The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-08-14
COLLISIONS CRIME.
Awful Deed of a Chicago Presbyterian
Minister.
He Kills His Wife and Terribly and
MORALLY Wounds HImself-In-
sanity the Cause of the
Act-0etatls.

CHICAGO, Aug. 14-Rev Henry NJ. Col
lison. late pastor of the Fullerton Avenue
Presbyterian church, killed his wife and shot
himself fatally at his residence, III Wright
wood avenue, Lake View, Tuesday afternoon
The circumstances of the tragedy are as
follows: The dual deed of blood was, from
all accounts, committed in a moment of
frenzy brought on by meancholia A friend
of the Collisions Mrs. Burdick, stopped in her
carriage, calling to Mrs. Collision to accom-
pany her on her ride Mrs. Collision, who for
several weeks had noticed signs of approach
ing arrangement of the mind in her husband,
did not feel like accepting the situa-
ton at first. On inquiring of the clergy
man, thought, she was told that he, too, in
tended to leave the house soon. So she said
she would go with the Burdicks running into
the house to prepare herself for the ride.
While she was doing this Mr.. Collision put
successfully two of his smaller children into
the carriage not needing it when told by his
wife and Mrs. Burdick that they did not in
tend to take these small children along He
then summoned his wife several times into
the house, closing the door and talking to her
unobserVed. What he said to her nobody
knows. The last time he called to her: Sue,
l want to see you minute before you GO
The poor wife again answered the request
and went to her DEATH The door had hardly
closed behind her, and barely minute had
elapsed since she had started full of life.
spirits and hope, when two shots rang out in
mutfied sound, and she was lying dead at
the foot of the stairs, while the husband and
father lay weltering in his own blood in an
adjoining room, whose door stood open
Mrs. Burdick had paid no attention to the
shots, thinking that they came from behind
the house But at that very moment Mrs.
Reginald Collision, wife of brother OF the
clergyman, who, with her husband, had
come on a visit from Texas, and who had
been out on a walk with the elder children
came rushing out of the house, throwing up
her arms and screaming. Mrs. Reginald
Collision, Mrs. Burdick and the other lady
then went together into the house, when the
| bloody scene burst on their eyes.
Dr. J. F. Williams was quickly sought
His examination revealed the fact that the
wife must have instantly died from the effect
of the pistol shot fed by her husband The
| bullet had crashed through her brain DIR
| Collision had sent a ball below the right
temple into his own head, passing right be
| hind the eyes, destroying the optic nerves of
| both eyes, crushing the nasal bones,
| and lodging near the left temple.
| The mortally wounded man was re
moved later on to the hospital His
| injury was at first deemed not to be
necessarily fatal, but all attempts at probing
the wound or extracting the ball were omitted
when it was found that recovery was out OF
| the question The four children, boys rang.
ing ii age from 4 TO years, had been taken
care of by the neighbors. Just before the
suicide was removed to the hospital he par
TALLY recovered consciousness and whispered
| Sue" asking her to come closer, as all was
dark to him. All those who knew anything
about the circumstances Of the tragedy, ans
about the way in which Mr.. Collision ha.
spent the last few months, agree that he has
| been insane for some time, and that the kill
| ing of the wife must have been done on the
impulse of the moment.
Henry n. Collision was of English birth
and 45 years of age. He received his train
ing in a college, and entered the British civi
service quite young. After emigrating t.
Canada and preparing himself for an ecclesi
astical career, he took orders as an Episcopa
clergyman. About that time he married anC
moved with his wife to Illinois, settling dow
on farm near Cairo, hoping that rural quie
and bodily exercise would restore his poo
health Then he became pastor of st. Paul
Reformed Episcopal church on the west side
and later returned again to Canada. His re
ligious views underwent change, and h
was installed pastor of the Fullerton Avenu
Presbyterian church. This Office be kept I'll
| June last when he resigned