New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-22
Is 1T MURDER OR SUICIDE!
LILLIAN DEL VECHO DEAD AND HER
HUSBAND IN A SERIOUS CONDITION.

LILLIAN DEL vECHO DEAD AND HER
HUSBAND IN a SERIOUS CONDITION.
THE HUSBAND. CUT AND BLEEDING FROM SELF
INFLICTED WOUNDS. DRAGs HIS LANDLADY
TO HIS DYING wIFE's sTDE-srsPCIoN
THAT HE FORCED POISON DOWN
HER THROAT AND THEN TRIED
TO KILL HIMSELF.
Drunkenness led to murder to suicde-pos-
sibly to both-in the cheap theatrical boarding
house at No. 81 East Tenth-st. yesterday. a
woman who had been a singer on the variety
stage was found dying from the effects Of poison.
and her husband who called attention TO her.
sent to the hospital suffering from the COM
bined effects of poison and throat-cuttng. The
woman died without word of explanation. and
IT was left TO conjecture If she had swallowed
poison Of her own free Will or If the poison had
been poured down her throat by the man. The
suicide theory was in part discredited by the fact
that some OF the poison had been sp'ashed over
her face. The man had written letter which
left doub, as to his Intention to Kill himself.
but there was said to be possibility OF his re-
covery.
The boarding house is kept by Mrs. Emily
Ottha. Three weeks ago a room in the house
was hired by John Del Vecho and his wife Lii
Han. Del Necho was an Italian about twenty
nine years old and had been earning his hVlng
for sevcra! years musical performer on the
variety stage. His wife. an Irish woman. two or
three years older than himself. had hIed engage
ments with him at number OF small theatres
Both were addicted to drink. When the couple
went to live in the house in Tenth-st. they had
been without any engagements for months: They
had little money and occasionally pawned some
article of ipWelrN To pay fOt their bOdru.
IN A CRAZED CONDITION.
Last week Del vecho had an engagement at a
museum in Harlem He was sober for few
days. but began to drink heavily on Sunday and
on following days and the other people in the
boa arding house wondered how he managed To
keep his engagement at the museum fester-
day he did not go 10 the museum at all. and II
was noticed that he was In a nervous condi-
ton bordering on dcrium. He spent the fore
noon wandering about the house and talking In
"A rambling way about p"o1" trying To XIII MN
His wife tried To- coax him 10 e. To the museum
but he refused He shouted that men were wait
ing outside To take his life. In the afternoon
when he had become calmer. his wife brought
In some more liquor.
About p. m. Mrs. Arno was sitting in the
parlor when Del Vecho staggered into the room
stared at her and rhouted Come quick: Come
quick. something terrible has happened
Then he glanced behind him Tor a minute as
II he feared pursuit
Mrs. Arno softly approached him. and In
soothing tones told him not to be silly. not sus-
pecting that there had tecn a real tragedy. HIS
actions became once more those OF maniac. as
he grasped her arm and partially dragged her
upstairs. crying IN piteous tones AZ ne mouh'ed
the steps: My poor da Ring Wife
The strong odor II carbolic acid now came To
Mrs Amos nosrils and she hurried on To the
room occupied by the Del Ncchos on the bed
av Mrs Del Vecho. she was unconscious and
apparently dying.
without waiting 10 see more. Mrs. Arno rushed
out to Policeman McAvoy. who was standing IN
front Of the house. Having sent hurry can
Tor an ambulance ne went 10 the room where
Del Vecho was lying on the bed with his wfe.
crying and ravng Ike Wild man. tls lips
cash In his throat. which he had inflicted with a
razor king open on the floor. He was In that
condition Mrs. Arno said when he first burst
into her presence but she thought the wound IN
tho neck caused 10y an accidental sip or the
razor II was not bleeding much AZ the time.
The crazcd man may have drawn the razor
across his neck second time.
4 RAMBLING AND UNTRusTWoRTHY TALE
Del vecho was not apparently in danger Of
diving Immediately but he could not tell a
straight story of wat had occurred He merely
said h. was asleep when h. was awakened by
his wife falling across him. He said h. had only
A vague idea Of what was going on and was not
fully reused from his sleep until he heard his
wifi. groaning. He SAID ne had no intention Of
committing suicide This denial was dis
!,
he had scrawled on "A rough piece OF parchment
II was driven to this by my hearing. or think
ing heard a dirty nefarious story about myself
which was without foundation or PROOF am as
honest a man as ever lived: perhaps 1t il owing
10 my oVcrsensltlyoncss or from reading niger
soils suicidal theories. don't know which; but
| know that have done nothing evil or nothing
t. merit the reproaches Of honest people except
drink May God forgive me
j DEL VECHO.
Care OF my father. School-st. Salem. Mass
on the back Of the parchme had been writ
ten: Ernest Del Vecho. Symonds-st. salem
and Sarah Davidson. No. 81 Mason-st, Sa-
lem"
GROUND FOR SUSPICION.
When an ambulance from Bellevue Hospital
arrived at the house. Mrs Del Necho was dead.
and her husband was I'm such "A frantic state
that nothing more coud be got from him The
surgeons said that he might die last night, but
the chances favored his recovery.
IL noticed that Mrs Del Necho race
had been burned In several places by carbonc
acid and that suggested the thought that her
husba nd might have forcibly poured the poison
down her throat. when she was too drunk to
make much resistance. woman seldom neg
Iccu 10 save her face from Disagreement.
even when she takes poison. The police now
ever were inclined to believe that the couple
had planned to die together and that the wife
had swallowed the poison first. setting an ex-
ample which her husband was unable In his
excited state to follow to the end. Del Necho
was a prisoner at the hospital last night ana
II was said that If he recovered the letter whch
no hod written would be used against him.