, 1886-06-16
MURDER and SUICIDE.
Winfield Thompson Kills His
Young Wife
While on Their Wedding Tour
in New York.
Another Apache Outrage in
Arizona.

New YORK, June l5.-On June 10 a
young couple engaged room %, on the
second floor of the Sturtevant house, and
were registered as Winfield Thompson and
wife, of Kansas City, Mo-. He was "a
years old. and she about three years his
junior. This afternoon the hotel Office
bell was rung from room %, which the
young couple had closely retained since
their arrival, but when the bell boy re-
sponded and raped at the door there was
no response. After repeated rappings
with no sound from within a carpenter
was summoned and forced open the door.
Thompson and his wife lay side by side on
the floor. Mrs. Thompson had been shot
in the back of the head, and was dying
when the attendants entered. Thompson
was conscious for a moment and asked
that a doctor be sent for. In Thompson's
hand was a revolver. There were bullet
wounds in his head and breast, but not
necessarily fatal. An ambulance was sent
for, but before it arrived the woman was
dead. There are indications that the
pair were on their wedding tour and an
inscription inside her ring indicated that
they had been married June .. The bell
knob in the room was bloody, indicating
that the shooting was done before the bell
was rung.
What brought about the tragedy re
mains a mystery. the most afiectionate
relations seemed to exist between the
pair. Genevieve, the bride, was rather
pretty, with dark complexion. Her par
ents live in this city and are well to do.
is the son of people well known
in Kansas City. He has been in New
York for two years attending the college
of physicians and surgeons. To-day they
lunclied with a friend OF the brides, Mrs.
Pratt. Scarcely twenty minutes after
Mrs. Pratt had left the room the bride
was dead and the husband lay by her side
horribly wounded. At the hospital the
coroner tried to find out what prompted
the act. Thompson refused to state. Il
would rather not say was all that could
be got from him.
Two letters, apparently hastily written
and still unsealed, were found. One was
directed "R. S. Yard, care W. r. Grace,
Hanover square, Mayor Grace's business
address. 1t told Dear Bob that the
newly married couple would go to Mauch
Chunk Tomorrow, and stated that &c.
was an angel. Go thou and do like
wise, was the admonition of the writer
The other letter was addressed
to DIR. +. G. Thompson, No. 30 West
Fourteenth street, Kansas City, Mo-
This also told of the wife's admirable
qualities, and spoke of the trip to Mauch
Chunk. In his ante mortem statement
Thompson insisted hat he loSed his wife
and his wife loved him. If hemorrhage
of the lungs does MT set in Thompson
may recover
KANSAS CITY, Mo, June l5.-W. l..
Thompson, who killed his wife and shot
himself in New York this afternoon, is
the son of Rev. DR.. Thompson, pastor of
the Second Presbyterian church of thus
city, who left here this morning for New
York City, expecting to sail in a few days
for Europe, where he intended to spend
several months of vacation. The theory
suggested here is hat Thompson has been
claDdestinely married and for some reason
fearing to face the consequences, deter
mined to seek an escape rather than meet
his father. Thompson had for some time
been engaged to a young lady who moves
in the best social circles of Kansas City,
and the sad tragedy will doubtless cause a
sensation when it becomes known here to-
morrow.