The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-25
WRONGED, THEN KILLED
NORA RICHARDSON THE VICTIM OF
HER PARTNER IN SIN.
Herman Myer shoots Her and then
both Dead When Found.

3 and O'Clock on Birkenmeyer avenue,
about block east of East street
The bodies were not discovered until
about 6:3) o'clock. 1t was at that, hour that
several men, living in the neighborhood,
started to their daily work and one of
them a Mr.. Williams. living in the old
Weghorst property on South East street.
opposite the scene of the tragedy. was per-
haps the first person to come upon the
CHASTITY sight. In few moments a crowd
gathered about the place and viewed the
scene.
The bodies were lying on the sidewalk.
Their feet were together. The woman lay
partially on her right side. Myer was lying
fiat upon his back. Both had been dead
several hours when found. A boy carrying
a Journal route was among the first TO ar
rive and he ran to the nearest telephone
and notified the police of the affair. Ser
geant Lowe and Patrolman Holz were dis
patched to the scene and made thorough
investigation which was made the subject
Of a full report to the superintendent.
From the appearance of the bodies and
the ground where they were found 1t is
clear that there was a struggle between the
man and woman before he succeeded in
ending her life. The street Is a new one
and the sidewalk is of gravel. In the
gravel were the prints of the feet in front
OF the house. They had evidently stopped
there and talked a long while. and it is
also evident that they entered the yard
and stopped on the porch out of the rain.
The sidewalk was scuffed and the gravel
was thrown about. The first shot fired at
the woman evidently struck her in the left
hand as she probably fought with him for
of ha r,ic ha
must have struck her in the breast and the
third in the back as she staggered away
from him. The pistol with which the muir
der and suicide were committed was found
lying by the side of Myer. 1t is thirty
two-caliber. self-actino revolver. with five
chambers, all of which were empty when
found. Four shots were probably fired at
the woman, and with the fifth he then
wound up his own worthless career. Pull
ing back a portion OF his vest he placed the
pistol directly over his heart and pulled
the trigger.
Several of The people living in the vi
cinity claim TO have heard the woman's
screams and the firing of the shots. All
agree as to the time-between and
O'Clock yesterday morning. Thomas Cru
ellie lives Immediately back of the house in
front of which the tragedy occurred. He
and his wife were awakened by a woman's
screams. Then they heard four shots fired
in rapid succession. Mr. Gruelle got up
and dressed and went out into the street.
He looked all about in the direction from
which he supposed the sound came. and,
finding nothing. returned TO bed. Henry
Trueselman, also a resident of Center
street. is in the habit Of arising at about 4
o'clock every morning. He was wakeful
when he heard the screams and the shots.
He. too. looked about in the street. but all
was quiet. and he went to his work with
out knowing of the awful tragedy which
had been enacted in his neighborhood.
NEIGHBORS HEARD THE SHOTS.
John Beck lives in the first house west
of the one where the shooting occurred. 1t
is fully square Jetween the two houses
To the east there are no houses for more
than a block. and TO the south are the
broad fields of the old Weghorst home
stead. The nearest houses are those on
Center and Sanders streets, and they
are much block distant.
IL thus happened that those who
heard the screams and the shots
were unable to locate them. Mr.. Beck tells
about the same story as Mr.. Gruelle. He
and the shots. All place the number of
shots at four. and this leaves room for the
killing his sweetheart before ending his
own miserable life. 1t might have been
that, the single shot was fired after the
might be that the first shot awakened them
and they counted four subsequently. F.
| +. Nicholson. an express wagon driver liv-
| Ing on Shelby street, distance of five
| blocks. claims to have heard the shots
| The identity of the murdered woman and
| dead man was discovered by letters found
| I'm his pockets. Several of them were ad-
! dressed to Herman Myer and were signed
| by Nora A. ch1rdscn. From the letters
it is plain that the girl was murdered to
\ m uh hax
soon come to light. From the tone of the
letters written by her to Myer she was evil
IDENTIFY wronged by him and was pleading
with him to marry her one OF the letters
was dated Oct. 30, and contained the fol-
| lowing:
Dear Hermann don't want TO wait
much longer for you to come and do what
| is right by me. 1 don't want to have any
| trouble about it, and 1 think you had bet
| ter come out and marry me at once; for
| you know / think TIE world of you, and
| nope you Will stand up to your promise
those letters you wrote me- and am going
| TO Keep them and make you stand up to
your word, and L can make you do it,
Through all the letters from the girl ran
| the expression Of true devotion TO the man
| who murdered her. The last letter written
by her TO him. and the one which brought
| them together the last time. and perhaps
influenced him to plan her death, was dated
| last Friday. 1t was follows:
Dear Hermann take the pleasure ia
leave you know that were glad TO hear
| from you well. for you know I like you
better than anybody l ever kept company
! with and are about sick TO see you, for
have been so lonesome without you and
am glad you haven't forgotten me for
| think of you ever day be sure and come
| out TO see me next Sunday evening dear
Will look Tor you, pet. From Nora Rich.
| ardson."
A DELIBERATE PLOT.
The sequel shows that Myer did go Il
see the girl Sunday. remaining nearly al
day with her and during the evening. He
called again at the house Monday evening
were doing on Birkenmeyer avenue is
mystery. 1t appears that the couple mus
have been. walking about all night. III,
may have been trying to induce her t.
walk farther out to a more secluded place
where he might kill her. and, upon he
refusing TO do so, he waited until timi
in the night when they would not be inter
fered with.
Coroner Brayton and his deputy DR.. L
J. Richardson. visited the scene OF tn
crime yesterday and collected all the evi
dence available. They also summoned wit
nesses. and will continue the examination
to-day. DIR. Winn made n post-morten
examination OF the girls body at Tute
wiler's morgue yesterday He found tina
three bullets had struck her. One strucl
the left hand. another penetrated the bacl
and lodged in the kidneys, and the thir'
| pierced the heart.
| There was no trouble i'm Identifying her
Teterick Eek. a Haughville grocer, was tn
| first 10 identify her. He called at tn
| morgue at noon and told the coroner tina
| son, a farmer. seyenty-five years old liv
| ing on the LAFAYETTE pike near EmerichS