The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-06-05

Leopold Suess Ends Il Life of Marital Misery
bT Shooting His Wife and Sending q Bull
Iet Through His own worthless Brain
Two Children Orphaned by the Terrible
peed.
ST. LOUIS. Mo, May %.
Leopold Sucss, who resided in the
rear of 40 Franklin avenue, murdered
his wife last night and then ended his
own miserable existence by sending
ball through his brain. There are two
children, girls, aged seven and fifteen
years respectively, left behind. Five
pistol shots were the signal that told of
the deed at a quarter past ten O'Clock,
and the reports were followed the next
instant by piercing screams of ''murder!"
The house where the tragedy was enacted
stands on the east side of the alley be-
tween Fourth and Fifth streets, and
within three minutes from the time of
the shooting it was crowded with an
eager, sUrging throng of people. De-
tective Browning and officer St. John
were soon on the scene.
Several excited persons directed the
officers up stairs, dilapidated pair OF
outside steps that terminated on d narrow
porch extending across the rear part of
the building occupied 10y several families.
The south apartment was the one in
dicated, and without waiting for any
further information Detective Browning
burst the door in. Not a sound was heard
within, but a faint giimmer of dirty
lamp revealed
THE LIFELESS FORM
of the murderer on the floor in front OF
the stove in the southwest corner, with
blood and brains triCkling from his right
temple and a fve-barreied fOrty-cal-
iber empty revolver Clinched in his
right hand. Where was his wife?
In opening the door it hid
her form from view, and she was not
seen until the door was closed to keep
out the crowd. Then she was discovered
in a sitting posture leaning against the
door facing where she had fallen,
pierced through the abdomen with the
deadly bullet Her head dropped for
ward aud the pallid features plainly
told that the murderer had done his
work, and the pulse had ceased to beat.
The fingers of her right hand were COW
cred with blood. There was nothing
else to suggest how the crime
was committed, for there were no
eye witnesses. These facts were
barely discovered when Emily,
the little seyen-year-old daughter, aroused
from her sleep, came from the only adj
Joining room, and was taken into William
GOItZ'S house next door. In the mean
time an ambulance arrived and the two
corpses were taken to the Morgue. From
neighbOrs in the vicinity it was learned
that SucSS was a worthless character,
who tried to pass himself off for doctor,
but managed to exc out an existence by
peddiing apples and ginger cakes on the
street. He and his wife have led Il quar-
rclsOme life, their troubles apparently
being about money matters. Failing to
provide money enough to support his
family, Mrs. Suess had instituted suit
against him for maintenance of
the children. and the case was
to have come up fOr hearing
to-day. Some time ago, probably
three months since, Suess made a raid
upon the house Iand took away half the
furniture, which he converted into
money. Mrs. Suess' brother visited her
shortly after Christmas and the husband
got it into his head that she had been
furnished with money. He demanded
part of it, but the woman refused, saying
She would keep it for her children. Then
again SueSs conceived the idea that his
wife had inherited s. 600 from her rela-
tives in England. lie wanted a part of
that to open up an Office 50 that he
COULD PRACTICE MEDICINE.
Not succeeding, he appealed to one OF
his brother members in Lodge No. 20, of
the knights of Honor, to use his influ-
ence i'm making Mrs. Suess divide
the money. She claimed, however,
not to have had any, and doubt
less told the truth, for the little girl
Emily said; ''Mamma never hardly had
a nickel" The ncighborS bad been an
ticpating that Suess would kill his wife,
for he had threatened her life many a
time; only last Saturday he brandshed
a hatChct over her head, threatening at
the same time to dash her brains out.
From what the neighbOrs say the woman
worked hard for a living, often at the
wash-tub. Although her husband accused
her of the worst conduct, those who lived
near the little woman say they never knew
her to be guilty Of any imprOpriety.
The bodies were taken to the MOrgue
at eleven O'Clock. Upon being searched
SucSs was found to nave nothing upon
him except an empty pOcketboOk, pair
of eyeglasses and card upon one side
of which was the name Of John E.
Clamer, 5000 North Seventeenth street.
and on the reverse, John DoCkcry, S25
Washington avenue. There were no
letters nor papers whatever. The faces
of neither husband nor wife were
distorted, but that of the wife
bore trace of agony. The eyes
were open and staring, showing that
while death may have been almost in
stIntaneOus, it had been a painful one.
The mouth was partly open, and the up
per lip drawn, showing the teeth. The
mouth of the husband was firmly closed,
as were his eyes, and he must have died
the moment the bullet entered his brain.
There was look of determination
upon the face, the corners of the mouth
drawn, but otherwise the features were
composed.