The Philipsburg mail., 1897-02-26
DUESTROW'S CRIME.
The Killing of His Wife and Baby
Three Years Ago.

The crime for which Arthur Dues
trow was executed in Union, Mo. last
week, was committed at 4 o'clock on
the afternoon Of February 13, 1894, at
his residence. 1924 South Compton
avenue, ST. Louis. On that day he
had been drinking heavily in several
saloons in the neighborhood and about
noon had called on his mistress, Clara
Howard. During the forenoon he had
called at Kramer's livery stable and
ordered a sleigh for the afternoon,
stating that he intended taking his
wife and 2-year- old son, Louis, sleigh
riding. 1t was during the interim be-
tween the ordering Of the sleigh ana
his visit to the Howard woman that he
did his heavy drinking.
A few minutes before o'clock
Duestrow arrived home A driver from
Kramer's stable was waiting in front
of the house with the ordered sleigh.
Duestrow. paid him with common
place remark and entered his house.
The generally accepted version Of the
crime proper is the testimony given
by Duestrow's 16-year- old house girl,
Katie Hahn, at the coroner's inquest.
This testimony was to the effect that
she met Duestrow at the door and
asked him it he were going to take his
wife riding as he had promised. The
question seemed to anger him and
Duestrow ran hurriedly upstairs to his
wife's room. He told her to get ready
quickly and talked angrily to her.
The longer he talked the more angry
he became, and finally he slapped his
wife in the face three times. Mrs.
Duestrow upbraided him for his con-
duct, and Katie Hahn, who had fol-
lowed him upstairs, appearing at the
door just at this time. came in for hor
share Of the abuse.
For abusing the servant Mrs. Dues
trow oensured her iDfuriated husband,
and it was this censure which seems
to have worked the murderer up to the
point at which he could no longer re-
strain his demoniacal passion. Grab
bing his child he rushed downstairs,
saying he was going out, but changed
his mind and went back to his wife S
room. Then the servant heard Mrs
Duestrow exclaim. Don't shoot, Ar
thur, don't shoot' Three shots fol-
lowed in rapid succession. The SER
want rushed upstairs just in time to
sec the wounded woman fall. Dues
trow stood over her, smoking revolver
in hand crying: Good by, Tiny !;
are you dead?'' At this point the
mans fury seemed to be diverted to
his child. Grabbing it roughly up in
his arms be held it against the wall
and emptied the other two chambers
of the revolver into it's head. 1t died
instantly.
When Duestrow saw what he had
done his fury gave place to remorse,
and he fled, hatless, to the Compton
Heights police station. When he
reached the station he still held his
revolver in his and, and was sobbing
Historically. [ have killed my wife. -
he CRIED but it was an accident.
suppose they will say l am murderer,
but | am not 1t was an accident -
Later he tried to explain that as he
and his wife were ready to go riding
he took his revolver from his pocket
and tossed it to her playfully, and that
she demonstrated with him for being
SO careless about handling the pistol.
He claimed that the weapon fell to the
floor and exploded, the bullet striking
his wife.
Capt. Keeble and a squad of officers
hastened to the Duestrow home. On
the rich carpet of her room lay the
wife. breathing family. At her side
lay her baby, dead. Both bodies were
laid on the billiard table in the adjoin-
ing room, and medical aid summoned.
Dr.. Carl j. Luyties was the first
physician to arrive, and he imme-
diately despaired of saving Mrs. Due
strow's life, one of the bullets having
penetrated the brain and lodging in at
the base of the skull. Another had
lodged in the spinal column near the
muscles of the neck. On February
ii, DR.. A. G. Bernays removed two of
the bullets, but held out no hope of
her recovery. She died on February
II. having never regained conscious
ness. On the l4th coroner's inquest
was held over the body of the murdered
boy, and verdict of homicide rem
lered, it being found that he had come
to his death from two head gunshot
wounds inflicted by his father.
The night of the shoolng he mur-
dcrer was removed t. the Central Dis
trict holdover, where he resumed the
protestations of Innocence which he
began at the Compton Heights station,
and which he continued up to the
time of his execution.
At the inquest held over Duestrow's s
baby the principal witness was Katie
Hahn. the servant Her testimony
was corroborated in part by Annie
Mace, another servant, who heard
! Mrs. Duestrow e1claim, Don shoot,