The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-31
HIS TERRIBLE REVENGE
Killed His Wife and Shot Her
Paramour.
A BULLET FOR HIMSELF
His Wife's Affection for Boarder
Wrecked a One Time Happy
Home-She Deserted Her
Husband.

Philadelphia, Jan. 30.-With deliber-
ate comnlacency worthy of one who
had perfected more creditable plans,
George w. Z. Ayres sealed two letters
which he had just finished writing, and
placed them upon his tidiy arranged
bureau, put another in his pocket, and,
arming himself with two brand new
and well-loaded revolvers and a black
jack, started last evening in search Of
the habitation of his truant wife and
the man whom he charges with wreck
ing his nome. The sting which deser-
ton had left had fermented itself into
the fury of an uncomfortable rage, and
| when the opportunity came he worked
out his revenge with terrible precision.
The excited neghbors who hurried to
the little house at 3517 North Mervine
| street where the woman lived, found
her dead body lying on the front porch
with a bullet wound in the neck; Ayres
was dying in the dining room and John
j. Wilson lay seriously, if not mortally
wounded in the little alley in the rear
| The dying and wounded men We're hur-
ried to the Samaritan hospital, while an
| undertaken was summoned to care for
| the body of the wife.
Boarders in the house were so star
tied by the suddenness of the whole oc-
currence that they were unable to COM
pose themselves, for a time, sufficiently
to tell the stor-y. Then, when Lieuten-
| ant EndorS of the Front and Westmore-
land streets station and squad of
| Central detectives, with Detective Gey-
er at their head, arrived, they detailed
what they had seen with as much ac-
curracy as was possible under the cir
| cumstances.
There was ring at the front door at
| about o'clock, they explained, and
| Wilson went to the door. He found
| Ayres there and refused to admit him.
| The unwelcome visitor pushed the door
| open, however, and when it became ev-
| 1dent that he meant harm. Wilson at
tempted to make his escape by back
| door. In the little alley back of the
| house the fleeing man stopped down to
| hide, but was detected, and while che
! shot whizzed over his head, another
took effect in his leg, and on account Ct
| his position, passed on into his stoIn-
ach.
This completed, Ayres returned to
| the parlor and fired at his wife The
| first bullet imbedded itself in the wall
and the woman started to make her
escape through the front door, when a
| second shot struck her in the neck and
| Apparently convinced that his work.
had been well done, the man stepped
into the dining room, placed a letter to
the authorities on the table and shot
himself through the head. He was still
| alive, though unconscious, when found,
but he died few minutes after reach
ing the hospital. The physicians prob
ed for the bullet in Wilson's stomach
and succeeded in extracting it, and al
though the wound is a bad one, they
expect that his life will be saved
The letter which Ayres left on the
table in the house where the tragedy
occurred, was brief, and after suggest
ing that his sister, Mary E. Badger of
1923 Mexican street, be notified, recited
that another letter for the authorities
and one for his sister had been left en-
the bureau at his own home.
Everything at the latter house was
found as he had written. The letter to
the sister was sealed and therefore
taken in charge by the officers for de-
livery. The other was open and con-
tanned long explanation of the cir
cumstances which led up to the trag-
edy. His life had been a pleasant one,
he wrote, until in the summer of 1897,
when his wife, contrary to his wishes,
brought Wilson and another young man
into the house as boarders She show I'd
great affection for the young man and
matters went from bad to worse, until
March 26 last. when the two went away
together. They lived for a time at l22
Atlantic avenue, Gloucester. and then
returned to this city and took up their
residence at the house at 3517 North
Mervine street. Since then Ayres has
boarded with a family at 2736 Moth
Fifteenth street.
Wilson refuses to make any state
ment as to the matter. Neighbors who
have known the family for long time
say that Ayres was a steady and in
dustrious man. By the profits of his
trade as a painter heS had purchased
and almost paid for the little home on
Hicks street.
There is but one son, Fred, q years
old, who is now member of Compa ny
l. 9th United States artillery, stationed
at Fortress Monroe, Virginia The sad
news was sent him by telegraph last
night. and he is expected to come on
Immediately and take charge of the ar
rangements for the burial of his pa
rents. Ayres took supper at his board
ing house last evening as usual He ap-
peared to be suffering under the strain
of great excitement and spoke to no
one. This was remarked by the family
after he left, for he was always of a
jOVial and In Ike tive 5ispoSitiop