Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-30
HIS FATAL WRATH.
A Wealthy Farmers Deadly
Blow in Anger.
1T STRETCHES HIS WIFE A CORPSE

The Sequel to Long Series of OuarreIs
Makes Peter Suffer an Uxoricide-The
Wife-Slayer Thinks of Suicide, But Fails
in Nerve to Do the Deed-Strangling a
Cannot Explanatory of Domestic In
felicity.
Dies MONIES, Ia, Dec 30-Peter SUIT
ter, one of the oldest and best known cit
liens of Polk county, and worth in the
neighborhood of 100000, murdered his
wife at their boarding place in this city,
where they resided, yesterday. He struck
her ON the head with hammer and she
died almost instantly Sutter gave him.
self up to the police His story is that
three years ago his late wife was his house
keeper, but did not stay long as she wanted
higher wages than he cared to pay. Her
name was Theresa Squeres. They sepa-
rated. but friendship had grown up be-
tween them which ripened into marriage
about year ago. She represented herself
as widow, but Suffer says that she had a
husband living in Ohio
Wanted to Live in style.
Previous TO the marriage she agreed 20
live on>his farm, but after the ceremony
she positively refused 10 leave Des Mcires
and insisted that a man of his wealth could
afford to keep her at the Savoy house. or
at least in elegant style in the residence
portion of the city He humored this whin,
and they took up their comfortable GUAR.
tiers in University place. But even this
did not satisfy his bri de. They quarreled
almost constantly. Their disagreements
at first were always smOothed over. but
during the past six months hardly day
passed that they did not have trouble
Story of the Fatal Quarrel.
Their disagreement yesterday eliminated
in hot, wordy war, Mrs Suffer declar-
ing that unless he gave her =. 900 in cash
she would make him pauper and ruin
his children. She made other threats
which Suffer could not remember distinct
ly, and while she was cursing him he
claims he picked up something and struck
her on the head. He does not know what
he hit her with and is unable to tell Just
how it occurred. Her reference to his chill
dren, be says. made him so angry that he
could not control his temper and, picking
up something handy, he struck her. She
tottered and fell, and blood flowing from
the wound in her head brought him to his
senses.
Hadn't Courage to Commit Suicide.
He bent over her, saw that she was dead
and then realized the enormity of his
CHASTITY crime. He placed revolver to his
head, intending to add suicide to the muir
der, but his courage failed him. Mr. SUIT
ter is known throughout the city and coun-
try by all the earlier residents and he has
always been looked upon as good citizen.
conscientious Christian, and a man of good
habits Mrs. Suffer. the murdered woman.
was a years old, prepossessing in appear
ance and had always borne good reputation
She had evidently been changing her dress
togo out when the murder took place, be
ing attired only in her Undertaking and an
outer skirt, and was in the act of fastening
her corset when the fatal .blow was struck
\ Fact He Couldn't Explain.
One feature of the murder that Suffer
does not explain is the fact that a towel
was tied tightly around his wife's neck,
the ENDS being knotted together at the
back of the head. How this towel got
there Is a mystery. Suffer claims that he
did not tie it there, and il would have been
impossible for the murdered woman TO
have secured 1t so tightly around her neck
after she had received her death blow.
Suffer said to the police that he had no
desire to live and dii not care how soon he
was punished for the crime. said he: L
had no intention of killing her, and had no
idea Of stirling her. She goaded me 10
desperation and / lost my temper. struck
her and that IS the only eXpla nation can
give OF the affair There is some doubt of
his sanity