The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-06-23
HONEYMOON OF DEATH.


NEw YcKx, June l6.-Winfield b. Thomp-
son. the young husband who deliberately
murdered his wife ofrwo weeks in fhe Stnrte-
want House yesterday and then scni four
bullets into his own body. lay on acct in the
New York Hospital to-day and facet the
problem OF death. BY the side of his bed sat
a big policeman reminding the wouid-b sui
eide that only by death could he escape he
ing arrested asa wife-murderer. All that
skill could do the hospital attendants did fer
him, but he got no sympathy from them,
nor, indeed, did he seem to care for any.
Dnring the morning hours his case looked
very hopeful, and a. lac was perfectly con
s~ci,sls he was urged To comics the motives for
his crime, but he only clenched his teeth and
shook his head. Later on l~rifonitis set in
and the doctors felt that the scales had turn
ed against him.
Meanwhile the body ofhis poor little bride
who had looked into her mirror only TO see
there a vision of sudden death, lay in her
mothers tidy rooms fronting ON Ninth Aven-
ue. awaiting the knife of the Coroner's medi-
cal assistants. The pleasant face was peace
full and composed and limos smiling.
Death had been quick and painless, and the
girl never knew of the cowardly shot. Above
the corpse a frantic mother raved and beat
her breast. crying: Ach, Colt Willy did
Iallow her 10 legve my house. my little jon
ME! The mother remembered too late the
family arrangement which had aiken the
unering girl from beneath the family roof.
The Deputy Coroner made a ~post-mortem
examination in the afternoon. 1t il evident
that Mrs. kahler stood before the mirror
adjusting her hat, probably with the inter-
ton of starting for Mauch Chunk, when the
husband stole up behind her with the miser-
able little pistol he had purchased in the
morning, placed the muzzle close To- the
back of her head and fired. The bullet struck
the skull where it is very thick and solid,
and was ilattened against it. Stunned by
the shock. the bride turned her head slight
IN and the second shot striking two inches
behind the ear, penetrated the back wall of
the skull and was stopped by the front wall.
A. the bride fell, Thompson fired a third
llitlt, ntt ill>~Nti. Tue liftfti tllAtFlliR Ai' VIII
near the mirror. That he acted with
thorough dclibcration may be judged by the
fact told 10y himself that he walked 10 the
window and noted that it was ) O'Clock 10y
the Gilscy House time piece. He then walk
ed over To- the bell handle, fired an ahortiyc
bullet against his own skull, put up his
hand Ia lind the bullet hole, thus getting il
>meared with blood. rang the bell with sud
den energy and then emptied his pistol into
his head and breast. All of the hay cir
cum,tance> Of the killing were made clear by
the po>t-mortem examination.
The only articles found in Thompson,
pockets were tifty-five cents, a nickle match
box. a receiptcd hill from the ~Aquidueck
House for SO -, and another from the IRE
mont House for - 10. The bin had items of
- for wine and eighty cents for bccr. II L.
now believed that Thompson knew but little
OF medicine aud il has been aScertainel that
his name was mt down n q matriculant Of
the College of Physicians and Surgeons. \
friend Of the wife murderer, who halls fran
Pittsburgh, says Thompsnn's marriage was
unknown to his friends, and II had been
generally believed that he was engaged 10 In
married to the adopted daughter of Phillip
Armour, the well-known Chicago pork
packer.
\ despatch from Chicago relates that Mr..
Armour, ON being interviewed, said: Il
have no adopted daughter. The girl referred
To is an e>tiniahle young lady who lived for
time with my brothers family in Kansas
civ