Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-05-10
KILLED WHILE sLEEPING.
Wtfo Murder and Suicide In . Boarding
House,

Francis B. Ames and his wife, Mary L..
Ames, were found dead last night in the
front parlor on the first floor Of the fash
ionable boarding house No. 3O7 West
Fourteenth street, N. y, kept by Mrs. E..
T. Haight. A brief examination which was
made by the police satisfied them that
during the previous night Ames had
murdered his wife and afterwards cOD-
mitted suicide. On the floor beside the
corpse of Ames was found a revolver with
two chambers empty. A bullet wound was
discovered behind Mrs. .Ames' right ear and
there was similar wound at exactly the
same place in her husbands head. Mrs.
Ames was fOrty-eight years old, and her
husband was three years her senior. They
were both natives of Bangor. Me. Ames
from his youth followed the sea, and at the
time of his death was the commander of
the ship Llewellyn J. Morse, in which he
possessed quarter interest. tie had been
ailing for number of years and his sick
ness produced ut times fits of temporary
insanity, and it is supposed that while
under one of those spells he murdered his
wife and then killed himself.
On Wednesday, two weeks ago, Ames
and his wife went to live III Fourteenth
street, and the other bOarders at the din
ing table frequently remarked that they
were a happy and an unusually jolly couple.
Although Ames was complaining he rcgu.
larly visited the offices of Benham, Picker.
ing &C.,, the ship brokers at No. "a
Broad street. On Monday afternoon both
Ames and his wife appeared to be i'll the
best of spirits, and at p. m., they dined
together. At nine o'clock Ames summon
ed Fredric Francis, the cOlOred waiter, to
his apartment, and complaining OF the
cold ordered him to light the fire. A few
minutes later he called again and asked
for some lemonade, which was furnished
him. While Francis was in the parlOr
Amcs paced to and fro across the floor,
while his wife remained seated on \ chair,
apparently interested in a book which she
was reading. That was the last seen OF
the couple alive. They did not appear at
breakfast nor dinner yesterday, but that
was not considered unusual, and not the
slightest pains were taken by those in the
boarding house to ascertain the cause O1
their absence, excepting that some time
during the day one of tho cOlorcd porters
raped at the door but received no re-
SpOnSe.
While tho remainder of tho guests were
at supper last evening Mr.. Llewellyn
Morse, Capt. Ames' brOther-in.law, who
but few hours before had returned To
this city from his homo at Bangor, Me-,
called at the house and made some in.
quirics concerning his sister and her hus-
band. Upon being told that they had not
been seen since nine o'clock Oh Monday
night, he became alarmed and requested
permission to force open the door, rs the
key was ON the inside. The request was
granted by the prOprietrcss, and when the
door was broken in the discovery was
made that the aged pair had died violent
deaths.
Ames' corpse WAS found in q pool OF
blood OH the floor, with his head to the
door. He was partly dressed, aud beside
the corpse, on tho right hand side, was
the fatal revolver. On the bed lay tho
7ody of Mrs. Amcs, with her face toward
the street window. There was a peaceful
and natural expression on her face
and it was clear that she received
the wound that resulted i'll bel
instant death while asleep. Ames
looked calm and his face was in no way
contortcd. From tho wound behind hi
wifc's right car blood had bubbled and
slightly besmeared the sheeting. The
room was in good order, and there was
not the slightest indication of q struggle.
No note was found that would in any way
explain the motive for the double crime
The cause was known only to the man anC
wife, and their lips were sealed by death
The police were informed of the tragedy
and Coroner Knox made an investigation
after which he issued a permit for tho re-
mOva1 of tho bodies to an undertaker'S,