Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-27
A DOUBLE DEAL.
Wash Roberts Kills His Wife and Sends
the Ghost of Himself After Her
TO Another World.
A C0Ward's Deed that Fully Entities
Him TO a Free Pass to the
Internal Regions.

Yesterday afternoon a report flew rapidly
/ through the city that a tragedy of an IN
usually cruel nature had taken place on
Beale and fernando streets. An APPEAL
reporter accordingly repaired to the place
I and fnHnd a large crowd OF curious people
collected there. They were grouped especially
thick about the entrance TO the stairs, as well
as half way up the flight leading to the third
floor over McLaughlin's grocery. The police
kept them from rushing up and crowding
the room. Every man was eager TO get
sight of the horrible objects and waited his
turn as If he sought admission to some
RARE SHOW.
Through this crowd the reporter made his
way up the stairs into the room on the south
west corner of the building IN this room
several persons, men and women, were stand
ing, and among them Esquire Spelman,
who had just held the inquest. The room
itself was fastidiously neat. ] he floor was
neatly scrubbed, and the walls and ceiling
were clean and cheerful. On the bed were a
few pieces OF clothing that seemed to have
been placed there Just for a moment. The
wash-basin was filled with water that had
just been used. On the walls were
NUMBER OF PICTURES.
The portrait Of General Robert F. LIE was
one among them. There was one very taste
full picture OF little girl tripping over the
tique scenes were also there, and several
portraits OF bright-faced children. On the
mantel were half dozen or more china
pieces of rather pretty design, and Swiss
clock. The hands of the latter had stopped
at ) o'clock, and at just that time the tragedy
happened. Whether the shock from the
firing of two pistol shots caused ii TO stop
and chronicle the exact time when the deed
was done, it is impossible TO say. On the
clean floor
LAY THE DEAD BODIES
of Wash Roberts and his wife, Kate in their
own blood. The woman lay upon her back,
with cloth over her face, almost as she fell
in the southwestern corner OF the room. \
bullet had gone through her head Just back
OF the right temple, and her hair was all
wet with blood. She was clad in a working
dress of calico, wore wooden colored stock
ings and pair of slippers. Her pallid arms
were folded over the dead bosom. At her
feet lay her husband with his dead face
dripping with blood and
BLAcKENED WITH POWDER,
upturned and uncovered He was a most
horrible sight. A pool of clotted blood lay
on the floor his head, and his hair was
soaked with it. On his forehead was black !
circle, caused by the powder; in the center |
thereof was black hole, by which the bullet !
had entered. In his Left hand, strange to |
were of shabby genteel character, fitting |
him loosely.
HIS FACE IN DEATH
was hard and pinched, and on it one could |
read pusillanimous, cogardly nature. Ii |
said palmer than any words could have done !
this man was capable of any degree of mean
ness and cowardice. He was of small stature, |
with features regular, and small mustache
His death was the only redeeming feature
a Onf the farribIa off VTbar, he
visited the scene the bodies had already be-
come cold, and the pale phantom Death was
rapidly marring the frames that but one
hour before had pulsed with life and had
been guided by thought. The subject was
well worth the meditation of "Hamlet" or
The pen of a Dickens
THE CAUSE
In order to get at the causes leading to the
iouble crime it is necess ry to go backward.
w ash Roberts was young man of about
twenty-five years and thorough sample of
he dead-beat. He came TO Memphis from
chicago, where he has a sister and a brother;
= lew years ago he drove streetcar here.
This life, however, was too respectable for
him and he did not follow it long, but gave
lis time to card-playing in saloons, and the
oromiscuous drinking of liquor. He had
FoNDNEss FOR DIVES
If the worst character, and was always at
home in the fetid atmosphere OF such places
His brother kept very tough place of the
lind near the foot of Beale street, ard there
Wash spent most of his time. When the
-ellow-fever fell upon the city, he betook
himself to the yellow-fever camp and re-
NAMED there as long as it was dangerous to
e in the city. In 1879 he returned to the
ity and married a widow--Mrs. Kate
1oover-a hard working, industrious woman
I thiity-two, in everything his superior.
he union of
THRIFT AND woRTHLEssNEss .
ecessarily was not a happy one, and do !.
lestic quarrels were by no means iDfrequent =
he not only supported her two children by
former marriage, but him as well. Several r
onths ago he deserted her, and last Septem-
ar he secured work as a brakeman on the
Lissouri, Kansas and Texas railroad. On
lie 18th of that month as he was coupling ,
70 cars his arm was caught between them and
CUT OFF 9
tween the wrist and the elbow. This
,cident happened in Texas; he was taken :
Sedalia, Missouri, and placed in the hos Z
tai there. He wrote home to some of his
quaintances, but not to his wife. and stated
) condition. young man named L. r.
GORE, hearing of the accident, went to see
rs. Roberts and communicated the fact to
r. She, with that good feeling that always
arKS the vile, no matter now badly she is
lated, Immediately sent her husband a let
:, the substance of which was as follows:
'sEND TO Me"
DEAR WAsHmH you need any money send to me q
u did not treat right, but you have a home
re whenever you choose to come, you know.
To this the fellow sent reply that he did
t want any money. About Christmas he L
me back TO Memphis on her money and
L. I L
2 city he has been drunk. A short time
o his brother, Bill Roberts, who kept the q
saloon, died and Wash was APP 3
inted the administrator on his estate. 1t
S incumbered however, that he real -
d but little out of it. From it, or some :
Tree, he obtained a considerable sum of
h, and devoted himself to gambling and n
tous living. III
SNEAK GAMBLER. -
Even as a "sneak gambler he was the
vest of the low, and having lost his right
nd, his dizziness in handling cards was TO 4
at extent gone. Knowing that his wife
] considerable amount of money, he he
i importuning her for it. She was obs.i
e about it. and being herself naturally
,h-tempered, the spats between the tw,
anne more and more frequent. Day befor-
terday she deposited 1925 with Mir
key, the saloonist, who resides in tn
ghborhood. She also deposited 1925 with
,ther gentleman. To the latter she said
t she wanted to put aside a small sum for =
children, as she knew
HER HUSBAND WOULD KILL HER,
having snapped pistol upon her several
es. Yesterday the matter eliminated.
$ understood that he found out she had
ced her money in other hands that he
hit not get hold of it. 1t was also rumored
t he felt jealous of tie gentleman, whose
ne is not mentioned, who held part of her
ney for her children. This rumor is
dly to be believed, and the only reason
tiend seems to have had to commit the
d was that she would not give him the
ney he wanted. At any rate, he N ade up
mind to murder her yesterday and then
himself. During the day he drank less
n usual, and he let fall several intima-
Is that he intended doing something des-
ate.
HIS HEART LIKE LEAD.
Letting Officer Henry Cullen at the corner
Main and Beale streets shortly before 3
ock, Roberts said:
Henry / want to make YOU a present of a >