The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-25
MYSTERIOUS
WOUNDS.
Robert Rainer Shot Twice
by Revolver In Wife's
Hands.
QUARREL OVER BUSINESS
Woman Says Her Husband
Tried Suicide, but Is Held
by Police Justice.

sion to the City Hospital last night of
Robert Rainer, of No. 3S2 Palisade ave-
nue., suffering from bullet wound in the
left chest and one in the small of the
back. Rainer refuses to say how he was
shot. while his wife says he attempted
suicide. This Rainer denies and claims
ne did not have the pistol from which
the shots were fired in his hand at ALL
This is apparent from the wound in the
small of the back.
The Rainers have conducted a saloon at
No 5S2 Palisade avenue since Monday
night. Previous to that they owned a
saloon at No. 351 Fourteenth street, Ho-
Doken. They had not been seen much by
their neighhors and appeared to be
quiet and unassuming couple Mrs Rainer
is a very pretty woman.
Last evening shortly after seven O'Clock
the neighborhood was aroused by hearing
three shots fred in rapid succession the
reports coming from the direction of the
Ralner home. In a few seconds Rainer
was seen to emerge, hatless, from his
saloon and hurry across the street to
Aoch's pharmacy at No 379 Palisade ave-
nue.. lhere he requested treatment and
eXnlolted bullet wound in his left chest
from Wnlch he was bleeding freely He
appeared to be very weak. The druggist
ADVISED him to either seek treatment at a
hospltai or of a physician. This he de-
chned to do and walked out of the store
ana Gown the street to No. 1863 Palisade
avenue. Where f. Bungarth has a drug
STORE. here he also sought treatment.
by tnis time the police of the Webster
avenue station house were notified and q
patroi wagon drove up to Bungarth's and
Ralner was bundled in and taken to the
| City Hospital. Detective Alex Gala Cher
| OF inspector Archibold's staff. was de-
tailed on the case. Mrs. Rainer was ar
rested and taken to the Webster avenue
! station, where she made a statement n
Captain Wohlheben. She said that her
| husband had carried revolver all the
time and that he frequently had threat
ened to commit suicide Last night he
was toying with the r,volver she said.
ana, thinking that he was going to com
nit suicide, She took hold of it and at
tempted to wrest it from him. A struggle
Tor possession of the weapon ensued dur
! ing which the weapon was discharged
She said she only heard one shot.
Rainer was taken to the City Hospital.
| where he was. questioned very Closely by
| Detective Gallagher and Roundsman
Brandt He maintained a stolid indiffer-
ence, but stoutly denied that the revolver
| was in his hands when the shots were
fired. Taking this as a means of fasten-
ing the guilt upon Mrs. Rainer the police
men asked him had she shot him. He re-
fused absolutely to make any statement
! that would in any way implicate his wife.
l
| blame his wife, but reiterated his former
| statement to the effect that the revolver
was not in his hands when the shots were
| fired.
The doctors at the hospital after a
| careful examination, said that the wounds
| were not serious and that Rainer would
| recover. The idea of attempted suicide
| is secuted from the nature of Rainer's
| wounds The wound in the left chest
might have been self-infiicted, hut the
| wound in the small Of the back could
| not very well have been made by Rainer
had he the revolver in his possession
| unless that in the struggle he had held
| the revolver. behind him to keep it out
/ of his wife's reach and that the muzzle
| pointed toward him. In that case a
| pressure on the trigger would have sent
| the bullet into his back.
/ Police Justice Murphy. in the Second
Criminal Court, this morning. held Mrs
| Rainer in $500 bail to await the result
| of her husbands injuries.
| Rainer later made another statement to
the police, which, while it more extensive
| than his first one is substantially the
| same He says he was In his saloon yes
| terday morning waiting to be relieved
by his wife so that he might leave the
saloon. She did not appear, however, and
he, becoming impatient closed up about
ten o'clock and went to Newark where
he remained until the afternoon. He re-
turned at half past three and opened the
salon. His wife came in shortly after
seven o'clock and chided him for neglect
in ghis business and demanded to know
from him where he had spent the day.
She had in her hand, he alleges, his re-
volver and was toying with it in danger
Gus manner. He warned her to be careful.
but Just as he spoke the weapon exploded
and the ball entered his left chest. He
turned to go out and as he did SO he says
4 he heard two more shots. He does not
add that he felt another ball enter his
body, although it did. He then went out
IN Searcn OF meulcdl treatment and was
taken to the City Hospital.
1 A woman who claims to be Mrs Mary
Reyner, wife of the man who was shot,
was seen this afternoon at her home, No.
IA Garden street, Hoboken. She spoke en-
phatically against the Kuhns woman.
| "She was never married to my hus-
band,' she said. 81 am his only wife He
has been under the evil influence of her
more than a year. Everyone who knows
her in Hoboken knows she is a bad wom-
an. She broke up my home. She was
the most brazen thing ever met. Yester-
day she met my twelve year old boy Eddie
on Washington street, and showing him a
revolver told him she was going to shoot
his father.
MY husband sold his saloon at No 12s
Garden street yesterday, for $3.50. He
gave her more than 500 of this to pay
for some of her diamonds, which he
pawned. He was always good man un-
til he met her I mean to yet win him
Back to his home. shall tell this same
story in court