New-York tribune., 1900-07-16
BULLET KILLS MRS. MAYER
nrATH OF THE LATE THEODORE
HAVEMEYER'S ELDEST DAUGHTER.
s7ATEMENT FOR THE FAMILY BY COM
wANDER WINSDOw SAYS WOUND WAS
ACCIDENTALLY INFLICTED.

The sudden death Of Mrs. Natalie Maver =,
r.,ur5ay at her home at Mahwah. \ ] caused
.,,sIderable surprise yesterday in this CITY. She
as The wife Of John Mayer. and the oldest
.,nehter Of the late Theodore A. Havemever
ser death was caused by pistol wound owe,
,bs heart. The bullet that caused her death
.r.s fred as near as can be learned. on Frida,
4s-noon. and she died about twentv-four
hours later
Mrs Mayer was wounded in one Of the rooms
oe her home Her husband, with their oldest
mid. girl sixteen years old. left Mahwah last
q-eek 10 attend the wedding of H O. Have
never jrr and Miss Whiting and he was at
Newport when his wife was wounded
As 10 the circumstances surrounding her
death the members Of the family refused to say
anything for publication yesterday except
through other persons. When a Tribune re-
porter was boarding a train for this city at
Nahwah yesterday afternoon A CoIweu. an
undertaken. Of No. IS West Thirty-seventh-st..
who will have charge Of the burial of the body.
spoke 10 the reporter Just before the train drew
out of the station. and announced that Com
ruander Wirslow, [. s N who married an
ether daughter Of the late Theodore A. Have
never had a statement TO make public. He
said that the statement which he had been re-
QuesJed to give 10 the reporters was as follows:
Mrs Mayer died from the effects Of pistol
shot accidentally fired The wound was not at
frst believed 10 be fatal
The Coroner Of Bergen County y. J.. was sent
or and examined the case carefully He de-
aied that the shooting was so plainly acciden-
al that inquest would be unnecessary. He
issued death certificate TO that effect
DIR. ZABRISKIE'S STATEMENT
Among the physicians called to attend Mrs.
Mayer were Dr. Zabriskie who lives at NAH
vah, and who is the familys physician: DR..
Cleveland and DR.. Markoe, Of this city. When
Questioned about the woman's death. DR.. "a
briskie said yesterday afternoon to a Tribune
reporter:
q received a call from the Mayer house on
Friday afternoon. I got TO the house about )
o'clock, and was met at the door by Command
er WinsloW- He took me TO Mrs Mayors bed
room She was lying on the floor fully dressed.
She was almost unconscious
IN the room were Mrs. Theodore A Have
meyer and Clinton Page. who has been a mem
ber Of the household for many years I admin
istered chloroform to Mrs. Mayer to lessen the
pain with which she was suffering. The only
words she spoke were, Give me more She
meant that the Chloroform had lessened the pain
and that she wanted more Of it.
AT the time I called TO the house Dr.
Cleveland. Of New-York City, was attending to
Mrs. Winslow. who was sick at the home of
Mrs. Theodore A. Havemeyer Mrs Havemey-
er's house is across the road from Mrs. Mayors
He was summoned, and he and decided to call
in a surgeon.
A call was then sent 10 DR. Markoe. of New
York City Dr.. Markoe got to the house about
midnight Friday. and he, DR.. Cleveland and I
had consultation. We decided that 1t would
be dangerous TO probe for the bullet at that
tine.
The next time I called at the house was at 5
O'clock the following afternoon. Drs Cleveland
and Markoe then told me that the wound was
fatal
I went to the room and saw she was dying.
she died soon afterward."
continuing. DR.. Zabriskie said:
MIS- Mayer was always fond Of shooting for
game. DO not know whether the shooting
vas accidental OF not. I understand that Com
mander WinslOw has said that he will be able
70 nave some one appear before the Coroner who
can say that the shooting was accidental"
When a Tribune reporter went to the Mayer
hcuse yesterday afternoon he was referred to
commander Winslow for particulars of Mrs. |
Mayors death
When seen, Commander winsIow said:
Mrs Mayer was sick for some time. but 1 |
oio not think her illness would terminate seri- |
o1s-y. Her death was unexpected"
To further inquiries Commander Winslow said |
that formal statement would be given out if /
lne family 50 decided.
PRIEST AT HER BEDSIDE.
It was learned yesterday that after DR. "a
miskie visited the house on Saturday Father |
Meredith Of the Roman Catholic Church, was
admitted 10 the room Of the dying woman, and 1
that about twenty-five minutes after the priest
entered the room he came out and said Mrs.
Mayer was dead.
Commander Winslow said further:
MIS-, mayer IS the victim Of a most lamenta-
BE accident There IS absolutely no mystery
anout the affair. The only reason the particu-
laIs were not given out on Saturday afternoon
sas mat @e Old not feel al liberty 70 speak until
me Coroner had given his decision.
he idea that Mrs. Mayer had any intention
- sAootlng herself is absurd; she had every |
.llhg 10 1--we for She returned but a few months
ee0 rom very enjoyable trip to Europe. and |
was planning 10 go again in the fall She was
wrapped up in her family and children, and was
~ - ne best Of terms with the other members of
ne .e IaInlly. There can be no truth in the story
~ ~ she haa disagreement with member Of
tv ~ family at Newport because she did not 90 to
-, Lt wedding. Her health has been poor since
- b-I N OF her last child and ii was considered |
- tor her 10 remain here. Mr. Mayer at
,TnOeo the wedding and still at Newport |
" a1 aEn the accident happened.
mere have been many burglaries in this
,ugh Of the country during the last few
- Ms ana every one who lives out here has
sy.i 80 ca recently, and Mr. Mayer purchased sew
- - ieFoiYers. One Of these was kept on the
iessef u Mrs Mayors room.
l., IN Friday afternoon she intended to 20 |
- - -Ag with some Of the children. She went TO
~ - room 10 dress and picked UP the pistol,
,,a - she cid not know was loaded. In some
as '4lHcIdi scu lIillitIIiiS n N'Niiu ~
~ left side. She told US afterward that she
~ ~ not know how il had happened the re-
..C'er went on 90 suddenly. At first we did |
- - Alhk the wound serious. She stood the
.-yck remarkably Wen and seemed very cheer |
- - ohe talked 10 without effort. and Won |
.10 10 no" long il would be until she was up and |
--lo Even after the wound had shown its
,,..-ousness she did not give up hope. The end
- peaceful and without pain. Various mem
- - u the family and Father Meredith, of Suf-
-, were in attendance
arrangements for the funeral have not yet
-. entirely decided The services VIII prob
- De held at the Mayer home Tuesday
----llE NagHrte rllana nf NnrShin