The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-03-05
AN AWFUL

OObAGSklll. Naxr
York. 80"
Two sharp pistol shots-one sono
the other in quick succession wan,ns
10" moan, the smell OF powder smoLa
creeping steaithlly into the halls; two dead
and from their heads red life blood syes
and that is the epitome Of the f ra
enacted in Room No. 20, Hotel 49,
No. $40 Wabasha street, st. Parl 60
urday night the 9th. 1t was the old Ala
story OF a husband and erring VITA anJ ~
Mephistopheles in the disguise Of : lo rn
She heelng from a home and all its honnraa
ties to the West, with a lover. Tba a,,;teu
couple rrach st. Paul, seek seclns;en
a privete hotel, throw of iorava.
the bands that held them loyal to Them.
selves and, ostensiby as husband and wiia
dreamed oil days and weeks and months I,
such happiness as they might win TO como
buO PACK OF them, like a winged Nemesis
came the wronged husband, brooding on
hin way OF the terrible injury to him "a
OF the fate that was to befall both him ana
her. Last night they met face TO faca~
husband and wife-in Room No. 20 az tbs
hotel Astoria, n he, after one last nlao
1or her return to him, shot her dead ANA
then killed himself. There is the weavins
OF a romance out OF such a tale. takan
as 1T is from everyday life. She was Mrs
Fannie Rich, late of Cobleskill, N, " and
he, Theodore p. Rich OF the same
place. The third party to the affair (ths
lover was DR.. FL. S. Gale, also OF Coble.
sklil. lie is forty years OF age, about five
1eet, nine inches tall, weighs about 175 or
$50 pounds, has a full face, the upper lin
being covered by a blonde mustache. Hs
dresses in dark clothes and wears a black
derby hat. Evidently he is an intelligent
man and accustomed to move ia society
circles. Mrs. Rich was dressed in black
even 10 her stockings, and slippers on
small, shapely feet. A woman OF pefife
form, with regular features and light. fluffy
hair, that waved in bangs above Il low
forehead, she possessed many attractions
OF form and face. Rich was carelessly
dressed, in ordinary clothes OF black that
did not fit him, heavy shoes and oyershoes.
He has q heavy, solid face, a we'll knitform
and a black moustache. His chm showed
a lack OF the BARRIERS care for severaldays.
DIR. a gives the following statement:
/ left my family behind when | came west
with the who has been killed, We
eloped together, although there was no
particular effort to conceal the fact OF our
departure, except from the woman's hus.
band. The dead woman was Mrs. Fannie
Rich. She was thirty-f five years OF ace.
Her father, Henry Smith, was one OF the
most prominent LAWYERS in New York State.
and a man of wealth and social standing.
Theodore p. Rich, who did the killing and
then shot himself, was about forty years OF
age. He had no regular profession and
never engaged in any permanent business
He was not q dissipated man, but he nevcs
provided for his vile properly and abused
and mistreated her. They never had any
children. Fannie Smith first married q
man named Frank Trimble, from whom
she obtained a divorce moretaan tenyears
ago, 500 afterward marrying Rich. 1t
was afterward discovered hat there was
some informality in the divorce proceed
ings, so that really her marriage with Rich
was OF no binding force or effect. Mrs.
Rich has for some time past informed her
husband that she did not intend to live
with him any longer, n nd we arranged to
leave Cobleskilll come west to Dakota, and
obtain divorces. Then we intended TO go
to California, remain there for six months,
and return to Cobleskill to live.
Then we started for st. Paul, arriving
here on Feb. 1 and taking rooms at the As
toria hotel where we have been ever since.
About I o'clock this evening we went down
to supperin the dining room We had not
been there a great while before we were as
tonished to see Rich enter from the outside
door. He came directly up to us and held
out his hand to his wife, saying: How d
do, Fannie" She refused to shake hands
with him. why have you done
this way?" he asked her. She
told him that she never would have
anything more to do with him, and he had
just as well go way. The conversation was
beginning to attract attention, and sug-
gested that we go up into our room NO.
TO0N anI talk tho ynotfar nuar This WH4
agreed to and we wentup stairs. When W egot
into the room Rich asked me to step out
side, as he wanted TO talk to Fannie alone
/ told him i would il she was
willing. She assented to the proposition
Rich making the remark by way oil reassuf-
ing her: Fannie. you know l wouldnt
hurt YOU" / went out and left them IN
the room. / had no thought that Rich IN.
tended doing her any harm. After waiting
about twenty minutes l went back anu
Rich asked me to allow him a little more
time. | vent away again. Returning after
a lapse OF ten minutes he asked me TO 80
away again. Fannie said: .sOh, yes, give
him a chance!" A third and fourth time
vent back, and Rich persisted he was not
yet through with his talk. The last Tune
Fannie told him there was no use talking
further, as it would not change matters. 4
was standing in the office talking with the
clerk when one OF the bell boys came IN and
said he had heard two pistol shots, nc
thought in No. 20. / rushed up stairs
and into the room. Fannie was sitting In
the rocking chair by the bureau, gaspine
for breath, her head far over to one side
Rich lay flat on his back upon the floor
The landlord, Mr.. Baugh, came in right De-
hind me, and we lifted Fannie to the floor
/ soon discovered that life was extinct
however, and gave up all efforts to resusci
tate her. just before lett the room 60.
last time Fannie told me thai Rich ha.s
agreed to accept the money and go bacl
home by an early morning train, and
supposed everything was all right, andtha'
he would leave st. Paul and not give "
any trouble.
The first that was seen OF Rich, the muir
derer and suicide, at the hotel, was abou'
z o'clock yesterday evening, when be mad