The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-17
SHOOTING OF MRS. MAYER.
CORONER SATISFIED THE WOUND
WAS INFLICTED BIZ HERSELF.

II Happsued Accident Theory Accepted
Sworn Testimony Of Mr.. Page. Mrs. May
sr,s Husband. Her Mother and Her Maid.
It was developed at the Coroner's investiga-
ton Yesterday Of the circumstances surround
ing the death OF Mrs. John Mayer, daughter
of the late Theodore A. H~avemeyer, who shot
herself with a pistol at her home In Mahwah,
N. D., on Friday last and died from the wound
the day following, that CLIFTON Page, conii-
Dental secretary TO Mr.. Mayer. was actually
looking at Mrs Mayer when the pistol IN her
hands was discharged Mr.. Page testified
to this In the course Of his examination by pr'
w. l. yroom. who Is not only the Coroner out
represents the County Physician In the case
"a we'll. Notwithstanding the fact that Mr.. Page
was standing barely thirty feet away ana
looking straight at Mrs. Mayer when the shot
rang out and she fell to the floor mortally
wounded, he could not tell whether she de-
lberately pressed the pistol against her breast
or whether II was discharged while she was
merely examining II. In fact, he did not zee
ths pistol at all until he saw II on the floor by
her aida when no ran to her assistance after
she had fallen. As throwing any light on
tho circumstance Of Mrs. Mayors death.
the Testimony Of lfr. Page. although he was
an eyewitness Of tho shooting. practically
u Of no value. =,
ACCORDING to the sworn OF all
the persons who were In the house at the Tune
the terrible event happened and who Should
best know ell the facts In the case, tho mystery
of the tragedy could only be solved by the lips
that now are closed forever. All the witnesses
say that thoy can imagine no reason why Mrs.
Mayer should wish to destroy herself; all of
them say there had been no family trouble OF
my sort to make her respondent ana that up
to tho very moment when she went to her room
and shot herself she manifested no symptom
Of gloom or disheartenment. .
The one thing that DR.. Vroom established
clearly and satisfactorily In his " mind Is that
no suspicion OF guilt attaches to anybody IN
connection with the case. He formally certi-
ned to that fact at the end Of his Investigation
yesterday and also certified that an inquest with
q Jury was unnecessary. The death certificate
he gave read
Mrs Mayors death was due TO peritonitis
Induced by injury received from the discharge
of n pistol while she was handling the same
Ofacially. there the story OF this tragedy
ends. There only romans the funeral. which
will take place at tho family mansion ont In the
beautiful Mahwah estate at 1890 o'clock this
morning, The services, which will be private.
will be conducted by Father Charles A. Mere
dith, rector Of the Church Of st. Rose OF Lima
In Suffern. The body will be placed In the
Havemeyer family vault In Greenwood Gene
tsry.
DR.. vroom's Investigation was begun on Sun
day evening aud continued yesterday fore
noon. He questioned closely John Mayer. the
husband, Clinton Page, Mrs. Mayors con-
fdential secretary; Mrs. Theodore A.. Have
meyer. mother Of the dead woman, Lieutenant
Commander Cameron MGR. Winslow. formerly
oil the Navy, Mrs. Mayors brother ln-law;
DR.. Zabrtskie OF Mahwah. Who was the first
medical man to reach the wounded woman's
aide. and Katie. Mrs. Mayors maid. They all
testified fully and freely under oath and from
their statements DR.. vroom arrived at the con-
olusion that there was no necessity of empan-
elling a jury.
The case ID perfectly clear. said DR.. vroom
last evening. An question of the guilt Of any
second person IL eliminated. Mrs. Mayer held
the pistol in her own hands when It was dis
charged. The wound was self-infioted.
Whether it WIS done accidentally or intention
ally was not made clear by the statements Of
any OF the people whom 1 questioned. As it
may have been accidental. there Is no reason
why that should not be assumed as the correct
hypothesis.
The nature Of the wound itself is sufficient
to convince me- that none other than Mrs.
Mayors own hand held the pistol when
Il was discharged. The bullet entered the
left breast Just below tho heart. ranged down
ward and came out through the back. still ON
the left sid Of the body. The shirt waist Mrs.
Mayer wore and even the flesh about the
spot where the bullet entered the body were
and hlTnAd n IA nAAEdAF nj
than that the muzzle Of the pistol itself was
stained With blood, showing that 1t must have
been pressed, close against the body. No.
there Is not the slightest question Of guilt IN
the case, and that being true. no inquest Is
The story Of Mrs. Mayors movements and
of the situation in the household on the after
pooh Of the shooting. as related to Or. ,yroom
tfs husband. was away In Newport attending
6cmmandsS Winsiow was in the City. His wife.
Mrs. Mayors sister. and Mrs. Theodore A.
Havemeycr. Mrs: Mayors mother, were In
Tie way from the Mayer mansion and about
I've minutes walk therefrom.
Mr.. Page. the confidential secretary. was In
e. 1siG yD & w.: sD sscassca. q 70 sh IL hA Gas. f Ssssr q
stx-months-old baby, with his nurse. was out
under soms tall trees near the Mayer house
tween Sssa ! sn and ar 5 o'cloS xii IN d she sfte sG@s ' went o to
sse her sister and mother in the homestead
aoross the way. Mrs. Winslow became q
mother yesterday. and the testimony Is that
and mother wss entirely Of this expected event.
ehe apparently was In good spirits when she
loft them about 4 o'clock In the afternoon.
Il was Mrs. Theodore, A., Havemever who testi-
ned to this. Mrs. Winslow on account OF her
delicate condition. has not, yet been informed
q The O!rC sS N I. Ssss q her sisters death.
After Leaving her sister and her o mother Mrs;
straight to the house without stopping to SEQ
story after Mrs, Mayer came to the house.
She came up stairs 70 the room where he was
sitting. he said That room opened into a
lQom used BY the children and that again into
NJ and Mrs Mayors private apartments
private apartment room door are open 1t Is pos
fble 10 sec through into both and TO SEQ the
little white escritoire, In Mrs. Mayors room
nfront Of which she fell after she was shot
Mr.. Page say. that p she anne into the
TO her. She said yes. she thought So. lie
asked II he should read what they had been
reading the day before. She said She thought
not; that, on the whole, she did not care to be
% With ha, for 2 drive: lie exclaimed, and Mr..
Mayer In h,s spstmony corroborated the state
ment that u was part OF the routine Of the
household life that he should read to Mrs.
Mayer or have. the coachman take them for
q drive In the afternoon.
Mrs. Mayer did not make a distinct reply to
the question as 10 the drive. She walked on
through the children's room TO her own. Mr..
Page stood by the door Of the room no was
IL when . shs sS anne Rr, ~ stairs and could lSos
the, white escritolre in her room he saw her
y, Whether s.cr the picked oS n Sp fRn sy t aaSId fr S1,