New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-22
BOTH IN THE OFFICE DEAD.
\ DOUBLE KILLING AT LITTLE HAIR
LEM RAILWAY STATION.
THE STATION MASTER AND HIS BROTHER-rN Law
AND OPERATOR FOUND DEAD FROM PISTOL
WOUNDS RELIEVED TO BE CASE

WOUNDS BELIEVED TO Re A CASE
OF MURDER AND SUICIDE.
fnY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRInrHEl
Chatham. " Y June 2l-I!enry J. Kroosse,
station agent at Ph.lmont. y. Y. on the Harlem
Division Of the New-YOrk Central deliberately
murdered his telegraph operator. George j.
Jac,b and then committed suicide al 1920
o'clock this morning. The tragedy was, 1t Is
believed one of premedtation. as Kroosse had
been Informed some ten days ago that his resig-
ma ,ion as agent would be demanded. and on Sat
uriay his discharge came. He went to his work
this morning in despOnd,nt ana irritable
frame ~ mind and little earlier than uslai.
He had taken with him an old revolver ana i1so
a razor II his last day rs agent. as MS
successor. Mr.. Grovesten Of sharon. was ex-
poctcd at noon About l0:20 o'clock Kroosse
stepped into his ticket one, In which was
seated his brothcr-n-law and assistant. jacob
Locking the door. 20 II is believed, he drew the
revolver unnotlcrd by jacob and fired. The
bullet grazed Jacobs left ear and entered MS
shoulder. Quickly he fired again and the fatai
bullet dil Its work. as his victim fell back deai
In the chair An instant more and third re-
port sounded. and Kroosse fell dead on the floor
with a hulle, in his own brain.
\ woman I'm tho waitlng-room heard the shots
Tho New York train arrived few minutes
later. and the CONDUCTOR learning Of the shots
from the villagers. forced open the door. Both
men were dead Coroner I.sk. Of Hudson. wal
Informed.
Kro1sse had been a faithful cmploye # the road
f,r nearly a quarter ~ "A century His accounts
wrr,. all right but he was not as agreeabl" about
the station as the public or the company de-
sired hence his removal Charles Cormler.
travelling auditor o, the New- York Central. ana
Mark Lyons. rout" express agent. were on 'h"If
way :. Philmont to-day. t. Install kr"pss'
successor. and on their examination oi hlS boo"5
found .hefu all right kr,oss" was warden
IN the Episcopal Church here. and about forty
ave years old. lie leaves a wife "n1 was
Jacobs sister. also four children. jacob WAS
thirty ihr,e wears old and .'iycs VIZ and one
chrd he was much-respecied resident ~ me
village and 4 faithful "mpl.y". lie cam" - IN"
ph.lmout station about TWO years ago haV'hE
previously bean employed on the Long ls'ihi
Railroad.
phii,no-, station Is small stopping place on The
Harlem Railroad a dsiauc" ~ Us miles from ~"
York Tn. rcns - he double tragedy was Toy
,-,rh,l ?, the hcalqulr-rs ~ the I'm" at tr'
Grand Central station. AMI j. II Ius''s' the az
distant .ir.rir'en.len' % 'he Harlem r.ai. pr".
...leI hy ne neN train leaving N'" DIX 'or
philmnr' for -" purpose ~ coniiriis an l"'''
,-tf.or frqpirf"s made hy Tribune reporter az
'rfI l'flf on" At 1870 ''''''' ''''
station ,lri'cI thc ;aet that 'he auditor of me
limo s,ho travelled in train - T.. which reach"!
f'hlInnff .nnu after fhe shooting. was on his way
,1 'h. 4.A'ipu 20 look over krooss's accounts ana
o.. sfe ham h's formal dismissal II - thought
ihaf h. ea4 i.sponden, a, the prospect ~ his dis
charge and knowing that he VAS untitled by reh-
san % his long service with the railroad company
o. an, oii"r business he took hts Ne rather than
,,.e ,ie remote chances that lay before him OF
making ANYTHING IKE an adequate lgirs IN" mvs-
'.-. af i~4 .r 'h. rt4r - laroti. Nho was not.
