New-York tribune., 1886-07-08
FATHER AND SON BOTH DEAD
JOSEPH wERNERs DESPERATE DEEDS.
suoorISG Ills BOY AND THEN HIMSELF JUST AS
DAY WAS BRTAKIN0.

suooTISG MS BOY AND THEN HIMSELF JUST 40
WAS BREAKIN0
a man killed his son and then killed hlmseI
in tbs fat house No. 1872 West Tenth yesterday
morning and policemen the Ninth Precinct spent most
Of the day trying to find out who the man was and why
he had committed the dOutle crime The father ana son
had Cds ed IN the house alb ut four months YET tne QUIET
inmates OF the place knew scarcely anything ABOUT
them The known IN the house us Joseph
Werner lie a tall German, past middle sse, Win
only fringe hair about the back of his Dalu heao
His clothing shabby. and he had the appearance OF
respectable wase-worker. His son, JOSEPH was ABOUT
fourteen of modest quiet boy who seeineu 10
have little inclination for sport They occupied room
he top floor OF the house, Werner having hircd IT,
furnished by the week from Koch the lessee OF
the fiat Their meals taken elsewhere and they
not IN the room much during the daytime AS they
passed in and out of the house quietly and Kept good
honrs, no one paid particular attention to them
Before daybreak yesterday pistol shot rang through
the house and the upper floors were awakened
by It, Another shot made them leave their beds and open
tho doors leading to the halls DIR. X. c. Rutherford
young physician who was visiting the Kochs, was Id
room adjoining the ono occupied by the Werners. He
into the hallway and, meeting Mr. Koch there, SAID
the shots had been fired in the next room. Mr.. Koch
Knocked on tho door, but there no answer Then lie
broke the door open the floor lay Werner dead with
a revolver in his hand. Blood flowing from ragged
wonnd n his head In the lay his the attitude
OF sleep. with his heal resting his right arm The
color had faded from his face however, and red marx
tho left temple sho we'd where a bullet had entered
Mr.. Koch and his friend much alarmed by what
they and they hasened the Charles Street Police
Station Sergeant Granger for an ambulance and
sent policemen to the house A.brei survey convinced
the officers that Werner had gone about his bloody work
with deliberation. Ho had partly dressed himsen and
freshly loaded his revolver leaving cartridges
the window sill Beside the unused cartridges lie had
placed small looking glass with which to hell his aim
when tho time for sending bullet iuto his own
head. His son must have been sleeping soundly when
Werner finished his preparations To send bullet INTO
the brain OF the sleeping youth holding the pistol so
close to the temple that the hair was snged bv the
oSder hssh was an easy task Then the inthcr mao naa
strugsIg ana looking into the little mirror had put an
end to his own lite with single shot The boys heart
still beating whom an smpulance reached the hOuse
but he insensDle and died without waking In et
the police ads a careful search the room, buucoud
find scrap OF writing to explain the tragedy.
which could tclfnythng OF hts history His trunk con-
tanned some olOthlug few stock reports and some
change was found IN his pocketsl 1t was sscertaned
that the werncs had taken their meals for few months
No l04 West Washington lace, but Mrs lDglesDy,
tue andlay, knew little alout them She set about try
ing to some nep to sye the % bodies q the wsrnep Isa
Me- Werner had been member ot the t3urah street e
take charge OF the bodies until arrangements
for a funeral could be made. Reporters who followed a
soms ON at So M Wost o Where the
Werners had occupied furnished rooms for four years.
JOSEF Hem, shoemaker at that ! lace was the land
lord lie said that when Werner took the boy to the
in Thirds he was careful not to speak about ms
dead and afterward ne talked more freely.
Werner was native Of Bavaria and came to this coun-
try he lad. He learned the trade OF tailor
aud at length became the foreman OF tashonaoie shop
| in East Twenty thrl-st Other menbers OF ms family
went to iowa and remained there sixteen years ago ne
married to Annie stuart. an actress sue et u 10
1--we WIN 4 pn S yspi Is S live ir In Tn
gave uI his tailoring work and tegan to speculate on
small seals IN Wall Street wu @ % Yryne 'ncces and
failure but lost than he made. HIS wife dled In
c"m"aoy. r' In March lie said to Mr.. Helm: a
| ralu@d ,"r Every dollar / had Is zone anu must go
ont any ' fnrtncr explanation Mr. Helm knew that
Werner had brother living In Dubuque Iowa and that
Among tho o1ks found the in Tenth St was one
Shch had been sent 10 little Joseph by his erandnoher
The boy attended the grammar school In rhlreentn s
and was well liked by his teachers and schoolnaes. ne
also attended the sunday school in the tOurCh street
Church Persons who hal met him there saiu that ne no
modest well behaved boy ana that ms disposition
was eNcee ling,y good. ero no DOUBT yesterday
that Werner had become desperate on account Of III;
that it was better TO leave world and take his sou
with MIN instead OF contlnun, tae s'rhsS!o Ior eNis
rncc lie had seemed to be deyotedly attached t. the
boy who usually was called Josie and who had been
his sole companion several years In 'toh at
Mrs Ingcsbys boarding. no he had been eyasye con-
ccrnimg his private Affairs, refusing to talk aton the
boy mother the kni-heare ell llndldy expressed
her surprise that moheiless boy could nave sIen see
| and winning manners. Werner received Oh Monday u
letter which had been sent to MN at the DoaruiiS
from Dubuque. Iowa. That letter was no foUHd yesirr
day IC was thought by persons at the honss tha he
letter was an uuiavOrable reply 10 an az peal which
| Werner had male to his relatives FOR stance.
Josie said t. Mrs. nglesby few days ago thaI ne
| usually spent his vacation with relatives Du
this year hs father incndel TO send him among stIahS
ers The hoy did not say where his relatives, were III
fact he was nearly as careful as Ills fatner 10 oonoo
| family matters ,,---.. .
Mr. Hem nnierstoo that Mr4. werners maiden name
was stone aud that her relatives ved in For.lan 1t
was unlikely said that when the tragedy came 10
their notice through the newspapers they Woutu IooA
| after the noly of Josie - at least.