, 1900-11-16
NEW YORK TRAGEDY
SENSATIONAL MURDER AND SUI.
eide IN THE HOTEL BOU-
lEVARD,
. Doctor and a Well Dressed Woman
Found In a Room in Which the
Gas Had Been Turned On-Both
Dead When Discovered-Theory
Of the Police.

New York. Nov. ia mystery
which may conceal a double murder
o. a murder and suicide was revealed
this morning when DR.. Christopher J.
Ahlstorm, physician of u west Sixty
seventh street, and a handsome, we'll
dressed woman, whose identity has not
been established, were found dead in
the room of the Hotel Boulevard, at
Broadway and Sixty-seventh street.
Gas from open valves of the heating
stove filled the room, and the indica-
lions were that the couple had been
asphyxiated.
No Indication of Poison.
The physician was identified by pa
pers found on his person. There was
no indication that poison had been
used.
The woman, a tall, handsome brun-
cite. extensively dressed, and with
numerous costly jewels on her fingers,
was recognized as a visitor at the doc
tors apartments. 1t is believed she
was a rich patient of the doctor. ALL
strom's body was found on the floor.
the woman's. partially disrobed. lay on
the floor. 1t appeared as If she had
made an attempt to reach the door,
but had failed.
DIR. Ahlstrom ven to the hotel at 5
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. They had
drinks in the restaurant and then the
couple went to a room on the third
floor, the doctor registering as John
Mullen and wife" Both seemed in
good spirits.
Death Of His Wife.
A little more than a year ago DR.
Ahlstrom's wife died under circum.
stances which led to an investigation.
The investigators found that Mrs. ALL
strom died of natural causes.
The m who died with the doc
tor may belong to Chicago.
A valuable sealskin saque marked
Marshall, Field & Co., Chicago" was
found in the room.
The most important clue which the
police believe may lead to the identi-
fication of the woman is a linen hand
kerchief bearing the initials vi. NJ
in ink on one corner with a raised fig
ure representing a tree. The handker-
chief bears the laundry mark "FXS5."
1t is this laundry mark that the detec-
tives think is IN important clue. A
pair of yellow kid gloves with the
name Fourier ct Gle c. F. company"
on the buttons were found in the room.
Seal Skin saque.
The seal skin saque is about 80
inches in length and has a collar six
inches in width. 1t is fully lined with
silk and shows little wear. The saque
could not have been worn more than a
year. Under the collar is a silk OBJ
long bearing the name Marshal. Field
& Co, Chicago" and a tigers head I'M
der which is the word 'Furs."
On the dead woman's left hand are
four rings. One is set with a sapphire
and two diamonds, one with pearls, one
with imitation sapphire and small paste
diamonds and nj with paste dia-
monds of one-half karat each.
A heavy gold bracelet and small
stickpin were also found on the wo-
mans person. She wore a black skirt
and waist and black silk under skirt.
She is about 80 years old, five feet slA
inches high, and weighs about 1870
pounds. The police are not yet salts
fed that the couple came to their ueath
by asphyxiation.
The doctors ~14-year-old daughter
says the woman called on her father
for an hour yesterday afternoon before
they vent out.
Information secured by the police to-
day points strongly to murder and sui
eide. Rudolph Noel, waiter at the Ho.
tie! Boulevard, stated to the police that
DR.. Ahlstrom almost had to carry the
woman upstairs. He thought it
strange hat she should have become
nearly helpless on two drinks. The po-
lice believe Ahlstrom drugged her
with cocaine, a half emptied bottle Of
which was found in the room. The
dead woman's lips are slightly blister
ed The police further believe thai
Ahlstrom, finding that the woman had
been given too much cocaine, endeav-
ored to revive her. Failing in this, he
realized that ne must escape by flight
or commit suicide. The latter course
he accepted, and turned on the gas.
New York, Nov. 15.-The
who was found asphyxiated in the Ho-
tel Boulevard with DR.. Christopher P.
Ahlstrom was identified this afternoon
as Mrs. Maude Gardiner, 26 years old,
Of No. 100 west 1O1st street. Her hus.
band, Henry Gardner, identified the
body at the morgue.