The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-09
MILLIONAIRE TO HANG.
Money Cannot Save the Neck of the
Fiend-Rum and Fast Women
Led TO His Downfall.

st. Louis, Mo-, Feb. S.-The first mil
lionaire ever executed for murder in
the United States will be hanged here
on Tuesday, Feb. 16. 1t will be a quad
ruple hanging, but interest will be
fixed on Arthur Duestrow. who killed
his young wife and 2-year-old child
three years ago. The exact time which
will have elapsed from the date of the
commission Of the crime until the pun
ishment of the criminal will be three
years and three days, as the double
murder occurred Feb. 13, 1894.
Arthur Duestrow is about 80 years
old and belongs to one of the oldest and
best known families in Missouri. His
father made his money in mining
stocks, and when ne died he left a for
tune of more than S2,0O0,0O0 to his
widow and two children The widow
did not long survive her husband, and
then Arthur Duestrow became a mil
lionaire in his own right. His sister,
Miss Huldah Duestrow, inherited the
other half of the estate.
Soon after his fathers death he mar
ried Miss Albertina Leisse, and about
that time entered the st. Louis Medi-
SIduu-
ated with honors.
For a short time Duestrow aband-
oned the bibulous habits he had formed
and his friends believed that he had
soWed his wild oats and had settled
down to a respectable life. A baby
boy came to the Duestrow home and
the young husband and wife were
proud and happy But when the baby
was about a year old Duestrow fell
from grace. He became infatuated
with Clara Allen, or Howard, the
keeper of an improper house in ST.
| Louis.
When the baby boy was two years
| old the climax came. About o'clock
| on the afternoon of Feb. 13, 1894, Dues
| troW drove up to his home in a sleigh
| His wife saw him from a window and
sent her maid down to see if he wanted
her to go riding with him. DuestroW
was intoxicated, a condition that had
| become quite common. and he insult
| ingly replied to the maids query. She
| turned and started back into thc
! house, when DuestrOw, apparently en-
ragged, jumped from the sleigh and
started after her. She became fright,
ened and ran upstairs, taking refuge in
| Mrs. Duestrows room. Duestrow fol
! lowed and struck the girl.
How dare you strike that girl?" eX-
claimed Mrs. Duestrow. IF you want
| to hit some one, hit me"
The maddened man struck her, and
she turned and ran into the hall. He
| followed, beating her. In the hall she
| turned to defend herself and pushed
| him. He staggered and fell against the
| wall, and almost Immediately drew a
revolver and fired. The bullet took eff
feet in the Womans side, and she sank
to the floor. Then Duestrow, apparent
| lY realized what he had done and bent
over his wife, calling her by name anG
asking her to look up and speak to him
Just then Louis, the baby, toddled in
to his fathers arms and began kissins
him.
The caresses of the child seemed tC
again enrage the father, and he turned
on it in q fury. With his baby claspet
| tightly to his breast, Duestrow placed
the revolver against the child's TEN.
pie and sent a bullet crashing through
the infants head, causing instant death
Then he placed the body beside that o
the dying mother, bent low and fireC
another bullet through her head ant
fled from the house.
DueStrOW ran to the nearest police
station, where he wildly exclaimed: 81
was an accident--an accident, tell you
am no murderer l did not kill her.
These words helped later to condemn
him when he pleaded insanity in de
Tense of his double crime.
Duestrow was locked up and has beer
in Jail ever since. The legal fight t,
save his life began at the coroner's in
quest and has continued ever since. Th
case was taken on a change OF venue t,
an adjoining county. Eminent counse
We're employed and a dozen experts at
tempted to prove that Duestrow wa
mentally irresponsible when he shot hi
wife and child.
Despite all that money could do, Dues
trow was convicted. Then his attorne,
: asked for new trial, secured stay o
execution and appealed the case to tn
supreme court of Missouri. For thre
years the fight has gone on. At las
justice has won. Last Tuesday the su
preme court, which had previously sus
tanned the finding of the lower tribuna
refused to grant the petition for re
hearing, and now nothing can save tn
millionaire murG3rcr's life. The feelin
in st. Louis and in Missouri is that a
J appeal to the executive clemency woul
| be folly.