New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-05

BLAND FIRST TRIED TO MURDER HIS
WIFE.
SHE is NOT SERIOUSLY HURT-HE WAS DEsPoND-
ENr BECAUSE HIS WIFE WOULD NOT ALLOW
HIM TO ENTER THEIR HOUSE


HIM TO ENTER THEIR HOUSE.
Valentine Bland. a butcher, forty-one years old,
committed suicide about o'clock yesterday after
noon on the second floor OF tenement, at NO.
3l3 East Forty -ffth-st. where his wife and hVe
children live He first tried to Kill his WIFE he
fired a shot at her which broke her Jaw. thinking
he had killed her. he then put the revolver to his
head and blew out his brains
Bland had not been living with his family for the
last five weeks. During that period he occupied
furnished room which he hired from saloon
keeper named Stein. whore place Is at NO 90
East Forty -seventh-st. For the last TWO years
Bland had been separated from his wire TWO Ut
three times The story his daughters tell Is that
he was drinking man. who always made trouoie
for them Men who worked with him say tnat ne
was an Industrious, sober and saving man. HIS
family are wel-to-do people, living In Worms
Germany He and his wife were married there
They came to this country fifteen years ago. FOR
a number of years he used to beat his wife ana
do little to support his family. Then he changed
for the better and used to give his vile all MS
earnings. For ten years he worked in Sch"arZs-
child & Sulzberger's slaughter house az First-ave
and Forty-ffth-st His friends say he earned *lo W
a week He used to give, his frlends say al HIS
earnings to his wife except 30 cents lie had h'e
children, ranging from nineteen TO seven years o1u
The three girls work in drygoods stores BlahH
according to the story told. wanted his wife to put
his savings in the bank and keep the house with
what the girls brought home. Mrs Bland was
housekeeper in the building, she mad no rent 10
pay and Bland used to bring her home all the
meat required by the family. The girls, 1t Is
said were however inclined to be fond or dress
and what money was left after dressing them was
not sufficient keep house with lneir eN
trayagant tastes used to worry the putcner ai!u
the result was frequent quarreis between MS vile
and himself. l.. ara. oh,toa,
one YORK hsn mil Sp' m,dnght When he reached his
home he found his trunk in the hallway, ana ms
wife told him to enter the mouse again one
accused him Of having been out drinking since
that time the has repeatedly Degged ms "lIe
TO allow him TO return home. she wouId iiot
agree however. to a reconciliation. once or twice
would Kill her and himself. OF his little boy Otto
ne was particularly fond and used frequently 10
20 around the Grammar school IN rory IN
ST. where the lad a pupil. The boy mas ia'ey
summed his father. This increased Band's de-
spondency He left Stems saloon yesterday AFTER
noon and went around to the tenement mouse IN
Forty-fifth-st. He went upstairs, opened the door
daughter his son John. his wife and Kate G.asser
his sister-n-aw. were there. he took on nis
coat and sat down a minute. Then he got up anc
started to go into the bedroom, and his wife ana
sister-in law believing that he intended to XIII
himself, caught hold of him. He drew the re-
wife fired at her The bullet struck her In me
law She and her sister fed shrieking down the
stairs and ran to a drug store In Secon1-ave where
she was later attended to by an ambulance sur,
geon AS his wife ran out OF the room Bland
stepped into the bedroom. placed the revolver 70
his tempe and pulled the trigger. He fell TO the
floor dead. The woman Is not dangerously huri