New-York tribune., 1902-08-17
SHOT DOWN BEFORE CRUCIFIX.
HUSBAND KILLS WIFE AND SELF-FATHER FONDLEs HIS
CHILDREN; SHOOTS THEM AND ENDS HIS LIFE
CHILD PLEADS FOR MOTHER
HUSBAND DELIBERATELY PLANS TRAG-
EDY-WIFE FLIES TO SACRED
EAIBLENIS IN VAIN

EAIBLENIS IN VAIN
In q room filed with religious pictures cruel
fixes. rosaries and other embIems of his wfes
religious faith, TO which she had fed as if TO a
sanctuary. Charles g Rubsam. we'll to do
dealer in house furnishings. at No. $50 Willis
ave. watched her sink down. shot to death by
his hand. and. while their little daughter plead
ed for the mother, he raised his revolver and
put ball through his own temple.
The tragedy occurred yesterday afternoon in
the home of the Rubsam family, above the
store in Willis-ave The trouble between the
husband and wife is said to have been due to
the differences in their religious belief, he being
a Lutheran and she Roman Catholic. Rub
sam had been in highly nervous state for
many days and his wife had appeared afraid
to be alone with him.
Soon after noon Mrs. Rubsam went out TO
make some purchases for an intended trip into
the country with her three children-Carl aged
sixteen; Elsie. fourteen and Emily. nine. Rub
sam learned that she was out. and sent word
to her 10 come home. He had objected OF late
whenever his wife left home for any cause 1t
especially displeased him when she attended
church, where she was jealous worker and
he is SAID to have accused her of intimacy with
a certain priest.
When her mother returned Elsie went to the
store, which filled with customers. and told
him that she and her mother were going to
Branchville Conn, on the o'clock train Her
father turned on her in a way that frightened
her
TN see to that" he said. IN see that you
don't go"
He Immediately turned and went upstairs
The little girl had noticed for the last few
days that he followed her mother from room
TO room in their home with a strange expression
one that filled her with fear. She was greatly
alarmed at what he said, and went after him
up the stairs
Near the top Rubsam turned and asked her
why she was always following him about He
told her not to come any further. and she stood
on the stairs and heard him open d door on the
third floor and close 1t. In a moment more she
heard a shot, and then heard her mother scream.
She ran UP then and went into the fiat.
Her mother was IN a bedroom off the par'or
she was getting ready for her trip TO the couh-
try, and was only partly dressed RupsaiH
fired at her again. He was in the same ROOM
but nearer the parlor door The woman CON
tinued to scream and tried to escape. She ran
through a back bedroom. through the dining
room and kitchen into the hall, and from the
hail into the paror Rubsam followed her,
shooting as he went In all he fred ten shots,
OILY two OF which missed her. In the parlor
the woman fell, unconscious Rubsam had emp
tied two revolvers, one with six chambers, the
other with five, and both of '}2-calIbre he
threw the second one away and drew another'
a .:S-cabre bulldog, just as little Elsie ran lh'o
the room. The girl begged him to stop, anu
threw herself her mother, calling TO her TO
speak Rubsam raised the revolver slowly uh-
Ill it was pointed at the daughter, who looKeu
up at him. pleading for her mother. For d
moment he stood irresolute. then he turned from
the child. raised the revolver quickly to his own
md fred He fell dead across the 1lOCi
by his wife's side and almost against Elsie
The woman lived few moments, but never re-
gained consciousness.
Coroner Berry. who was at the time a''e"u-
ing the funeral of the father of Deputy Register
Boehmer in Forty -eghth-st., a short distance
away heard the shooting, and hurried TO the
scene He arrived there with DR. Barten, VINO
had come from a nearby drug store. They
found Rubsarn dead and Emma, his wife. dying.
one bullet had struck her under the left eye,
penetrating the brain; another, striking her lett
check had gone entirely through her face; three
had entered her right breast, one had shattered
her right hand another her left arm, and stlll
another had entered her back on the left side.
That the thought of the murder and suicide
had been long in Rubsam's mind shown by
the letters found in his pockets. and was further
evidenced by his actions during the last re"
weeks. e.
There was a letter to each OF his three chii-
dren one to Bishop Farley and TO the
coroner. All were In envelopes addressed anu
sealed.
The letter to the coroner was dated Friday,
August 10. In IL he said that he sorry TO
put the coroner to so much trouble, but that he
had aided him at the last election. and believed
in reciprocity. and that he was going to give
him some work to dc He asked that the money
and keys found him be given to his son Carl
and declared that priests were the source OF his
family trouble. After asking that the coroner
see that the other letters be properly delivered.
thst he be buried in the clothes he wore when
he killed himself, and that the business be done
as soon as possible. he closed with the hope
that he should meet them all" in the next
world.
Until far into the night a crowd of morbid
nersons surrounded the Rubsam house. AT
one time the crowd numbered at least three
thousand and their attempts to get into the
place and view the bodies became violent
that reserves of the Alexander-ave. police sta
ton called out TO keep the street clear
POLAND POLAND! POLANDI POLANDI