The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-09-27
THE SHAMOKIN TRAGEDY.
Later Developments Puts a Different Com
pIexion ON tho AfIlir.

F'VNiuh VII bilo EAHdlFs
sHAMOKIN, Sept. 7.-Ipvestigation of the
tragedy In wliieil Arthur w. May, better
known as Boots" Troutman, and Miss Cora
Kaseman figured as victims has placed upon
the affair a complexion different from that
presented by the first reports. 1t Is evident
that from the information gathered both had
mutually agreed to end their lives, and after
possible failure Of morphine the deadly
revolver was brought into use to quicken and
make sure the job
1t was shortly after o'clock Saturday
morning when S. B. Mast the wheelwrizht.
arrived at the shop and opened up in readi-
ness for tie days business Going back into
the rear room he noticed on the floor big
pool of what looked like fresh paint A
second glance, however, convinced him it
was blood, and looking upward he discovered
that it had run through the floor from the
upstairs. He found both victims lying in
pools of blood on the second floor.
When the bodies were scrutinized it was
found that in Mays left hand was tightly
grasped y revolver which pointed directly
over the right side Of the breast, which led
most people to believe at first that he had
tried to shoot himself near the heart. How
ever when his head was turned aside two
gaping wounds were found back of the right
ear, and the brain was oozing out He had
no doubt held the revolver with the left
hand and pulled the trigger with the right,
both dropping, the latter to his right side,
after two bullets went crashing through his
brain. To aid him in his work he
had torch, which stood on the floor
close to his head and the flame singed his
hair and eye lashes The torch was
burning when stillthe bodies were found
He was we'll aud neatly dressed.
The body of Miss Kaseman was lying about
foot to the right of May, hut more in the
centre Of the room. Under her was a large
piece of oilcloth that had been carefully
spread out from roll on which her neck
was resting, She was lying flat on her face
which was smeared with her own and her
lovers blood Sho was tastefully dressed in
a green shirt waist and a dark skirt. The
fatal wound inflicted by the revolver in the
hands Of May was in the neck. The bullet
had entered the left side. 1t severed the
jugular vein and came out on the right side
On the stove nearby stood quart bottle, al
most filed with whiskey; also bottle about
a quarter filled with morphine Under Miss
Kaseman's head was found a knife, with the
blade open. The knife had likely been used
to open the morphine bottle, as some of the
poison was on the blade
There are several theories of the awful
deed advanced, but the most plausible is that
the two were desperately in love with each
other, and that finding the objections of her
family so bitter against their marriage as to
be hardly surmOuntable, they concluded to
commit suicide. of late May had spoken
much of his troubles and said he would use
his revolver to good effect if they did not
soon end. They arranged to elope about
two weeks ago but something prevented the
girl from keeping the engagement and May
took to drink. The girl was pretty blonde
10 years old. May was 26 years old.