The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-20
MISERY AND MURDER
Norwegian Sailor Shoots His
Wife and Himself in a
Squalid Tenement.
CRUELTY TO BEGIN WITH
The Oldest Child of the Couple the
Only Witness Of the
Tragedy.


NEW YORK, Dee. 20. 1SSi.-Charles
his wife Ruth this morning and then
killed himself
Peterson was SS years old. while his
wife was five years younger. The trag-
edy occurred in their scualid home on
the top floor of No. 106 Trinity place,
an old barracks on the northwest cor
her of Cedar street. The murder was a
cold-blooded act entirely unprovoked.
Absolute fendishness was phe only thing
that could have prompted the man to
commit the terrible crime. He fired
two bullets into the unfortunate wom-
ans head, and then shot himself twice.
Both died almost Instantly, No one
Witnessed the murder but his eldest
child, little girl
The couple were married fifteen years
ago in a town in England, where the
woman lived. Her maiden name was
Small. A year after their marriage
they came to this country and ever
since, according to all accounts, Peterson
had been continually malcreating his
wife. Five children were born to
them, and all stin live. They are
Marie, aged lS; Lena, aged IL; Charles
aged s.. Sevena, aged 8. and seven
months old baby, named Elizabeth.
A CRUEL BEATING.
It was four years ago when the couple
went to live in the barracks where this
mornings tragedy occurred. William
Small, a brother of Mrs. Peterson,
Smalrs wife, Mary, and the latter's Sis
ter, Annie Mclaughlin in all lived to-
gether in three small rooms. Small, who
is a sailor was at sea when his sister
was cruelty beaten by Peterson, and
child was born to Mrs. Peterson week
later. Mrs. Peterson had secured a war
rant for Peterson's arrest and he had
kept away from the house for some
time past, probably due to the fear OF
his brother-in-law. Small, who had re-
turned from sea, and partly through
fear OF arrest.
Mrs. Peterson was gettings breakfast
about $50 o'clock this morning before
going TO work, when Peterson came in
and asked TO see the baby which was
born during his absence. Annie Nc
Laughfin, who was in one of the small
rooms, heard TWO shots fired and ran
down stairs and across to the Police
Station and reported the matter. Two
policemen started for the house and
,pssleH- they reached Peterson s rooms
they found husband and wife lying side
By side, both dead.
There was bullet wound in the right
side of the womans head while another
had entered her left cheek. The man
mad shot himself once in the head and
again in the abdomen.
WAKENED BY THE SHOTS.
Marie the eldest child, was awakened
from sleep by the shots which killed
her mother. She sat up in bed and
looked into the kitchen. Her mother
lay bleeding and lifeless on the moor,
and her father was on his knees by
the body. In his right hand he held a
revolver pressed against the right side
Of his head. Just as the chlld's first
glance rested upon him he pulled the
trigger A bullet crashed into his head
and the pistol fell to the floor. He
did not die right away, for the child
says he placed both hands to his head
as if suffering great agony Then he
reached down, grasped the revolver in
his right hand, again placed it close
to his abdomen and fired. The pistol
was so close that the powder burned
his shirt when the weapon was dis
charged. With the second shot the lit
tie girl saw her father fall back on the
moor and straighten cut in death.
A few minuJes later the policemen
rushed into the room. The Coroner was
notified of the tragedy and the children
were sent to the rooms of the Gerry
Society.
From what the children and neighbors
of the unfortunate couple say, the man
was brute. who seemed to be jealous
of every acl of his wifes. He was dis
s.tisfed because his brother and sister
in-law made their home with her Time
after time the prosecuted woman for
gave him for his acts of brutality, and
ii was not until he endangered the life
of her unborn babe as Well as her own
life, that she consented 10 make com
plant to the police against him.