The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-20
KILLED WIFI And MOTHER
Bloody Deed By Iasanely Jealous
Husband.
BAD AIM ONLY SAVED THIRD
VICTIM.

Cory Tragedy in New Haven-Murderex
Held Crowd at Bay With His Revolver
But Was Finally Captured BY Officers.
New Haven, Conn, January 49,
Edward A. Duff. aged about forty, shot
and killed his wife Nellie and his mother,
in-law, Mrs Mary Maher, at their home,
40 Greene street, shortly before six O'Clock
tonight. The affair came near being
triple tragedy, as James Reilly, a boardsr,
was fired at, but the bullet Just grazed
his neck. The murder was probably the
outcome of martial troubles. Mr.. and
Mrs. Duff had been married for about
fourteen years, but for the past two years
have not lived together. Duff is
machinist by trade and lately has been
working in Hartford. 1t is said that last
Christmas he called upon his wife and at
the point of a pistol made her return to
but a very short while, when she sudden
ly returned to her home here.
While Mrs. Duff and her mother and
Reilly were about to sit down to supper
this evening Duff again put in an appear
ance and vehement1y demanded that his
wife return to Hartford. Mrs. Maher
would not listen to her daughter leaving
and then. without more ado, the husband
aimed a revolver at his wife and threat
ened to kill her. She ran out Of the house
followed by the apparently oraZed hus-
band, aud just as she had reached the
front door to re-enter the house, she re-
oetyed shot in the left lung. A second
shot was fired as the woman turned
about, which struck her in the right ear
and passed through her head and killing
her instantly. The murderer then went
into the house and fired at Reilly, but the
bullet just grazed his neck and he fed.
In the meantime Mrs. Maher had
escaped to the bsd room adjacent and
locked the door, but her refuge was of
placing the revolver against her chin
fired, the bullet shattering the jaw and
passed through the head. Another bullet
was fired as the women rolled over on the
bed, which pierced the left shoulder and
came out through the breast and for
parting shot the man discharged the re-
volver again at her, which struck and
rushed into the street. Despite the extent
of her injuries the aged woman was able
to walk from the chamber through the
dining room to the kitchen and was put
ting water on her clothes, which had been
set on fire when the shots were fired,
when she expired.
In the meantime the news of the
tragedy had spread and crowd gathered
in the vicinity but they were held at bay,
as none OF them cared to face the ugly
looking Weapon that the murderer was
fiourishing about wildly.
Lieut.. Condor of Station 4, fire deTart-
ment, made an effort to approach him
HrF +od tn dtcohar10 the a.
volver. but luckily it missed fire. A de-
tail of police from the Grand Avenue pre-
cinct, consisting of Officers Enright,
Dooley and Linsley, about this time put
in an appearance and without any hesi-
fancy Officer Enright rushed up to the
murderer and grasped him by the hand
which held the revolver. His companions
followed and after a severe struggle dis
armed the murderer. He was then taken
to the Grand Avenue station and later
removed to headquarters.
Coroner Mix will hold an inquest at
ten a. M tomorrow. The revolver is six
shot forty -four ca1ibre and is over foot
long, having regular rifle barrel.
After committing the murders Duff
reloaded the revolver before going out to
the street, and when searched at the po-
lice station O number OF cartridges were
found on him.
The bodies of the two victims were re-
moved to the morgue after they had been
reviewed by the deputy medical examiner,
Elliott. Duff refused to talk shout the
crime.
The officers who made the arrest claim
that the murderer showed no signs of
LIQUOR. He has been previously arrested
four times for drunkenness and resisting
an officer There are two children, boy
and girl, aged 10 and is years, respec-
lively, who made their home with the
mother. They were not in the house at
the.time of the tragedy.