The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-01-04
AL0YER'S AWFUL CRIME.
Mrs. Speir the Victim Of Louis Wag-
ner's Mad Jealously.
SUICIDE Of. THE MURDERER
Both Deaths Were instantaneous - The
woman's Daughter the Only Witness
The Deed was Committed In u Bos-
ton Apartment House.


nished suite in the building 412 fremont
street, there was enacted yesterday after
noon terrible tragedy. BY the hand OF
Louis Wagner, Mrs. Fanny Speir was shot
and killed, while her murderer completed
his work by taking his own life.
Two weeks ago Thursday morning Mrs
Speir rented the suite of rooms on Trem-
ont street, and, with her eight year oil
daughter, took up their abode. The moth
er bore the appearance OF lady, and ths
daughter was an unusually bright child.
They called on no one in the house.
The day after they took up their abode
q gentleman apparently about so years OF
age called at the house. He spent the day
and lived with the mother and daughteg
since that time. He gave his name as
Louis Wagner. To those who were curl
Gus enough to inquire he told them that
he lived at 80 Webster avenue, Chelsea.
Everything went along smoothly in the
fiat, and the others who lived in the house
were complimenting themselves on the
fact that the new occupants were nice
people. Only yesterday the remark wa:
heard In the hall that better tenants
Were Seldom Found.
In suite two in the building lived Miss
Phillips. She did not know the occu-
pants of the suite below her, but had met
them in the hall. Yesterday morning she
passed on the stairs Mr.. Wagner, who
went out on the street but returned with
in an hour. She saw neither mother or
daughter. They were in their apart
ments, she knew, because she had heard
them walking around and talking.
In the afternoon at about q O'Clock she
ard D
suite. 1t sounded like the tumbling over
OF table. No other noise was heard,
Five minutes later the daughter Nett (.
May by name-came into the hall and
said: "Mamma has called mt, but i can I
get into the room; won't you come anG
help me?n
Miss Phillips went down and asked
what the child wanted.
"That man who is stopping with u
called mamma into the back room few
moments ago, saying he wanted to tel
her something. Mamma went in there
and / heard a noise like thunder. hearc
IL twice and then mamma called me. J
went to the door, but / couldn't get in,
exclaimed the child.
Miss Phillips tried the door but could
not get in. She called to those inside,
and asked them what was the matter. No
answer. She called again, but still no an
swer. Miss Phillips, believing
Something to be Wrong,
notified q friend of the family, Mis-
Ward. She found that lady at home and
told her what had happened, adding all
the details that she knew.
They at once went back to the house
and tried the door again. As before, they
could not get in. Miss Ward went to the
street and hailed passing officer, who
accompanied them back to the suite. The
officer forced the door open, when a hor-
rible spectacle was presented to their
view.
Lying upon the floor in the centre OF
the room, attired in macintosh and
dressed for the street, was the body OF
Mrs. Speir. Three feet from where she
lay was the body OF her lover, Louis Wag-
ner. Beside him was 32-calibre revolver
from which two bullets had been fired. =
glance told the story. Mrs. Speir was the
victim of lover mad with jealousy.
Louis Wagner had taken his own life.
Captain Dawson of Station was at once
notified of the tragedy. He detailed Ser
geant Carr and Patrolman Crowley TO in
vestigate what had happened. The medi-
cal examiner arrived shortly after and
viewed the bodies. Death was almost in
Simultaneous in each case. The wounds
were in identically the same place on each
and suicide had been premeditated. The
bodies were taken to the undertaking es-
tablishment of Jones on lagrange street.
No inquest will be held.
The only theory given out to-day re-
garding the murder of Mrs. Fanny
Speirs by Louis Wagner Yesterday and
the subsequent suicide of Wagner was
jealousy.
Investigation discloses that the man
was iusanely jealous of the woman and
that the catastrophe was probably
hastened owing to the fact that Mrs.
Speirs was dressed to 60 upon the street
Wagner thought to meet man at "a
hotel.
He accused her of having another
lover whom she met at u Ia tel. -
Mrs. Speirs' S-year-old daughter is to
be taken to Lowell, Mass. where she will
be brought up nv relatives
Relatives OF Mrs. Fannie Speirs, who
was killed at her apartments at 4l2 Ire
mont street, yesterday afternoon, by
Louis Wa Ener, cane from Lowell this
morning and made arrangements for the
removal of the body of the woman to
Lowell for interment.
The bodies of the victim and the sui
eide are at the city hospital morgue sub
ject to the medical examiners orders.