New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-12
SHOOTS SON AND HIMSELF.
DOUBLE TRAGEDY OF A COLLECTOR,
INSANE BECAUSE OF FAILURE
OF AN INVENTION.

Alexander H. T. Howard, a collector for the
Prudential Insurance Company, killed his eight
year-old boy Leigh and himself at their home
No % Gunther Place, East New-York a little
after noon yesterday. The deed is believed to
have been the result Of mind unbalanced by
disappointment over an unsuccessful effort to
get the department stores TO accept a patent
Toy upon which Mr. Howard had spent much
time There is suspicion Of irregularity in
financial affairs
A .82-calibre revolver was used, and the shoot
ing took place IN the basement Of the Gunther
Place house. The boy fayorite with ev-
erybody and he and his father were rarely sep
arated, as Leigh used to go to the Office with
Mr. Howard and accompanied him on his COL
lection tours It is believed that the fathers
disordered brain brought him to believe that
there would be no separation from the boy #
both should die together The mother. frenzied
with grief when she found her boy dead and
husband dying, cried:
''Oh. why did he not tell me he was going to
DO this and let me die with him? Why didn't he
shoot me, too?"
In planning the tragedy Mr.. Howard showed
thoughtfulness for the feelings Of his wife. He
sent her away with letters to two friends. who
were asked to break the news Of his deed to
her and to return to the house with her in order
that she might not be alone when the bodies
were found His plans miscarried a little, how
ever
WAS ONCE A NEWSPAPER MAN.
Howard was formerly a newspaper man and
had worked in Newark and New-York For the
last five years he had been collector for the
Brooklyn branch Of the Prudential Insurance
Company He was well liked and thoroughly
trusted by his employers. Howard was Of an
inventive turn OF mind. and was constantly en-
gagged on some new idea 1t was said by friend
that he had suggested one of the improvements
leading to the perfection of the CT rail. Sew
eral mechanical toys had been devised by him
and he had recently perfected another, for which
he was expecting great things. Last Friday he
asked his employers for a day off in order to
complete negotiations pending with large de-
pertinent store, by which It going to take
up the toy and push its sale Much to his
chagrin the store authorities told him that they
had decided not to touch the toy at all.
Since that time his friends had noticed that
he was acting rather strangely. but had attrib-
uted it to i'll health with which he had been
troubled for some time.
Yesterday at noon, after Leigh came home
from school. Mr.. Howard sat down and wrote
two letters one to a Mrs. Finley and the other
to H W. Shire, the assistant superintendent of
the insurance Office They were sealed and
given to Mrs. Howard. who. in order that she
~
liver. them at once.
CLAsPED A TOY IN HIS HAND.
AS soon as his wife was gone Howard got his
revolver and looked for Leigh. Whether the
boy knew that his father shot him cannot be
told but that the shooting was done suddenly
was shown by the fact that when he was found,
dead. the boy had tightly cIasped in his hand q
toy with which he had been playing. The boy
was shot in the side of the head, and probably
HID al fnsr nj Td 2
let into his own brain. He did not die at once,
but was just breathing his last when Mrs. How
ard returned to the house.
In his letter to Mrs. Finley Howard spoke of
what he about to do. and asked her to
break the news to his wife as gently as possible.
Mrs. Finley was out, as it happened, when Mrs.
Howard reached there. and the letter left.
The letter to Mr. Shire not definite, but
aroused some suspicion that trouble was brew
ing. Howard asked Mr.. Shire as soon posi-
sibe after getting the letter. to go to the Gun
Their Place house and to take Mrs. Howard with
him. Shire did not feel sure enough to mention
his suspicious TO Mrs. Howard but told her he
would go TO Gunther Place as soon as possible.
MRS HOWARD RETURNS HOME.
Mrs Howard then returned home. On enter
ing the hall she smeed smoke A search
brought her face TO face with the tragedy in
the basement. The boy dead. her husband just
dying the revolver tightly grasped in his right
hand The woman's shrieks aroused the neigh
bors and Patrolman Coffey called an ambu-
lance. The surgeon was TOO late to be Of any
assistance.
Mr.. Shire reached the house about 9 o'clock
and greatly shocked to hear Of the double
shooting. Later in the day Benjamin F. Bates
manager of the Brooklyn branch Of the Pru-
Dental company, in his office at No. 346 Fulton
St, said that examination Of the books re-
gealed nothing wrong in Mr. Towards dealings
with the company.
Mrs. Howard cared for by Mrs. Shire
Mrs. Finley and neighbors. II said by a
friend Of the family that two Of Towards near
relatives shot themselves.
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