Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-06-17
SHOT HIS WIFE
then Tried to XIII Eimself-TraSi
Close of q Brief Honeymoon,

And then Tried to Xiii Eimself-Tragic
Close of q Brief Honeymoon.
New York, juno 15-On June 10th q
young couple engaged room No. 25 on
the second floor of the Sturdevant house,
and were registered as Wipfred Lee
Thompson and wife, of Kansas City, Mo.
He was twenty-four years old and she
was about three years his junior. This
afternoon the hotel Office bell was rung
from room No. 20, which the young
couple have closely retained since their
and raped on the door there was no
response. After repeated rappines, with
no sound from within, O carpenter was
summoned and forced open the door.
Both 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 q moment
and asked that q doctor be aent for. In
Thompson's hand was a revolver. There
we're 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 the inscription on the
inside OF her ring indicated that they
had been married on June End. The
bell knob in the room was bloody, indi.
eating that the shooting was done before
the bell was rung.
What brought about the tragedy re-
mains a mystery, The most atfectIonate
relations seemed to exist between The
pair. Genevieve, the bride, was rather
pretty, with dark complexion. Her
parents live in this city and are well to
do. Thompson is the son of we'll known
people in Kansas City. He had been in
New York for two years attending the
college of physicians and surgeons. To-
day they lunched with a friend of the
bride, Mrs. Pratt. Scarcely twenty
minutes after Mrs. Pratt had left the
rooms, the bride was dead and the
husband lay by her side horribly wound
ed. At the hospital the coroner tried to
find out what prompted the act.
Thompson refused to state. II would
rather not say" was all that could be
got out of him. Two letters, apparently
written IN haste, and still unsealed were
found. One was directed to r. T. Yard,
care w. r. Grace, Hanover Square,
Mayor Graoe's business address, 1t
told Dear Bob" that the newly
married couple would go to Mauch
Chunk tomorrow, and stated that st"
was an angel. go thou and do like.
wise" was the %admonitlon of the writer,
Thompson.
The other letter was addressed: "Dr.
g. Thompson, No. $40 West Fourteenth
St, Kansas City, Mo- This also told of
the wife's admirable qualities, and spoke
of a trip to Mauoh Chunk. In his ante
norton statement Thompson stated
that he loved his wife and Ills wife loved
him. III hemorrhage of the lungs does
not set in Thompson may ecover.
Kansas City, Mo, June 15-W, q.
Thompson, who killed his wife and then
shot himself III New York city this after
noon, is a son of the Rev. DIR. TtIomp-
son, pastor Of the Second Presbyterian
tchurch of this city, who left here this
morning for New York city, expecting
to sail in a few days for Europe, where
he intended spending several months of
vacation. The theory suggested here is
that Thompson had been clapdestinely
married, and for some reason fearing to
face the consequences, had determined
to seek an escape rather than meet his
father. Thompson had for some time
been engaged to be married 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 be-
comes known here iO-morraW. D