The Forrest City times., 1893-07-28
A LITTLE ROCK TRAGEDY.

Ben IevfnsOn. President or WhoieS" Liquor Company, Shot and Instantly Killed by Dave Issser - Laser Chainis Levinson Sent Insulting Notes to HIS
 Sister-A Claim that the Notes were Forgeries.
 LITTLE ROCK. July 24.-Ben Levln- son, president of the Levinson-Freid- helm Co.,, wholesale liquor and tobacco dealers, was shot and instantly killed at o'clock Saturday evening by Dave Laser. former employe of the com pany. Mir. Levinson was standing in the rear part of his store, when Laser entered from the back door. Without uttering a word he leveled dou ublebarreled shotgun and emptied the contents into his victim s body. The first shot entered the left shoulder and passed through the heart. The second shot passed through the right thigh and found lodging place in the floor. As soon as he had emp tied his gun Laser walked to the front door, where he was placed under ar rest. A pistol was also found in bis possession.
 News of the tragedy spread like wild fire, and for several hours the most ln- tense excitement prevailed. The shoot ing occurred in the center of the busi- ness portion of the city, and in few minutes the streets were blockaded with people. Only two persons were In the store at the time the shooting oc- cured.
 Laser when seen at the jail said he killed MT. Levinson because he insult ed his sister, Mrs. Leo Thalheimer, of New York, now on a visit here. He claims Levinson sent his sister two bad notes requesting her meet hlm. He said he had the notes in his possession and would produce them at the examin- ing trial.
 Livinson was the father of large family. He and his wife are connected with the best Jewish families of the south. Laser is also married, and has been travelling for l. Trigger X Co.,, of Cincinnati. His brother, Jake Laser, who accompanied him to the store, was arrested as an accomplice.
 INVESTIGATION BY THE CORONER.
 Coroner Bond began the inquest yesterday morning. Judge Frank T. Vaughan appeared for the state, having been retained by the dead man s friends. Late in the afternoon Judge T. c. Martin and George w. Murphy appeared be- fore the coroner and stated they had been se- cured by the Laser brothers, and in order to acquant themselves with the case, asked for Q postponement until Wednesday. The request was granted without opposition.
 Mary Roundtree. the negro woman at whose house it is alleged Levison attempted to get Mrs Rose Thalhcim to meet him. testified that l she received a ThurSQay morning S mail requesting her to see Mrs. Thalhe1m and have her meet the writer at her house the next morning. The same afternoon gentle man answering the description of MT Levin son called and inquired if she had received the note She did not know Mir. Levinson, and | consequently could not swear AS to the iden- tity of the man who called, notwithstanding she had lived in Little Rock twenty years, and MT. Levnson was all that time one of the best l known merchants in the city. She said the 1 same man told her he had also written note to Mrs. Thalheim and signed her name to 1t, | asking Mrs Thalheim to call at No. 1915 Main 1 street the next morning to meet gentleman. | Mrs Roundtree said the note sent her through the mail bore no signature She destroyed 1t. She corroborated Mrs. Thalheim as to her | statement Tn regard to the investigation that | followed the receipt of the note by the latter.
 Mrs ihalheim was next called to the stand. She is a typical Jewess brunette. very pretty, full of fire and animation, we'll educated and evidently refined woman She hroke down completely during the recital of her story. Mrs. Thalheim said she received the note by early | delivery Thursday morning. She handed 1t to her sister. Both were astounded. They at once sent for Robert Mitchell. a Cuban. formerly in the employ of Leo Thaheim, her husband, and asked him to md out who and what Mrs. Roundtree was. He did as requested and | learned she kept improper house at No. 1915 Main street. and was col ored woman. Mitchell reported re- quested, and Mrs. ThGlhem and sister. Mrs. Greenwald, then determined to find out | who wrote the note. They went to Ettinger s store Friday morning and sent for Mrs Round tree, who came down. When confronted with the note purporting to be signed by her she grew furious and sad il was written by Levin son; that she had received one from him Thursday morning saying he had written 0 note to Mrs. Thalheim. signing her name ana 1 trying to jusiyfy himself for the forgery Mrs. Roun6tree had burned that note she said. ! With this she drew another note in the same handwriting from her bosom. addressed to her. The address on the envelope and note were both written in lead pencil. This note was as follows:
 ! "MRs. MARY RoUNDTREE-There was had mistake made in addressing the note, as it should have been Mrs. Rosa Tillman, so don | say nothing to no one, as everything is quiet, and should Mrs. T. come say you don't anything aNoIt II, nor lIft fiidH NHo WTOic Lut HOtt. At any rate. don't mention my name, and every thing will te quiet. Only mistake.
 Yours. l.
 r. s.-Mr. Mitchell will come at 6 o'clock and explain.
 This note she said she had received that morning. In the meantime Mrs. Thalhem said Leyinson Tad called on Mrs, Roundtree and tried to make her believe he had intended the no:e for Rosa Tillman. He had become 1 greatly worried too, for fear Mrs. Thalheim's s brothers would ind il out and sent u messen- ] ger post haste to Mitchell. telling him that he ] MnI,lG gall MnnLn,- md EY Le lie