Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-08-14
JEALOUS WOMAN TRIES
MURDER AND SUICIDE
Mrs. Ida Rowe Attacks and Mounds
Mrs. Charles H. Wilson and Then
Swallows Laudanum.
FIERCE STRUGGLE BETWEEN
MURDERESS AND Her VICTIM
Mrs. Wilson's Wounds Are Not
Fatal and Mrs. Rowe
Will Recover.
JEALOUSY PROBABLY LED TO THE ACT

pLnLOcOt LIb ~ tfik nv
Mrs. Ida Rowe, or Conner, fired
three shots at Mrs. Charles II. Wilson
in the entry of her home, 6l5 East
Tenth street, Tuesday morning and then
drank quantity of laudanum. Both
women will recover. Mrs. Rowe was
at one time housekeeper for Mr.. Will
son, and is. supposed to have been
jealous OF his wife, whom he married
last spring. The incident of letter
also seems to play some part in the
trouble.
Charles II. Wilson is baggage
master on the Philadelphia, Whining
ton u Baltimore railroad, his run being
between Wilmington and Philadelphia.
He formerly lived at Delaware City,
| and after the death of his first wife,
by whom he had one child, girl, he
engaged Mrs. Rowe as his housekeeper.
She continued in that capacity until
| his removal to Wilmington, where he
took up his residence at 6l5 East Tenth
| street. A month or so after coming to
this city, Mr.. Wilson took a second
| wife, young woman from near Harris
burg, Pa, who had been q trained
nurse. They were married on May 18th.
| Mrs. Rowe remained with the newly
| married couple for about a month and
| then sought work as housekeeper else
whore. She is said to have been so en-
| gagged at Rising Sun, and recently at
the residence of William Massey of
| Eighth and Kirkwood Streets She is
said to have come originally from
| Washington and to be ABOUT 81 years
old. Her victim is 80 and Mr.. Wilson IS.
Mrs. Row6 is alleged to have been
| jealous of Mrs. Wilson and to have
| uttered threats against her. She is
said to have sent Mr.. Wilson letter
relating that she was going to Ala
bama, Apparently she expected this
letter back, but Mr.. Wilson is reported
to have put it into his pocket with the
remark that he did not know where to
send it. Be that as it may, Tuesday,
boy called at the Wilson house.
and asked for the letter on behalf of
Mrs. Rowe. Mrs. Wilson replied that
her husband had it. The boy went
away, and about 8. 40 o'clock Mrs.
Rowe arrived at the Wilson residence.
Her knock on tho door was answered
| by Mrs. Wilson, whose recollection, as
given to the police, is that Mrs. Rowe
said:
II want that letter.
81 haven't got il, !" answered Mrs.
Wilson.
Then without more preliminary, Mrs.
| Rowe Grew II revolver and fireu three
shots. The first sh ut pierced the par
tition between the entry and the parlor.
The second and third shots entered
| Mrs Wilson'S left arm, which was ex-
posed as she was struggling to close
the door.
The shots and Mrs. Wilson'S screams
attracted several persons to the house,
among them Walter b. Cooper, the ice
cream maker, from the corner of Tenth
and Pine streets, his helper, julius
blackburn, and George p. Monck,
manager of DR.. Thomas ID. Cooks
drug store. They found the two women
graphing in the entry. Mr.. Cooper
grasped the revolver and pointed it
downward to prevent Mrs. Rowe doing
any further damage. He also found
that in her other hand she had q vial,
which proved to contain laudanum.
She is supposed to have taken about an
ounce and half of the drug. AS Mr..
Cooper took hold of her the woman col
lapsed, and she vas apparently in an
unconscious condition when the patrol
wagon arrived q few minutes later.
She was removed to the Delaware Hos
pital, where she is reported as doing
we'll
Mrs. Wilson displayed great nerve
under the circumstances. She was
assisted to DIR. Cooks drug store, while
blood dropped from the two wounds in
her arm. DIR. Cook examined the
wounds and found that in both in
stances tho bullets had passed clear
through the flesh of the arm without
striking the bone. One bullet was
| nI1nnt fbraa ippHaa lalr,,, -, !;
and the other about three inches above
the elbow Mrs. Wilson stood the ex-
animation without taking an anaes-
thetic, and after her injuries had been
dressed was taken to the home of her
sister, Mrs. John II. Paynter, COS East
Tenth street, where she lay down. She
said she preferred not to make any
statement about the affair.
During the shooting, Mr.. Wilson s
little daughter was playing with other
children in the yard of her home. In
the Paynter home was Mr.. Wilson s
mother, who is in a feeble condition.
When she heard the shots and screams
and few minutes later saw her
daughter in law being led to the drug
store, it was almost too much for her
enfeebled condition. Later she i'm
, proved somewhat.
, ipo boLleS "oic SOoH iuloGtneu OF Ine
shooting and a strong delegation ar
rived on the scene. There were Chiel
of Police Black, Capt. Kane and
Patrolman Winthrup, Paulman, Barr,
Megilligan, Kelley and Sherry. Mr..
Cooper turned over tho revolver, a
80 oalibre, the bottle and box hall
full of cartridges which he had found
on the floor.
: Word was sent to Philadelphia tc
inform Mr.. Wilson Of what had hap,
, Tened.
When Mrs Rove is able to be moved
from the hospital the police are tc
place her in custody on charge Of
, murderous assault.
! |
, Accident to n Lineman.