The morning call., 1894-04-12
HIS LAST SLEEP.
George Werner Murdered
by His Wife.
SHOT HIM WHILE IN BED.
He Had Threatened to Obtain a
Divorce.
SHOT HIM WHILE IN BED.
HAD GROSSLY NEGLECTED HER.
Driven to Desperation by His Acts,
She Fires the Fatal Shot and
Then Repeats.

a young wife, driven to desperation by
the eoldness and studied neglect Of her
husband, shot him dead while In bed last
night in their room at 22h Hickory
avenue.
George Werner, butcher, in the Cable
Market, corner of Polk and California
streets, and his wife. Ada Florence. were
married between seven or eight months
ago In the house where the murder was
committed. He was about so years OF age
and she %.
They lived happily together till about
month ago, when they had their first
serious quarrel about party. From that t
time their quarrels were frequent. Wer-
ner at that time told her he would never
take her with him again and he religtously
kent his word.
Every night he went out and left her in
their room. She repeatedly begged him TO
take her with him. but he would not listen
10 her and their recrminations grew more
bitter as time went Oh.
Last night after he got home he was in
an ugly mood. Angry words we're heard
coming from their room. Then there was
silence for a few minutes, till suddenly
the whole house was startled by the sharp
report of a pistol followed by woman's
piercing shrek.
Andrew Webber, the proprietor of the
house, was in bed. but on hearing the re-
port OF the pistol jumped out upon the
floor, partly dressed himself and rushed
across to the room occupied by the Werners.
The door was unlocked, and when he
pushed it open he saw Mrs. Werner lying
on the floor in her robe de mutt, with a
pistol in her hand.
Thinking she had been shot he said to
her, who fired the shot?" She imme-
diately became hysterical and he could not
get any answer out of her. He then
turned his attention 10 Werner. who was
in bed and was horrifed to find hiEn dead.
His face was black with powder and a
gaping hole in his right temple showed too
plainly where the bullet had entered.
Webber led the hysterical woman into
another bedroom, and sent a messenger 10
the Central police station. The patrol
wagon was promptly dispatched and
Policeman w. II. Williams placed Mrs.
Werner under arrest after be had become
sufficiently composed TO dress herself.
Amid her sobs she made the following
statement: when my husband came
home tonight he was crosser than ever
before. He has been cruel to me ever
since we went TO party about month
ago, when he said he would never go out
with me again. And he never has, although
have pleaded with him again and again
TO be kind to me and take me with him, as
[ felt so mad and crushed at being con-
staDtly left alone.
Tonight when he retired he told me
that he was tired of living with me and be
intended to get a divorce from me. He
ordered me to pack up my things and
leave the house, as he never wished to see
my face again. l pleaded with him to let
me stay with him, and told him l would
20 out and work so as to help him along,
buI he spurped me from him.
81 was driven mad by his cruel treat
ment, and when he was asleep shot him,
as ! could not bear the thought of him
diVorcing me-"
After she made this statement she was
.aken into the bedroom where the body of
ner husband lay to get some hairpins, and
when she looked at the silent figure her
shrieks were heartrendlng. She tried
10 ulUS H6ESSll upOu bIS DOQy u KISS tU0
lips cold in death. but was restrained by
The officer and led shrieking from the room
and downstairs to the patrol wagon, which
conveyed her TO the City Prison. A charge
Of murder was entered against her.
Meantime the Coroner's Office was noti-
fed, and the body of Werner removed to
the Morgue.
1t appears that after Werner had fallen
asleep. Mrs. Werner slipped out of bed
and walked stealthilY round to his side.
She placed the revolver close to his right
temple and fired, and then fell in a heap
on the floor. Werner never moved, as
ieath must have been instantaneous.
Mrs. Werner is above the medium
neight, of slender build and of prepossess-
ing appearance. She would not say when
she bought the pistol. but admitted that
ner husband did not knew that she had 1t
in her possession.
The proprietor of the house and others
all spoke well of her, and condemned her
husbands conduct toward her.