it. Kr.lrso na.lsr rnf'.. fo leave. Tho general
a.i-..n 80 Phl.u.rf. % AIS learned Mas thfi 'he
~ r..r n,s one Oh, murder and suicide rather thrn
Ole 1, double .0iril. n s presumed 'ha' krlls'"
must lly. a''rihufrl DTS d.s hfr.e fo sit'"m"f's
,r complaints made ny jacob nrl hat IN h' ~
r.ve. 20 i~ murdered me latter lefor~ turning ih'
pistol .n hlin.e', Appearances certainly bore ort
this view iar,fI Whom con Iurfpr Cameron ~
train so ralr-l aafriffpnre fo ~" office. Wa
found s,ateI iu front - his telegralhic instrument
With a bullet wound behind MS left ear Whl" b.
IL possible that jacob could have shot himself ir
,h'- POSITION u s not ikcly and moreover. The
fa.i .hn' only ore pistol could De found seemed 10
confirm the belief mat Kroossr was me author
%, his own and ~ Jacobs death
While !, nns admitted 'he Grand Central
station Yesterday that Krpossc - have been
discharged nom his post. II VAS impossible 10 oh-
tain from the officials statement as 70 the
-c,s,n o., lls removal. o'hrr than tha' he hal
~ his duties Mr. Austin. who Nas In charge o1
The assistant snperintcud"nts department ln the
absence - Mr llus''s. sal there Vas no shoriage
IN Krooss.s accounts. ND that his books We're
perfectly regular T. j. apparent. therefore. that
Year ~ discoveries u p.cuarlfies or aishratI1rs
ca,roi ic as.9'hcI - the leading cause of the
trng cal occurrence. Replying to other Inquiries.
NJ Austin said
"Kroossc's discharge was I'm no way due 20 state
mcui~ or Complaints cmanr'.ns from Jacohi
Kfoossc had of late not given entire satisfaction
In his work and - VAS in'imn'Si - him that b"
would Dc discharged Kroossc had been for t"enty-
'onr years IN ihr employ Of m" company. and had
been stationed ~ Ihlmort for nearly twenty years
to-, In,5frr he nns agent ror tho American ~
press. Thor" were. howe, no irr"ru'a,lii' IN
doubt as 10 his thorough honesty ard Integrity.
80 details OF tho tragedy have come into our
mont to lnv'ss'ra," matter VII NOT be back unui
and bagfnge-man. had only occupied his place
j II Cameron conductor of train ". :, who was
yoon hy 4 Tribune reporter on hts arrival from
when pulled into Philmon, this morning there
was no sign - soul about the station but a.
scared looks on their faces ran toward mo. and
aaI that about nve minutes before wr arrived
they had heard pistol shots In the agents Office
effectually 10 force an entrance through inc door
into tho onioe once inside. horrbl" sight met
my eyes Kroosae stretched on tho loor. and
jacob
mec.rfain,i that both had been shoi and doctor
,nnm | sent for. after examining IA" bodies. said
death had been instantaneous IN hoth cases
scarrhei the ofce but could only hnd one pistol
and although / do hot Ike To say 80 positively
| mink that Krooss" must have shot Jacob. ana
,hen committed suicide jacob was shot behind
his left ear and kroosse had = bullet wound In
the ccn'ro Of hls forehead. Everything In IN"
nt,l.. was I'm ship shape order. The money was
To-, kci in the srfe There was no disorder. and
there dld not appear TO have been struggle OF
any kind" , =,
Cameron said he had known Kroosse during the
whole of the twenty four years he had been IN
we're men Of excellent reputation and or temperate
-; rrec Nasons near Philmont and II was un-
ders,ood that he had succeeded In acpuiring s1ine
nronertv cameron said that what mad" the anair
s,ili more extraordinary was that kroosse had mar
r,ed sister of jacob. and that both men had
,i.,vs lived upon the most friendly terms III" had
ha,rd that Kroosse's father had committed sui
eide during n 1T OF temporary inHahl,y, b"t ne
,,,. unahe 10 say what truth there was IN the
statement.