New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-10
SHOT DEAD BY HIS WIFE.
THE WOMAN COMMITS SUICIDE.
AN UNEXPLAINED CRIME IN NEW JERSEY
COUNTRY HOUSE.

AN UNEXPLAINED CRIME IN NEw-JERSEY
COUNTRY HOUSE.
A terrible murder aud suicide, the cause OF
whch IS wrapped IN mystery. occurred late Saturday
Night at Hawthorne, N j., pleasant rural settlement
" the nils two or three miles from Paterson. MRS.
belle Fernandez shot husband with revolver In
fheir bedroom. and few minutes later shot herself
both died In few Both about thirty-hve
years old
Peter V. Fernandez Cuban, was senior member OF
the hrm OF Fernandez Calvo commission merchants at
Nos. 40 and l22 Front-st.. NewYork. FernahdeTs
father Is wealthy planter In Cuba, aud the hrm
handled the produce OF his plantation Peter " Fer
nandrz ved with his wife and boy OF six years, whom
they had adopted, ina handsome threestory frame
house on the side OF Godwnvillo road about mile
and halt from Hawthorne Station OH the Erie Railway
The neghbors knew little about the Fernandez family,
who kept by themselves minded their own affairs and
appeared to 1.-Two quietly happily In their comfortable
home The servants in the family tell vague stories OF
MIS-. FernandeZs having at times been Jealous, but
what occasion there for Jealousy does not appear
There aro stories told Of quarrels between the
couple. Iney had been married about thirteen years
Mrs. Fernandezs maiden maine Belle Nicholson, and
hor parents from tho Province OF NewBrunswick.
They subsequently removed Boston. Her father is
John Nicholson, of No. 10 Indiana Place. in that city
Fernandez her In this city. where the couple lived
until they removed to Hawthorne In Juy last
Their life in the NcwJcrsey hamlet was apparently
peaceful Tho husband home at night to his
cattle and chickens. and appeared to enjoy country life
He had Incubator for to which he gave much at
tention The only inmates OF the house at the time OF
the shooting, besides servants Mr. and Mrs. Fer
nandtz, the little boy and tue womans sister, q Mrs.
Saunders. from New who nad been visiting
them for about six weeks, Fernandez absent from
homo from Thursday until Saturday afternoon, when he
returned aud driven from the station to his home
usual by his coachman having sent dispatch that
he would be up on the 4i0 train. When he reached
he put old clothes and busied himself In
garden about the place with his CATTLE chickens
and ncu6ators. The family diced at {, and after that
talked pleasantly. AT 10 o'clock Fernandez
asked the negro coachman to make cohee
and the couple drank some. Then Mrs.
Fernandez her bedroom, and her husband put
overcoat and went to the garden Tor iew mo
ments after which he returned aud followed Ills wio u
the bedroom.
Tue eoachman. who sleeps in the house, had Just rn. IN
dressed about 1880, when he heart pistol sDot he
hurried garments and ran TO warn Mrs sauI
ders, who rushed to her sisters room fearful sign
met her eyes. Fernandez supporting hiinsclI
against the bed his wife stood by MIN. greatly ag
tated. Both fully dressed and although II was
more than hour since FERNANDEZ had gone 10 me
rOOm he still had his Overcoat on. Mrs SAUNDERS placed
brothern law tenderly the floor and found MIN
bleeding from wound in the right breast MIS-.
| dez was excitedly eXcaimng: my God! ihave shot
my Deedy The coacnnan ran to the houses OF neigh
bors TO arouse them. and Mrs. Fernandez meanwhe
kept lamcnting that sne had shot her Deed OF ner M
'lJeedy,"-pet by which she called him-and l-
plorng Deed" to forgive her The wounded man maue
| no reply and was evidently dying. - H., .,
While his sster-n- law was still Dused over nun tno
coachman entered just in tIme to see Mrs y,
press "a revolver 10 her temple. Before her mana couu
be stayed another report bullet
her brain and she fell dying In Icw minutes potu
husband and wife dead. The bullet that hau sial
Ferhaudcz had passed through his lung FERNANDEZ wa
A typical Cuban in appearance. His wife was finely
formed and moderately attractive IN features
Mrs. saunders did not notice that her sister
held eyolyer in her hand until the moment or suicide
has caused great excitement IN the heleuoo
hood Coroner Hopson will hold an Inquest to-luofro"
afternoon at O'clock No one Is able To suggest any
drlnate reason for the shooting OF Fernandez by h:
wife but although 1t may possibly have been accidental
the opinion that there was "skeleton IN the closet
| nnds more adherenta