Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-22
STRANGLED HIS WIFE
Because She Was Knitting Stockings
for Christmas Gifts,
THEN HE CUT HIS OWN THROAT.
Terrible Double Crime of Chicago Man
Caused by Jealousy.
EFFORTS TO sAVETHE MURDERER'S LIFE

CHICAGO, Dec. 21.-Henry Christensen.
81 years old, chol,ed his aged wife to death
in the bedroom of his home, at 2109 Drexel
avenue, and then cut his own throat, some
time during Saturday night. The tragedy
was seen BY no one, and the exact time it
occurred is unknown. Mr.. and Mrs. Chris
tiansen have been living with their daughter
and son-in-law. They were absent until
midnight. When Mrs. Nelson went to the
room to waken her parents this morning,
her first glance did not show anything
wrong.
Approaching the bed she was Mortified to
see that her fathers face and breast were all
bloody, and as he breathed spurts of blood
came from the great cash in his throat. In
a moment she had called her husband, and
they attempted to waken the mother, only to
learn that she was dead. The blood on the
yarn and on the blade showed that the act
had been committed early in the night, as
the fluid was dry. Christensen was still
alive and conscious. He could not speak,
but could understand what was said to him.
Christiansen Acknowledges His Crime.
When asked if he had killed his wife he
nodded afirmatively, and horrid gurgle
came from the wound in his throat as he at
tempted to reply. AS he acknowledged the
crime he motioned with his hands to show how
it had been done. He also signified that he had
cut his own throat, and pointed to the razor as
he nodded his head, sending spurts of blood out
and over his shirt. He cannot recover.
1t is difficult to find motive for the crime.
Christensen was somewhat morose and taci-
turn, but was not usually quarrelsome His
son-in-law suggests that he was somewhat jeal-
Gus of his wife. She was knitting stockings for
Christmas presents. and this did not please the
husband and he talf objected Possibly this
enraged him last night, as she frequently set
up to knit after he wanted her to go to bed.
The suppostion is that she did not 90 to bed
when he wished. and he threw her on the bed
and then choked the life out of her. She was
found in the bed, but with her clothes on.
Neither Had Gone to Bed.
Christensen was also in the bed by her side.
but was undressed. The razor was tied with
yarn off the Dall from which Mrs. Christensen
had been knitting the objectionable stockings
1t seems more than probable that the crime
was committed while MIR. and Mrs. Nelson
were down town, as they heard no noise what
ever after their retirement.
Up Halsted street as fast as the horses could
fly the patrol wagon bore the murderer and
woud-he suicide to the county hospital. a dis
tance of nearly IL miles. There was gaping
wound in his throat. from which his life blood
was flowing fast, and it was question II the
man would not die before half the distance
could be made. In less than an hour after
leaving Grand Crossing the patrol wagon was
at the hospital door and the attendants quickly
at hand to lift the stretcher on which the man
lay and carry him TO his ward.
Sewing Up the Murderer's Wounds.
The man was an awful sight, his clothing
drenched with blood and mass of clotted
blood about his SCARED throat, through which
he managed with difficulty to breathe. Drs.
Hector and Graves. the house surgeons, were
in attendance at once. They found the pulse
exceedingly feeble from the great loss of
blood. The wound, while not exactly reaching
from ear to ear, was fully five inches in length.
1t had severed the external jugular vein in the
left side, also the carotid artery, slightly
nicked the muscular tissue. and when the
larynx was cut half across one could view the
workings of the vocal chords and epiglotis.
The immediate treatment consists of sewing
up tho incsinn in the larynx with catgut
sutures. after which the patient could articu-
late distinctly The wound was then closed
and drainage tube inserted. The loss OF
blood and the pain of the operation reduced
the action of the heart SO low that hypodermic
injections of morphine were used to restore il.
During the dag his daughter, Mrs. Nelson.
called to see him. and left word that if any
change occurred that word should be sent to
her. and the physician added significantly,
''the ange will come tonight"
Christensen died at midnight.