Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-05
RASH MURDER AND SUICIDE
Young Man Kills His Former Sweetheart
and Himself at Des Moines
DEED IS CAUSED BY UNREoUrTED LOVE
william Ludwig shoots bertha white.
side Dead with Revolver aud
Then Puts nm End TO
His own Life.

DES MONIES, July 4.-(Special Tele-
gram.)-Wlliam Ludwig OF Rockwell city
shot and killed his former fiancee, pretty
! 20 year-old Bertha Whiteside, at her home
| in this city this morning at 9 o'clock, Lud-
wig then turned the pistol on himself and
sent bullet through his own brain. The
| girl died instantly. Ludwig lived about a
half hour, but never regained consciousness.
The murder and suicide were witnessed by
| Miss Lou Ballard, visitor, also OF Rock
! well City, and the firing Of the shot which
ended the life of the murderer was also
seen by Bert Whiteside, brother of the mur-
dered girl.
The cause OF the double tragedy is sup
posed to be unrequited love. Two years ago
Ludwig and Miss Whtesde were engaged.
He lived in Rockwell City, the former home
of the girl. Ludwig was arrested about year
and half ago on the charge of grand lar
ceny. He was tried in the courts of Cal
houn county, convicted and sentenced to
sixteen months in the penitentiary at Fort
Madison. This term expired only short
time ago. Miss Whiteside, Immediately upon
the arrest and conviction of Ludwig, severed
all relations with him, sent back his letters
and sent word to him that she would never
again have anything to do with him. Lud-
wig has brooded over his repulse in love
and came to Des Moines Monday to settle
the matter according to his own desires.
He went to the Whitesde home with the
expressed intention of killing his former
sweetheart, He told her so before he shot
The girl was in the bedroom making the
bed when he entered. She and Miss Ballard
girl friend who was spending the Fourth
with her, saw Ludwig coming and fastened
the screen doors at both the back and front
of the house, but Ludwig cut the wire and
entered
Three shots were fired by Ludwig alto
gether. The girl jumped toward him as he
drew the revolver, but he fired quickly.
The first shot entered her forehead very
near the center, The girl fell forward on
the floor, when he placed the revolver near
her head and fired again, the bullet enter
ing near the temple. He then turned to-
ward Miss Ballard and would probably have
killed her had she not run out of the room.
Stepping back three steps, he placed the
revolver to his own head and fired the last
shot, the ball entering his head on the right
side, back of the temple couple OF inches.
The revolver used was more toy 81
caliber Young America, with a Pinch bar
rel.
A. E. Pierce, the secretary of the Des
Moines Trade and Labor assembly was SHOT
in the head late last night by Fourth of
July celebrator who thought he was using
blank cartridges in revolver The bullet
cut cash two inches long in Pierces fore
lead and furrowed the skull, but did not in
flict serious injury.
Joseph Wyatt a resident of the suburbs,
had one finger blown off and three mangled
by dynamite bomb with which he was
celebrating.
The day was celebrated as never before,
4 !
Eight thousand people attended the sport
ing carnival in the afternoon, but most
people went to the parks. 1t was a very
noisy day.