The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-02
DEATH ENDS JEALOUSY
Mrs. Augusta Mailer, Fail
ing to Shoot Her Hus-
band, Kills Herself.
AN EARLY MORNING TRAGEDY
The Couple Had a Quarrel in the
Night and Renewed it at
Daybreak.
AN EARLY MORNING TRAGEDY

NEW YORK. Aug. 2, 1S97-Augusta
Mailer, wife of August Mailer, was shot
and almost instantly killed in the bed
room of her apartments at No. 312 West
Forty-second street, shortly after five
0 clock this morning. August Mahler has
charge of the buffet in the billiard parlor
kept by Frank C. Ives, at Forty
street and Broadway. He is well known
politician and sporting man. and the re-
volver by which his wife was killed was
gift to him from hise most intimate
friend, ex-Assistant District Attorney Jere
Weinberg of Brooklyn.
The Mahlers had been married fifteen
years. but of late had not lived together
very happily They had frequent quarrels
and the man says the woman was in
tensely jealous, even of her daughter by
former marriage Mahler returned
home about midnight, and short time
later several others who live in the same
building heard their voices raised in
anger. Presently, however. all became
quiet and the occupants of the house re-
tired for the night.
About five O'Clock this morning Prof.
D. V. Gianinni, a teacher of music, who
with his family occupies the opposite fiat
to the Mahlers on the second floor front
was awakened by once more hearing the
two quarreiing. Not being able to Sleep
the Professor arose and started to dress
Before he had finished he was startled
by the report of revolver, followed by
an inarticulate cry. Rushing out, he
cried:-
Murder. Policee' and the entire neigh
borhood was aroused.
Policeman Hughes of the West Thirty
seventh street police station, arrived on
the scene and he and Gianinni entered
the house together. AS they reached the
first landing they found Mahier stand
ing in the doorway. He was partially
dressed and was wringing his hands and
crying alour:-
My wife! my wife! Augusta has killed
herselfr'
Entering the fiat the husband led the
way to the bedroom. There, on the
floor. With bullet wound in her right
temple. lay the woman, dead. BY her
size, on the floor, midway between her
right hand and knee, lay her husbands s
revolver. It was 5o-calibre,, and two
Of the six chambers were empty.
She. was dressed in a night robe and
the position of the body indicated that
she had fallen to the ground from a
standing position, as though she had been
facing the door at the rear Of the room
and Immediately opposite the foot of the
bed. The bed Itself showed that il had
been slept In, and a wardrobe near the
door was splintered at the top, where a
bullet had struck. August Immediately
requested Policeman Harris to take him
to the station house, where he might tell
his story to the authorities. On the road
he said.-
MY wife and paid visit to Brook
lyn, yesterday for the purpose of calling
know, by her first husband, man named
Steffens, who died sixteen years ago.
During the day we drank considerable
beer, my wife particularly imbibng quite
freely. All the way home she was in an
ugly mood. She was frightfully jealous,
even of her own child and much more
50 Of girl named Marie, who lives at
she kept up the quarrel until l got un-
dressed and fell to sleep. I woke up
about two hours later.
THE room smelled strangely of gas, and
as my wife had frequently tried to kill
herself by inhaling gas l concluded that
this time. she had determined we should
first lighted the gas and turned toward
Augusta. She appeared to be sleeping
and then turned it off and went to bed
This morning l awakened quite early, as
did also Augusta. Our quarrel of the
night before was renewed
In desperation left the room, and GO
ing to the bathroom. washed myself pre-
paratory to dressing. Returning I found
my wife standing up beside the bed.
III give you a chance to go with other
womenr she cried and before could
realize what she was about she raised a
revolver and fired at me. The bullet
landed in the wardrobe and fed from the
room. AS did so I heard another shot, a
groan, and that was ALL When I went
back she was dead"
Mailer was taken from the station
house to the Jefferson Market Police
Court where he told the same story in a
straightforward manner, having entirely
recovered his composure.