New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-19
A MINISTER'S DOUBLE CRIME.
QUITTING HIS wIFE's THROAT AND HIS OWN.

The second shocking tragedy. including p. VIE
murder and suicide, which has occurred IN Brook,
lyn within the last six months, , occurred nesl
lar of the Reformed Church in Mountviile,
X. j., near Newark, first cut bis wli ,s
throat and then, severing his own luguiaf nean
lea ed from fourth-story window. Both OF them
died within an hour Mr. keml0 had suffered il0 9
malaria for three months his head being especially
Affected and it Is considered certa n mat ne was
insane when he committed the double crime.
The scene of the tragedy was the apartments on
the fourth floor of the Atlantic State Bank bnoing
Nos 40 and 81 FultoD,st The rooms arc re-
occupied by Gideon X milo, compassion IN
the office OF The Erening Post, ana ms wil we
the of the Rev. Mr. Kemlo ne laetei anu
his wife with the II two children ages respectively
three years and three months. lived at opldWo ar
a.. and Waverly-place, Newark. whence oneV
went Yesterday h 70 visit WITH nth frisUds They
had paid similar VISIT thede .Tn
Monday, and had gone home 70 Mr paIKS em ohe
senior left her son and his wife sitting quietly III
the front room which she occupied ana siarteu ouo
do some marketing Saessq hovs where lanes
TrorIman aud his wife live. Soon after sne nau
GONE Nr. Irottman heard a commotlon IN the room
s,";rs and found Mir. Kemlo iourishiDg huge
knife aud holding his wife by the halri opona sTo SD
ing the intruder Mr. kemlo let loose ms Tiu ant IL
rusbed to the door. Mr. lrottman hasth9 0ioSeu "
and hurried back to his own rooms. .o.,d IN thu
meanwhile the noise in the room was heaIu lh a nno
street and q crowd OF boys raised an a'ai 10 CT
Edvard KelIum jr a clerk in the bank on tue nrsI
aoor who is an old fireman. IAN upstairs 70 Seo
W mere the fire was. he heard screams ID tno heiu-
los rooms and hastily opened the door, wueu
h. was con from ed by the sight OF Mr. kemo draw
ing carving knife across his throat ana tue pood
squirting forth. de rushed CONTESTANTS loi anu anu
nd inrf reached the street and was calling 10 u
,,n,,ceman on the opposite side, when LIE was
APPALLED, by seeing the suicides body 1allihg rom
the lonrth-st0ry wlncoW 10 In1 Thnmas Hndson
we're the first to reach the side OF the dying man.
They lifted hmm up and trled 10 stahGI uno
blood flowing from the WOUND from m MS ear 10 TO-
ear A piece of adhesive plaster was qnlckiy
procured at drugstore close a. hSn o.
and paced over the wound. aud AN ambulance was
srnt for fhe policeman and others meanwnlie hau
FASTENED TO he room whence the suicide had pre-,
cpiated himself. aud found that ne hau n.'ueIeu
his wife before at tempting TO XII nlinSe.. DIE,
Kemlo Law on the floor. with her feet asuhs' the
ooor inst drawing her last breath The room bore
the evidences OF terrloe srp hod anI neap tbe
stove Law the bluOd-stained knife which had ended
two human lives. The apartment was living
room; on the table were the dinner dlSnes anu
cooking utensils were upon the stove. Al one
eud of the room was an IRON oeus si
nn0p them. as If the dead woman had fallen there,
and then arisen and staggered 10 me doorway
Upon the wall were the prints OF oloouy uhRSIs,
showing that she had CROPPED along II from the pea
RI the door where she tell. A deep cut under her
cum showed where the fatal knife had been thrust.
