The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-23
lie SHOT TO KILL
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY ENACTED ON
NORTH MAIN STREET SUNDAY.

Jealous Husband Takes the Life of Bis
Wife and Then Sends Bullet Through
His own Brain-Both Died Instantly
scenes in Their Room Were Dreadful
to Look At-Both Well Known People
who Belonged to Respectable Families
He Loved Her Well But Not Too
yyiseIy-Their Child Didn't Realize II.
Sunday afternoon o. Z. Hart killed
his wife and then killed himself IN rom
8. third floor Of building No. 246 NoTCh
Main street.
1t was one of the great trageoIeS III
the history of Wichita.
Hart used a 32-calibre Colts revolver
with a. long cartridge of powerful force
The first bullet went through the open
window and the fringe Of the awning,
me next bullet went into the side of
Ida Hart. his wife, the next went into
her right 5uglar vein and lodged in the
neck. the fourth was turned on himself.
It went in near the mouth, took an up
ward course and lodged in the brain.
Both Of them died instantly.
A reporter for the Eagle entered the
room a few minutes after the tragedy.
1t was a horrible sight.
The room faced the street and had in
&c bed dresser, a wash stand and
TWO chairs. one a rocker. The bed eX-
tended south from the north wall and
about half way between the east and
west side of the room. Only one per
fon slept in ii the previous night and
he never disturbed it. The other pill
low remained as it was made UP the pre-
vious day.
The body OF Ida Hart laid on the floor
between the bed and the front window.
She was dead Her features were as
calm as if she was lying in untroubled
sleep. One hand rested on her waist
while the other clutched a handker-
chief and was resting under her head.
The bullet wound in her neck was plain
" visible and there was pool of blood
saturating the carpet and sprinkled over
the furniture. She was dressed as If
she had just came in and taken off her
hat, which was lying on trunk with
her umbrella and valise-
While Mrs. Hart had a calm and
peaceful look on her face. the face of
peration and dark jealousy that prompt
ed him TO take the life Of his wife and
then his own It was easy TO see the
terrible rage he was in when he COM
mitted the crime. When he shot hom-
self he fell, and when he fell his head
struck q red clay cuspidor, cracking of
q piece OF il. In his contact with the
cUspidOr q wound was made on the side
Of the head and the blood from that as
we'll as from the bullet wound drenched
the floor and flowed in torrents down
the side of his face. His CLASSY blue
eyes were stiM wide open and their va
cant stare was simply terrifying. Near
him layed the revolver with which the
dark, sad and unfortunate deed was
done. His coat and vest and hat were
lying on the bed.
The tragedy occurred about $50 or S:35
in the afternoon as near as eye wit
nesses could remember.
1t was about 9 o'clock in the morning
that they were first seen together. They
were at the foot of the stairs and he took
hold of her hand in rather a rough man
uer. The suppositiOn is that he had
some cause to be angry. He loved her
intensely and WAS extremely jealous.
After they had gone up stairs she
seemed to have rgained his better con-
sideration. She sat on his lap for an
hour or more and famed him. At that
time they seemed TO be very affection
ate
In the afternoon both of them went
down TO fuckers restaurant and had
dinner, after which they returned 10
their room again Again she sat on his
lap and famed him and they still seem
ed TO be very affectionate-
Shortly before the tragedy occurred
she came down stairs, bought him CT
gar and took it to the room. 1t was
probably during her absence that he
made UP his mind TO enact the terrible
tragedy that soon followed.
When she knew that he had deter
mined DO kill her she flew to the window
lookd out and by a peculiar coincidence
her eyes fell on the tombstones across
the street, and stranger still, one OF the
men she hallowed to was a tombstone
man and the other was am undertaken.
Evidences of death enveloped that trag-
edy on every side.
Judge Sluss was riding along on his
bicycle and he was the first man to ar
rive at the room with officer Stewart.
Judge Sluss looked over the tranSom
and saw that d tragedy had been COM
mitted. The door was not locked as is
generally stated. Officer Stewart was
with Judge Sluss and took charge of
the place while the judge rode down TO
the city building TO notify police head
quarters.
When II became known that a murder
and suicide had been committed the
heretofore deserted streets swarmd
with people.
Through the courtesy of officer
Stewart a reporter for the Eagle was
admitted to the room and he was the
first one TO recognize AIR. Hart. During
the last two weeks he frequently came
to the reportorial rooms 10 read ex-
changes. Not knowing his name ne
went down 10 the Santa Fe hotel where
he knew he had boarded and learned
that it was Q. E. Hart. Until that time
he was supposed to be man named
Cole of Mount Hope.
When the coroner and sheriff arrived
the bodies were examined and note
was taken from the pocket of her dress.
which read as follows:
TO parents. or whoever il may con-
Germ: That we are tired Of life and
have agreed 10 put a stop 10 It and We
sincerely ask and request TO be buried
together. A good bye 10 all
20 E HART,
IDA HART"
at IS suicide by agreement" said the
officers, and II looked that way bur il
was plain that Hart had made both the
signatures. The theory Is that while she
was away from the room getting the CT
gar that he wrote the note. afterwards
slipping il in her pocket and then killed
A-o~HaA