The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-25
MADE MAD By JEALOUSY.
A Frenzied Husbands Unjust Suspi-
cions Cause a Terrible Tragedy.
Robert Phillips Cuts His Wife's Throat in
an Alley. and Unsuccessfully Attempts
to End His Own Life.

About three months ago Robert G, Phillips,
colored, and twenty-five years Of age, married
Louisa Weber, year younger. In her class
she was considered an attractive young woman,
one having several admirers and fondness for
social pleasures. Yesterday morning at o'clock
the young wife was found dead, and lying by her
side the husband with his throat cut but still
alive. The place was at the intersection of two
alleys running between Meridian, Penn
sylvania, Fourth and Fifth streets James Con-
dit, an employee of the Times Company discov-
cred the bodies as he ran through the alley to
catch street car. He sent in call for the
patrol wagon which soon reached the place, with
Sergeants O'Donnell and Love- and other
officers. Further assistance was then called, it
coming with Kregelo & Whitsett's ambulance, in
which the dead woman was carried to their un-
dertaking house and Phillips to the City Hos
pital.
From the evidence of struggle about the
place where the two were lying, and the horrible
condition of the wife and the CHASTITY wound in
Phillips throat but one conclusion could be ac-
copied, that Of murder and suicide. All that
was necessary to complete the horrible story
were the details of cause and purpose The
former came readily through the wife's mother,
who said that since the marriage Phillips and his
wife had frequent quarres, he showing great
jealousy of her actions when not with him.
Night before last husband and wife left their
home in Booker alley, in the rear of No. TAT
North Tennessee street, to attend the colored
Odd-felows picnic at the Exposition grounds.
AS they were passing out OF the
door, Mrs Smith, the mother, overheard Phil
lips say to his wife. ''You had better tell your
mother goodbye, for this is the last night you
will ever see her." Alarmed az this expression,
the jealous disposition of Phillips, and his many
charges against the wife serving to intensity her
apprehension of evil, Mrs. Smith took a revolver
from the drawer and followed the couple to the
grounds, but there, being without money, she
failed to gain an entrance. Hurrying' home to
seek for messenger by whom she hoped to
send word to Mrs. Phillips to return at once,
she succumbed to exhaustion. About midnight
Phillips and wife came home. He was sullen,
she dispirited, showing that serious quarrel
had occurred. Phillips refused to answer salts
factorily questions as to his movements during
recent absence of ten days or So He did not
stay at the house long, and when he went away
his wife told her mother that, at the picnic.
Phillips insisted on her remaining at his side
bob is so hard to get along WITH" was the un-
happy womans ending OF story OF husbands
jealousy. Phillips did not return during the
night, but at 7:3O o'clock yesterday morning he
appeared at the Booker alley house, nowise i'm
proved in manners. He awoke the mother and
daughter, saying: Lou, you have got some
ironing to Go to-day, on Ohio street 1t is time
nI.s
ly dressed herself, and started towards Pennsyl-
vania street to take car The surly husband
followed.
Three blocks away the dreadful ending Of
these too ill-assorted lives occurred. What
passed between the two when Phillips over
the only living witness far as known, is I'M
communicative. But the bloody garments of
the woman, the fearful death wound in her
throat which extended half way from ear to
ear, the bloody mark of a hand on the fence, and
spots of red-dyed EARTH told of the struggle and
murder. Clasping one of her hands and with
his head lying on her breast the murderer lay
with the cash in his own throat to witness his
desperate effort to end the deed with suicide In
the yard, just outside Of which the deed was
committed. was found a case knife with keen
edge, and sharpened to an oblique line at the
end This was the instrument with which
Phillips effected his insanely jealous and muir
At Kregelo & Whtsett's the body of the vic
tim was prepared for burial, and in the after
noon they took it to the home of the grief
stricken mother. At the hospital Drs Marsee
and Wishard dressed Phillips wound, caused
by two or three strokes of the knife 1t was
near the larynx and severed an artery. The at
tention he received was none to soon, but after
dressing, in a short time appeared chances of
recovery During the day he improved consid-
erably, and that he will live to meet the charge
of wife murder is very probable. Mrs. Smith,
the murdered womans mother, says that Phil
lips was industrious. He worked at Cope g.
Gladen's lumber-yard, but his jealousy destroyed
the influence of his otherwise good qualities as
husband and made him fend. He
told his wife and her mother a few weeks ago
that he was going away. He went to Russell
vile and remained there until Saturday last
On his reaching home he began to upbraid his
wife, making charges that her friends claim are
false. Her mother says, Lou was always care
full to keep from exciting Bobs jealousy She
was good woman and faithful wife"
Night before last Phillips went to his moth
er's, No. IO2 Howard street, after leaving Booker
alley He said nothing about his troubles there,
though he appeared to be very respondent.
In a letter, addressed to his mother and dated
Monday he says his troubles have overcome
his mind and that he cannot
live any longer Il have tried" continued the
letter. ito outlive my troubles but it is not worth
WHILE for they grow worse every day." He re-
quested that his clothing in Russellville be sent
for and given to John, closing with: This is the
islSC report from NODeft ulilIpS, lie pen
manship and phrasing of the letter showed that
Phillips has some education.
During yesterday large crowd remained at
Kregelo e Whitsett's, drawn thither with the
hope of seeing the remains, and at the spot
where the deed occurred was a crowd equally as
large.
Phillips is lying at the City Hospital and at
late hour last night DR.. Wishard said he would
recover. He had just visited him and found him
resting comfortably, that he could swallow with
comparatively no discomfort, and that he could
talk freely But he expressed decided unwil-
lingness to talk about his bloody act. When
asked why he did it, the only reply was, ION
account of my troubles"