St. Paul daily globe., 1895-02-18
MISS YORKE SLAIN.
WeII-KnoWn Soprano Singer
Shot Down by Actor
Gentry.
THE PAIR WERE ENGAGED.
In a Fit Of Jealousy he
Shoots Her Three
Times.
THE PAIR WERE ENGAGED.
ESCAPE OF THE MURDERER.
His Friends Think He Will
Eventually Take His Own
Life.

PHILADELPHIA, Fep. L.
7radga Yorze. a soprano singer With !
the Baggage Check company, was
ebot and almost instantly killed to-
night at Zeiss' hotel, this city Dy
James P. Gentry, d comedian OIL
Golfers Back Number company
Gentry escaped. and up to late
7o,lr had not been captured. Inc
baggage Check" company, which
onens at the Empire theater tomor-
row night. arrived here early this
morning from Chester, Pa, and a
,711777ber of the members, including
Miss Yorke, registered at Zeiss' no
rel Miss Yorke taking a third-story
hack room. 1t is said that Miss
Yorke. whose home is in New York
Citv. took the $50 a. m. train for
that city but she returned TO the
hotel at about 6 o'clock this evening
and remained there. At about
O'Clock. Gentry walked into the hotel
office and asked to be shown to Miss
YOrl1e's room. Being unknown to
the attaches of the house, he was
told to wait a few moments. A
message was then sent to the girls
room. but Gentry did not wait. He
walked out into the hallway and
ascended by means Of the stairway.
Miss YOrke and Miss Ida Clarke,
o. member of the company, were in
the formers room. practcing songs,
when Gentry opened the door and
WALKED IN UNANNOUNCED. |
Miss Yorke manifested some sur
prise at seeing him, and introduced
him to Miss Clarke. After hastily
acknowledging the introduction Miss
Clarke says Gentry turned to Miss
Yorke. and. in an angry tone, de-
manded: why did you not meet
me today?'' Before the girl could
answer. he whipped a revolver from /
his pocket and fired three shots at
her. each bullet taking effect, one
over the right eye, one in the center
of the forehead and the third close
TO the temple. Gentry Immediately
rushed from the room, and nothing
more was seen Of him. The SupposI-
ton is that he ran along the hall
way and descended by means OF the
fire escape at the back of the house,
making good his escape by one OF
the numerous little alleys in the rear.
The shots were heard throughout the
building. A patrol wagon was sum
moned. and the girl was taken to
the Pennsylvania hospital, about
block distant, where she died i'm
mediateIy upon her arrival Before
entering the hotel, Gentry went to
theatrical boarding house next door,
kept by & Mrs. Dietrich, where he
was informed that Miss YOrke was
stopping at Zeiss'. Charles T. Blay-
ney. author of the Baggage Check,
and Manager Cooper said that it was
generally understood that Gentry
and the girl were
ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED.
and no motive for the deed other
than q fit of jealousy can be imag-
ined. Gentry had always been re
garded by his friends in the profess
sion as a thoroughly good fellow"
while not a word could be said in
detriment TO the girl. Gentry, it is
said. is originally from Richmond.
Va. His friends in this city are of
the opinion that he will commit sui
eide. as. certain peculiarities of voice
and manner render his capture in
the near future almost inevitable.
The murdered girl was well known
in the profession. During the sea-
son of 1878 she was a member of
the New York Casino Opera COM
pany Of late years she has been
with Natural Cas- ''Hoss and
Hoss." where she first met Gentry,
and a number Of other prominent
plays. She was engaged by the
Baggage Check' company last sea-
son. and had made such hit that
Mr.. Blayne had tried to advance her
in position. and to this end was
writing for her the part of an up-tO-
date girl in "The ChatteI Mortgage
which is to be produced in New
York next month. She was a re-
markabIy pretty girl. decidedly
brunette and about twenty-five years
of age. Gentry is described as a tall.
thin. saIIow-faced man of about
thirty-five years of age, and is said
to be a clever character comedian.
Miss Clarke was prostrated by the
occurrence. and could not be seen.
Detectives were at once put on the
case.