New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-10
A MADMAN'S AWFUL CRIMES.
JOHN H. MEISTER. A BROOKLYN BAKER.
KILLS HIS WIFE AND COMMITS SUICIDE.
AFTER FIRING SIX SHOTS INTO HER BODY
AND PUTTING A BULLET IN HIS OWN
BRAIN, HE CLIMBS OVER ROOFS. HAS
A SEVERE FALL AND AT LAST
HANGS HIMSELF

HANGS HIMSELF.
The two crimes Of murder and suicide were
committed yesterday morning by prosperous
German baker, named John IT, Meistcr, at No
500 Henry-st Brooklyn. Actuated by maddening
jealousy he shot his wife six times as she lay
asleep in bod killing her with the second or third
shot. He then took another revolver and put a
bullet in his own brain 1t did not cause instant
death, and he hanged himself in the back gard Of
a neighboring house. His death, however, was
caused by the bullet. and not by strangulltlon.
Five children were made orphans by the acts OF
their father, who was probably insane from
jealousy He was a Of violent temper AMI his
wife had lived in fear of him for several years.
They were successful in business, and owned
property worth $4,000.
Meister forty-fve years old. and his wife
was two years younger He was born in Bavaria
and his wife a Prussan. Both came TO this
country about a quarter of century ago, and
two years later they were married. He
baker by trade, and began business in the Eastern
District, but about sixteen years ago purchased
what was known as the New England Bakery, at
Henry and Sackett SITS. His wife kept the shop
while he attended TO the rest of the business
They paid for the brownstone house, the first
floor of which was the shop, and the collar the
bakery and bought two adjoining houses in
Sackett-st. The family lived in the rooms at the
rear Of the shop and on the floor above, renting
the third floor of the house. Mcister and his
wife occupied bedroom the first floor off the
dining-room back of the shop On Tuesday they
had violent quarrel. lie accused her Of in
fidelity, although all who knew her say she was
a Woodworking woman and model wife and
mother
At 3 O. m. yesterday boy employed in the
bakery called Meister, and then went to the
shop. Ten minutes later the sound of
pistol shot. accompanied by screams from Mrs
Meister, came from the bedroom followed by
five more shots in rapid succession. The Meistcr
children called for aid, and all the neighbors
were aroused. Meistcr empticd al the chambers
of his revolver, leaving his wife dead, and then
went into the shop and placed it or q shelf
Returning to the dining-room, he shot himself
In the right temple with another revolver.
The shot was not Immediately fatal, hut
served to still more enrage tho already maddcned
man. He rem upstairs and forced open the sky
light to the roof. From the top of his own
house he crossed over the roofs TO No 500
Henry-st. and attempted TO descend by tin
leader TO the roof of an extension Of No. sos.
But the rusty leader broke under his weight and
he fell TO the roof of the extension a distance
of thirty feet, waking people sleeping near by
with the noise of the fall. They saw him Chamber
over into the rear yard of the large house 1T
Nos sos and $40 Henry-st There he took d
piece of clothesline from a post and made 4
moose. which he used in hanging himself to the
post. The rope broke twice. but he replaced
It, and finally jumped of a small table and hung
with the moose partly about his neck and his
knees drawn up. He died in that position. but
the moose was not tight about his neck.
His body was removed by the police to his
home and laid in room adjoining that in which
his wifes body had been placed: She had been
shot in the chest, left thigh, both arms, left
shoulder and right cheek The bedcothng was
scorched, showing that the shooting was done at
short range 1t Is supposed that Mrs. Mester was
awakened from her sleep by the shooting and
that the shot in the chest the fatal one.
Meister had risen and dressed before he under
took TO kill his wife. II his custom to
keep the loaded revolvers in the house. The
ages of the five children range from twcnty-onc
years to ten years. The dead man belonged 70
Fritz Reuter- Lodge, Order of Tonti: the Order
Of Chosen Friends, and the Boss Bakers Asso-
citation
A Coroner's jury was sworn in and viewed the
bodies yesterday, and permits for their burial
were issued. The double funeral will be held
tomorrow, and it is probable that Meister and his
murdered victim will occupy the same grave.
About six years ago Mrs Meister had her hus
band arrested for assaulting her, but the charge
was not pressed.