New-York tribune., 1891-05-23
BULLETS END TWO LIVES.
A GERMAN SHOEMAKER KILLS HIS WIFE
AND HIMSELF.
HIS FIRST WIFE HAD BEEN DEAD A MONTH
AND HER MOTHER HAD COM
MITTED SUICIDE,

MITTED SUICIDE.
Frank Turl1e, a shoemaker, shot and killed his
wife and then shot himself in their home In
Englewood, n. j., at 80 o'clock last evening
The couple lived in Palisade-ave., opposite the
National Hotel Turke had his shop in small
building, the dwelling apartments being at the
rear Of the shop. Shortly after o'clock some
children playing on the sidewalk heard TurlSe
and his wife quarrelling. The children were peer
ing through the window and the shop door when
they heard several pistol shots.
Mr. Hopper, who keeps restaurant next door
TO Turke's shop, had. his attention attracted by
the pistol shots, and he was the first person TO
enter the place where the tragedy occurred. AS
he entered the room directly of the shop he saw
Turl1e lying on the floor bleeding from wound
in the breast He had 32-calibre revolver of
six chambers grasped in his right hand. All the
chambers discharged. Mr.. Hopper does not
know whether Turke was dead when he first saw
him. As he passed into another room at the rear
of the building he found Mrs Turke's dead body
lying the floor. There a horrible bullet
wound in her throat near the ear
When Drs. Wells and Curie arrived, fifteen
minutes after the shooting they found both the
man and woman dead. On "a hasty examination
there appeared 10 be but one bullet wound in
each body. The rooms presented disordered
condition and the furniture and walls were spat
tered with blood.
Several of the neighbors heard the shooting
The children who were looking in the shop while
Turke and his wife quarrelng say the
double tragedy was brought about by Turke accus
ing his wife of stealing four handkerchefs. She
had packed her trunk, and had decided to leave
him. She refused TO open the trunk, and this
enraged him so that he struck her. and she at
Il, Lar Chn
started TO run from one room into another, and he
fred several shots at her, only one of which took
effect 1t is said that he fired five shots more
including the fatal bullet which he fired into his
own breast.
Turke, who was forty years DID, was native
of Germany. He had been resident of Engle-
wood about q year. The murdered woman, who
was his second wife, was twenty-eight years old
He first met her about three weeks at Castle
Garden, she having just arrived from the old c0un
try. She was looking for q situation,
and as Turke had just buried his first wife
he employed her as his houseileeper and took her
to his house in EnglewoOd The day after she
arrived there she had trouble with Turke She
was a muscular young woman, of stout build, and
it is alleged that when TurSe insulted her, she
knocked him down. This quarrel made up
and the couple had more trouble until two
weeks ago, when the woman went before Justice
Cass and obtained warrant for the arrest of
Turke on a charge Of assault. He was arrested
and arraigned before Justice Cass. The couple
were married before they left the courtroom.
They had frequent quarrels after that, and
yesterday afternoon about o'clock Mrs. Turke
procured another warrant for the arrest of TurlSe
OF n c''oTge Of asas0lt hlalshai TowIec ID, vac
had the warrant went 10 the shoemalSer's shop
and had talk with Turke. The Marshal told
him that he had warrant for his arrest and
asked him why he kept abusing his wife. The
shoemaker seemed TO be repentant and said that
If lie were let off this time lie would not assault
his wife again. Marshal Townsend kept the war
rant in his pocket and went home to his dinner.
He had left the shop but few minutes
when the couple renewed the quarrel Mrs.
Turke told her husband that she was going
away and had her trunk packed. He then
accused her of stealing some handkerchiefs belong
ing to his first wife. She said that the handker-
chiefs belonged to her, and the quarrel ended in
the shooting.
Turke's first wife died less than month ago.
The attending physician gave certificate that
she had died from consumption. Turke's pecu-
liar conduct at the time excited much comment
among the neighbors. During his wiies illness
he had acted in a cruel manner toward her. 1t is
alleged tIlaJ tne IneulclntS WnlCn were le1b Oy
the doctor for his wife he threw out of the win.
dow, and he ate the delicacies which were sent iu
to the sick woman by the neighbors. Although
it was rumOred among the neighbors that the
woman had been strangled by Turke, no inveStiga
ton was made. Turke had one child by his first
wife. This is bright little girl about three years
old. She in the house at the time the double
tragedy was committed. The child is in
oIo Mr. tha hhnr
Tie mother of lurke's first wife lived in this
city and knew nothing of her daughters illness or
death until after the young woman had been
buried. When she learned of the occurrence she
became so despondent she committed suicide by
hanging herself. The murdered woman could not
speak English. 1t is not believed that she had
any relatives in this country. No one seems to
have known her maiden name. Turke, who was
a hard drinker, managed to earn enough money at
cobbling TO keep himself in whiskey, and but a
small portion of his earnings went to the support
of his family. lie, however, was sober at the
time of the shooting