Mrs. Kemlos bands were also cut gVh (! eviuepGe
IRON heI frenZed husband After lnhlctiGg the
fatal wound IN bis wife's throat he had evidently
drawn the knife across his own throat, nuhg ~
man the floor and then taken the desperate leap
from me window sixty feet TO the tagged walk
below The wlndow-Sill bore the marks OF his
The ambulance arrived as speedily as possible,
and after the surgeon had done what he could Tor
the Rev. Mr.. Kemo. the dying man was taken 1 10
the Long Island College Hospital, where be- died at
2:3O o'clock He did not recover con-
seriousness aud died from exhaustion.
The Rev. James Kemowas bOru n scotland ana
al, nf
country when three months old and showing
fondness for study as a boy his father sent hun t9
Rutgers ColeSe wn ere R g was ST6eooca semi
nary. He was ordained TO the ministry In the
Reformed Church 10 1879; For the past three
years he had been the settled pastor OF inc lie
formed Church in MountvIlle, n. J: For some
months he had suffered from malanai fever, whicn
unsettled his mind AT the beginning OF last sum;
mer he went away on vacation, ana
when he returned the church authorities IN
timated TO him that he had better
give nm his work on account of bis health. Al
though he felt the justice OF THIS aud realized his
condltlon the effect OF the loss of his position was
sull further to unbalance his mind. ms wife aho
friends did all In their power Tor blm' and ne
bad careful medical treatment. AS he
was quiet il was not deemed advisable to
put him under restraint, and II was hopeo mat Dy
rest and change of scene be would recover his
mental Tone 1t was Tor this purpose that lie and
his wife went to Brooklyn, leaving their children
with friends IN Newark Mr.. heh mic had piannoa 10
Monday went to the Beecker Street
Savings Bank and drew out money to
pay the expenses of the journey, Mrs.
Ksmlo's, Christian name was Jennie and she was
about twenty-iour years of age. After the Coroner
had summoned jury and they had viewed her
body IL was taken III charge by her friends.
Mrs Kemlo senior. did not return from her trip TO
the market until the body of her being placed
In the ambulance. She was toid that ne 1 nad
Jumped from the wlDGow and hurt himself badly.
This Frustrated her. and she was cared for by
the people living IN tine apartments under nerS.
Later she was informed of the death of her daugh-
fer-l
happened and said it must be the Lords Will and
for the best. She also said that Jim had suffered
from the malaria aud il had affected his head.
The parents of the unfortunate man have
lived over the Atlantic Bank Tor twelve or fifteen
years. They had two sons and three daughters.
One of the latter Mrs. Louise Kemlo Clarke
operatic singer. She is now In Detroit, Mich.
No cause save insanity is suggested Tor the crime.
The Rev. MIR. Kemlo was regarded as promising
young minister, and he gave good satisfaction to
his church until his health failed. He was happily
married, and il is not known that he aud ms WIe
ever had even o dispute. The nature of his disease
was such that mental labor distressed hun, and to
that and his worry In regard TO the loss oil h,s pull
pit is attributed his insanity. Ii s SAID that he had
threatened to end his life before, but no Importance
was attached TO his words.
The body of the Rev. Mr.. kemio was removed
FROM the hospital IN the evening TO the apartments
OF his faith T. Both bodies will be taken 10 Newark
to.day and the funeral services will be held
Tomorrow. The members OF tho family
refused to see any ono last night,
aud the janitor Kept the door barred and
allowed no one to enter tho building except the
orcnpants OF tho rooms The traces of the trag-
edy were removed so far as possible from the room
and the corpses of the victims placed In IT, The
elder Mrs. Kemlo recovered somewhat last night
from the shock occasioncd by the death of her
children. She talked 4 great deal of her son. who,
she said. good, and never intended to do wrong.
A witness Of the crime from the street said that
he saw Mrs. Kemlo at tho window OF tie
apartment with her throat cut, just
after his attention had BEEN called
by her agonized scream. A moment later her
husband jumped out headforemost through
the opening. and, narrowly missing bal
cony the front of the building icl in shapeess
mass upon the pavement, which at that moment
was free of foot passengers,
A dispatch IRON Newark says that Mr.. Kemio
IL. e L. ILL .AcL I.alll eal