The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-27
HIS WIFE WAS THE VICTIM.
CLIMAX OF A SERIES OF TJNPTEAa
AMI DOMESTIC HAPPEN
INGS.
band of Suspicion by Declaring
She Did 1t.

without friends or money, Mrs. Robert
Prendergast, daughter-in-Iaw Of M.
X. Prendergast. of 408 Ashland avenue.
fatally shot herself in the left breast
with 32-calibre Colts revolver at her
apartments in block at No. 220 West
Seventh street, yesterday afternoon.
Robert Prendergast the woman's hus-
band was in the room with her at the
time Of the shooting and Dr. Brinhan
was Immediately summoned to her aid.
put could render no assistance on ac-
count Of the dangerous nature Of the
wound, and ordered her taken to the
city hospital, where it was reported
at an early hour this morning she
would not likely live until daylight.
The shooting took place at about 8
o'clock, when Mrs. L. Sanders, who lets
apartments in the block, heard a.
smothered pistol shot from the direc-
ton of the rooms occupied by the Prem
dergast's and, in company with her
daughter, Miss Vesta Sanders. rushed
to the apartments. The door was lock-
ed but frightened demand for en-
trance met with a drawing of the lock
and a partial opening Of the door.
Lying on the floor in such a position as
to prevent the door from fully opening.
was the form of Mrs. Prendergast, COW
cred with blood from a wound in the
left side just over the heart from which
trickeled a crimson stream. Bending
over the PROSTATE woman was the
figure of her husband, who cried in
frenzied tones, my God, Emma! will
you ever forgive mev'
Il forgive you Robert, but 1t is all
your fault" replied the still conscious
woman, while the husband brushed the
blood from his wife's dress with his
bare hand
These words both Mrs. Sanders and
her daughter say they heard as they
stood almost paralyzed on the thres-
hold, which they could not enter on ac-
count Of Mrs. Prendergast's body bav-
ing fallen against the door. Recovering
from their horror Mrs Sanders ran
down stairs and dispatched officer
Zacher for physician, while Miss San
ders pushed her way into the room and
endeavored to relieve Mrs. Prendergast
by removing the upper portion of her
clothing. Just above the heart was an
ugly bullet hole from which the blood
flowed freely. Neither Mr.. Prendergast
nor his wife had anything further to
say regarding the shooting, and when
the patrol from the central station ar
rived, the husband accompanied his
wife to the city hospital.
Soon after the shooting Detective
Campbell visited the scene, and after
INK hot H.
locked In the room with his wife and
being apprised by Mrs. Sanders of the
conversation passing between the pair,
ne declded the case one demanding an
investigation, and at once visited the
apartments where the shooting Cccurr-
ed. Everything was in apparent order
There are two rooms, separated by a.
sliding door, one of which is used for
bedroom and the other for a kitchen,
The door was partly open and the in
side panels covered with blood as
though some one had been leaning
against 1t or attempting to open it. The
revolver was on the floor Of the room,
showing that the shot had evidently
been fired in this apartment and that
the wounded woman had staggered to
the sliding door in an effort to reach
the outer room, falling just as she did
so in front Of the door opening into the
hallway.
While Detective Campbell was pur-
suing his investigation, younger
brother of Prendergast called at the
room. Learning from the youth that
Robert was at his fathers home at
No. 40S Ashland avenue, the detective
proceeded to that address, and, after
interrogating the husband, advised him
to report to Chief Schweitzer at the
central station.
Later NJ. r. Prendergast accom-
panied his son to police headquarters,
where the young man detailed his YER
sion Of the shooting, and Immediately
left to go out to the city hospital.
Shortly afterward Detective Campbell
went to the house Of County Attorney
Anderson, while another police officer
visited his assistant, Mr.. ZoIlman, and
both officials met at 10 o'clock last
evening at the hospital to take Mrs.
Frenderg'ast's ante-mortem statement
When they arrived at the institution,
Mi. Prendergast was with his wife.
T1e prepared to go home, but was de-
tanned until the suicide theory had
been fully subsrtantiated by Mrs Prem
dergast's statement. She was told
that she could not live, and, on being
asked for her version Of the affair,
said that her husband had visited her
Monday night with the information
that he would live with her no longer.
She had the revolver at that time and
had placed it away in trunk. Her
husband wanted her to go back to
her people in Chicago, and, after TAX
ing most of his clothing, left the house,
saying he would bring her a railroad
ticket to Chicago the next day. Yes
terday he called according to agree
rcent and she had asked him if his de-
termination to leave her was final.
They were in the bedroom at that time,
ard, when Prendergast reiterated that
he would no longer live with her, Mrs.
Prendergast said, she went into the
next room, where she procured the re-
volver, and, in desperation, placed it
to her breast and fired. Her husband,
she said, ran to her assistance, and
met her at the sliding door catching
her as she was about to fall, and grad
ually allowing her to sink to the floor
in the position which prevented Mrs.
Sanders and her daughter from open--
ing the door when attracted by the
sound of the shot.
Prendergast had made a statement to
County Attorney Anderson previous to
that of his wife, and the two so close
ly coincided that there was no longer
any doubt that Mrs. PrendergaSt's
wound had been self-InEicted, SO iha
detectives were called from the case
and the woman's husband relieved Il
further investigation or surveillance.
When Mrs. Prendergast was examin-
ed at the hospital it was the unanimous
opinion of the physicians that she
could not live. The bullet had entered
the left breast little to the right OF