed 1t against her head. She was
nearly IT al with terror. but he pushed her vio-
ently down upon the floor. and stopped over
- So you are tired Of -FOUR life. are you ?" he
| said. We'll I'll settle that"
He placed tho muzzle Of the pistol directly
under her Len ear snd p9htnthnS ,, npw9ri
and then remembered nothing more. The
shooting was done on "Wednesday and she
thinks IT WAS Saturday before she recovered
As soon as he had fred tho pistol, Arras
Wien Mr.. sperb T and his wife arrived he Was
greatly agitdted. and told them the shooting
Was purely accidental, DR.; o. s. Paine q a.
|
. his arrival he found the wounded girl reclining
in her lovers arms, while tho latter. appa-
/ pouring out a torrent Of lamentations over her
p DR. Payne reported the ease TO Cant Williams
l | who arrested Arras. He was liberated how
ever. on his brother in law. Mr.. sperb furnish.
; ing bail In IS 900.
sufficiently recovered to 60 70 his ohe Tor trent
ment. He wished 10 send her to his hospital
but Mr.. Sperb and his wife objected strenuously
| and throughout her illness showed her marked
| Kindness and consideration, She frequently
assured Dr. Paine that the shooting was acct
dental and expressed the utmost regret AZ hei
lovers arrest The Doctor understood that The
two were engaged TO be married. and when he
d parted with his patient no did not see her OF
hea, II her again until he was summoned e
G. | the Coroncr's office yesterday. He says tina
/, when he ceased 10 treat Miss Gets she was in n,
| immediate danger. but he knew that such
, wound with the bullet unextracted. might a
v any time result fatally.
G The wounded girl says that when she recov
b cred consciousness her lover and his siste
e attended her constantly. The formers affsc
IL newal. aud he said he hoped he might become
. blind and a cripple II he did not marry her a.
soon as she able 10 walk 10 church" He
e. head WIS badly swollen for q long time, and sh
4 was subject 70 seizures q dizziness. which re
e says she had not strength Of mind Ia resist hi
b | overtures and rs soon AS she was sufcientl
: recovered she consented TO live once more will
f. | from his sister and her husband. MS heretofore
:. Last February he tried to induce her to g
before but she refused and insisted that h
u should marry hcr at last aud he pledged him
r. self 10 do so on May /. But when that day cam'
he told her that he could not marry. womal
i'd, whose loft ear was SO disfigured. and who Eel
e down. as though she were drunk. half dozei
4. times a day. He more than once Threatened q
4 kill her. she says, and on May 20 she determin
:; ed to 20 home 10 her father. As she was gotnl
away Arras swore that II she sad ANYTHING L
q the old man about the intimacy that had eXiste
o between them he would murder her.
u Despite this threat. Miss Gels on getting 4
X her home. confessed to her father the life sh
!, Ind been leading for two years and q half. AN
a. told him Of her present condition. He at ono
= instituted suit against Arras, laying his dam
y ages AT 1000. But his daughters health wa
. falling fast and yesterday. when IL became cyl
dent 10 him that she would never ascend III
- witness stand to testify against her hetrayer, h
N notified the Coroners Office An examinatio
10 showed that her condition was very critical. an
e her deposition was taken ut once 10y CQrone
. | EllinRrr Arras was arrested but liberated upO
- furnishing bail in $1,000 his brother -la'
- again becoming his bondsman,
II Edward Arras denies that he ever promise
~ to marry Miss Gels. though he admits his in
timacy with her but says that she encourage
Y him. With regard to the shooting. he claim
y. that 1t was purely accidental. Late in the even
Ne ing Of June 49, he says he went into her room
te and saw a little single barrel pistol. belongin
~ to one OF Mr. Sperbs boys, lying upon the Hoo
He had no pistol OF his own in any Of hi
n. pockets, and when he picked up this on