New-York tribune., 1897-08-03
WIFE DEAD, HUSBAND ARRESTED
MYSTERIOUS SHOOTING IN WEST
FORTY -SECOND-ST. FLAT.


Mrs Augusta Mailer the wife of August Mailer,
who is employed in Frank S. lvess biIliaru-rooms
at broadway and Forty -second-st. was found shot
to death in her at No. 3oi West Forty-sec-
ond-st early yesterday morning. Her husband de-
cIares tha. she shot herself after pointing pistol
al him but the police OF the West Thirty-seventh-
ST. station have placed him under arrest Inc
woman was forty-three years old. and had several
children by a former marriage. Maher Is good
looking man about forty years old. The couple
had always seemed to be on good 'er"s thous"
now and then they had quarreis
About S O'Clock yesterday morning B. j. Gianni,
a music teacher. who occupied Nat directly OPP
posite the Mahers, heard the two quarrelling. In
fact he was awakened from his sleep by the noise
Soon afterward he heard a shot lie rushed down
the stairs lightly clad and summoned Patrolman
Hughes OF the West Thirty-seventh-st. station.
AS Hughes was walking up the first staircase.
Mailer rushing down shouting. Fire! Murder!
nearly tcppled the officer over. Hughes held the
man and took him back with him to the fiat he oc-
cupied
Going through the parlor into the little bedroom.
the polIceman saw Mrs Mailer lying on the floor
parallel with the bed, with blood flowing from IA
bullet hole in her right temple. on the floor near
her between the outstretched hand or the woman
and her knee lay a revolver the muzzle OF which
was pointed toward the body Policeman Hughes
placed Mailer under arrest and then summoned an
reon examined the body and pronounced the wom-
an dead.
MAILER was much excited. and was unable 10 give
n coherent story of the shooting and the incidents
that led UP to H. He said that his wife was IN
sancly Jealous. Mrs. MAILER. among her hve chill
dren by previous marriage had two pretty daugh-
ters Mailer says that he allowed one OF the girls
70 wear his diamond ring. This made his wife jeal-
ous of her own daughter They had a quarrel be-
fore they yesterday morning Mrs Mailer,
after arraignng her husband bitterly. got out or
bed and went TO adjoining room. He followed
her he declared, and while she was standing In
the doorway of the other room. she suddenly point
ed a revolver at him ana pulled the trigger The re-
vover missed fire She then turned the revolver on
herself and fired the fatal shot according TO the
mans story.
In the door leading to the bedroom there is bull
let-hole which looks as If it might have been made
by some one shooting from the bed. Another pecul-
lar circumstance is that the wound in Mrs NAH
lers forehead issa slantng one. as If 1t was fired
from above. Furthermore, there are no powder
marks on the face or the forehead.
Hughes took Mailer to the station and thence to
the Jefferson Market Court where he re-
ma nded to the Coroner's custody Coroner Hoeber
committed him 10 the Tombs to await the result Of
the inquest which will be held on Wednesday next.
Mailer showed good deal OF excitement but he
talked freely to Policeman Hughes He said he and
his wife had been to Brooklyn Sunday night
to see her grown children. who live with relatives
there They drank considerable before they got
home and. according to his story the woman was
In an extremely exctable frame OF mind. She had
on several occasions. he said threatened to XII
him. and he had grave fears on Sunday night.
Twice in the OF the night. he went on, he
had found the gas turned and he thought his
wife was trying Kill them both. She was
woman Of great courage and determination. he
declared.
Mailer said he born In Germany and had once
been an officer In the Potsdam Hussars. He and
his wife at time had liquor business In Brook
lyn a.
Miss Henrietta Stencns daughter Of Mrs.
Mailer appeared before Coroner Hoeber yester-
day. and told him that her mother was an un-
necessarily Jealous woman She and her brothers
and sisters were all fond OF Mailer. who al
ways treated them with the greatest respect and
kindness Mahler's employers speak well OF him
and scout the Idea that he shot his wife.
Deputy Coroner Weston performed autopsy
last night. He found powder marks on the wom-
ans face. and Is firmly convinced that she shot
herself