The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-21
TRAGEDY At FOREST CITY
Prank kregr, an Austrian, Shoots His
Wife and Then Commits Suicide.
WOMEN STRUGGLE FOR LIFE
Mrs. krccr and Mother Battle to Keep
tho Blood-Thirsty husband from
Accomplishing his Purpose.
Hit by Third bullet.


Forest City, March 20.--A terrible
tragedy took place in this borough
shortly after II o'clock this morning,
when Frank kregr, an Austrian, shot
his wife and then killed himself by
perforating his chest with bullet holes.
Mrs. Kregr will live, but Kregr died
almost instantly.
Sometime I'm April last the suicide and
would be murderer quarrelled with his
wife and left her. going to Kansas.
The couple had two children, girls, aged
and years. Mrs. Kregr never heard
from her husband but worked and sup
ported her small family. With her, at
her small home on Upper Main street,
lived her mother. whose name is Mag
, dalenc PayZil. In the house next to
them lived Joseph Payzil, a brother of
Mrs. Kregr.
Last Sunday Joseph Payzil was sur
, prised to see Frank Kregr walk up to
the house and salute him In as friend
ly q manner as If he had never desert
ed his family. PayZil took his prof
fered hand and Kregr walked into the
house with him and stayed there until
| Tuesday.
Tuesday morning Kregr came down
town and hired livery horse from &.
NJ. Leonard. He also proceeded to get
streets furiously and in the afternoon
was arrested for drunkenness. He
| stayed I'm the borough lock-up all night
| and in the morning was fined IS. Later
| Wednesday he was re-arreSted for
cruelty to animals and fined $40 and
costs. He then went back to the house
! of his brother in-law and slept there
| Wednesday night
| Thursday morning about s o'clock he
went to the house of his wife and was
there until II o'clock. He conversed
with his mother-inlaw. but his wife
| would have nothing to. say to him.
Just before noon he left and came back
again at p. IN. From then he stayed
there until he committed the double
crime that yesterday morning threw
the community into a state of excite
| ment
THE ATTACK BEGUN.
About midnight he was sitting talk
ing to Mrs. PayZil, when he asked her
where his shirts We're that he had left
there. She told him. she would get them
for him and called to Mrs. Kregr to
hold a light for her. They started into
| a small bed room off the kitchen, when
! Kregr. who was I'm the sitting room.
drew a thirty-eight calibre revolver and
shot at his wife. His air was wild, for
he sent the bullet through the top Of
the door between the sitting room and
kitchen. Mrs. Kregr and her mother
ran into the small bed room and closed
/ the door. Kregr followed and kicked
the lower panel in. Then he succeed
ed In partly. opening 1t and fired at his
wife again. Once more his aim was
| poor and the leaden missilSiiew through
| a pane Of glass In q window behind the
women. Again the man discharged his
weapon and the wife threw up her
hands and cried: Jesus, Joseph and
Mary! l am shot" Her mother sue
ceeded in again shutting the door and
the daughter. who had risen jumped
out of window and escaped to the
/ house of her brother. Kregr went out
to search for her. but came back. locked
the front door sat down by a table, side
way and laid the revolver with which
he had tried to kill his wife on the
table. took out another one of thirty
two calibre and sent three bullets into
his throat and one into his chest. over
the region of his heart.
His mother-in-la then heard some
thing fall and rushed 0tIt of the house
Crying to her, son, Joseph Payzil
Frank has shot himself" DIR. Blake
slee was sent for and he and Payzil
started to investigate. They found the
| JS-cdl1DTe feNOlNeT on tne tdDle, WIFI
three chambers empty and the 32-cali-
bre one lying by the chair on which
Kregr had set. He had evidently tried
to get up and had pitched forward on
his face. He was lying in a. pool of
blood. Justice ID. r. Braman, was
called up and he hastily empanelled a
jury. They viewed the remains, tool;
evidence. examined the surroundings
and yesterday at noon brought in a
death by reason of bullet wounds in
verdict that the deceased came to his
death by reason of bullet wounds in
flicted by himself.
The bullet that struck Mrs. Kregr
entered the right side about two in
ches below the breast. but fortunately
struck a rib. which it followed around
The bullet is still in her body. but she
is not considered dangerously wounded
Kregr presented a ghastly sight. His
neck was singed he had held the re-
volver so close and he lay in u pool
of blood.
The Kreger family came from Lie
bach, Austria, in 1891.