New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-27
4 HALL-BoY's DOUBLE CRIME
HE KILLS THE COOK IN A JEALOUS FIT.
~azx NE puTs puLLEr IN HIS OWN BHArS-IiIs


THEN HE PUTS A BULLKr IN HIS OWN p""A' $50
INSANE PASSION.
Occupants of the apartment house NOS. 100
and 1877 West Thirty-fourth-st. heard two pistol
shots in the basement few minutes before a. IN.
Yesterday and thought somebody was firing OH
cannon Gre-cracSers until young coiored girls
screams called them down stairs They learned
that there had been an extraordinary tragedy IN
The kitchen Joseph Seifort, the hali-boy, had
shot Rosie Sheridan, the young Irish COOK, ana
then had shot himself. The only other person
in the basement at the time of the shooting was
the Young coiored laundress, known as Phoebe,
whose screams had alarmed the household Rosie
Sheridan was already dead in her basemenIroom
where she had taken refuge with bullet IN her
brain. Seifort lay on the kitchen hoof WIN
bullet hole IN his right temple
The colored girl had not seen the shooting.
She was in the laundry when the shots were fired
In the kitchen. Only minute before that she
had passcd through the kitten and had seen Rosie,
who was at work As she had passed into the
laundry she had caught glimpse of the hall-boy
rs he estered the kitchen by another door The
first shot startled her and she started to 80 into
the kitchen, but she was met by Rosie, VINO
staggered through the laundry toward little bed
room. which she and another servant, Rose
Henry, occupied. The Henry girl was upstairs
and the door of the bedroom was open Blood
was flowing over the cooks face from the bullet
hole in her temple. As she reached the room
she fell on the floor Phoebe ran to her slde'
greatly frightened, and inquired: Dia INC
Dutchman shoot youP' The dying glri saSped'
tried TO speak, but could not artculate word.
She nodded her head, as if TO reply TO the ques1oh'
and q moment later she was dead.
TURNING THE PISTOL ON HIMSELF
A second shot had rung out in the Kitchen.
Fearing danger to herself, Phoebe began to shrek
for help. and in few minutes the basement
was filled with the people in the house. Selfort
was speechless and evidently dying when ponce
man was called in. lie died at the New-l orK
Hospital soon after noon, not having been able TO
utter a word in explanation Of his double crime,
but the cause Of the tragedy was knowh ,la as
had killed himself and the cook because she had
refused TO marry hlm.
George Nugent the owner Of the house, occupied
rooms on the first floor with his family ana
Rosie was the family cook. She was sprghIy
and good looking and nineteen years Ola. ner
employer knew that she had lived IN New-l ofR
only a few years and that she had friends IN
Cannon-st. Seifort employed as halEboy IN
the arartment house last November. lie was a
German by birth, but had lived long enough IN
this country to be able to talk English nuently
He was nineteen years old. Before he was hlred
by Mr. Nugent he had been employed on one OF
the steamships of the Old Dominion Line as
waiter ,o
Soon after Seifort went to the apartment house
he fell in love with Rosie but she only laughed
him when he talked ABOUT nlS letiihsS'
infatuation only increased the more she repeiled
his advances. and recently his conduct became 50
annoying to her that she complained to MI Nugent
CAUGHT OPENING A LODGERs LETTER
Soon after that Mr. Skates, lawyer, WHO occu-
pied apartments in the house, missed letter which
had contained check for $500 When Sellort
was asked about it, he produced the letter and
the check, which he had been carrying about IN
his pocket He said he had opened the Ietter,
thinking it contained only circular, ana when
be found the check he was afraid TO return 1T 10
DIR Skates. Mr.. Nugent then told SelioTt th,u
his services would not be required alIer July l.
The young Germans conduct toward Rose Shef-
idan was the main cause OF his dismissal
Mr. Nugent also learned that Seifort had been
exhibiting revolver to other servants in the house
and had talked of killing himself, but Selfort
said he had pawncd the weapon. 1t is supposed
that Seifort went down to the kitchen yesterday
morning to make final proposal TO Rosie, lully
prepared to commit murder and suicide II she gave
him the usual answer The short interval between
the departure of the aundreSs from tho Ntchen anu
the firing of the first shot made IL certain tha1 noe
many words passed between the hall-boy ana ne
cook and it is possible that he fired at her With
out any warning.
Coroner Eidman found that the murderer
name was not Seafort but Louis VansFalSensteln.
DEPUTY Coroner Harold held an autopsy on the
body of the woman yesterday afternoon, ana 1ound
that death was due to pistol-shot wound III the
brain, The funeral will take place at Murphy
undertaking shop, at No. IL Cannon-st, to-mor,
row. The wife of the undertaken ana the dead
woman were cousins.