The Washington times., 1902-03-12
GIRL WIFE MURDERED
BY YOUNG HUSBAND
Throat Cut as She Held Babe
in Her Arms.
HER AUNT FATALLY SHOT
Crime Committed Because Woman Re-
fused to Live With Man Who BrutaIly
Beat Her-Murderer Arrested and Ad-
mits the Deed.

CAMDEN, N. J.. March 11-Lafayette
Green, dissolute Gloucester young man.
this morning committed one of the most
deliberate and brutal murders in the his
tory of Gloucester County. The victim
was his young wife, and when he cut her
throat she held clasped in her arms her
seven -months-old baby girl. Greef also
shot his wife's aunt. Mrs. Susan Gowie,
and she now lies in Cooper Hospital in
dying condition with a bullet in her
head. 1t is thought that he also tried to
Kill the child, as there is bullet hole in
the floor near where the baby was found
after the father fed.
Talked With Children.
After shooting Mrs. Gowie Greeff put
the revolver and knife in his pocket and
walked out of the house. few steps
away he met some children on their way
to school, and he walked about a hundred
yards with them. chatting pleasantly He
then went to his home in Gloucester,
where he was arrested late this afternoon.
The murder was committed in the home
of the girls father, at Westmont, about
five miles from here. The girl had gone
there last Tuesday for protection from
her husbands brutality. They married
about two years ago, the girl being sew
enteen and Greeff nineteen years old.
Wife Often Beaten.
He disliked work and spent the major
part Of his time at the saloons and gam
bling places in Gloucester. His wife OBJ
jected to this and they had frequent quar-
rels, and he beat her cruelty. Seven
months ago a baby girl was born, and of
this child he was passionately fond, but
its advent made no change in his mode
of life and caused no alteration in the
treatment of the mother.
Last week after teing beaten more Sc
verely than ever before, she fed to her
fathers home, and although her husband
pleaded with her to return, she refused
Last night he called and spent a pleasant
evening with her, but she refused to go
home with him.
Young Woman Present.
In the house, in addition to Mrs Green
and her aunt. was Miss Lillian Bosarth,
a niece of Mrs. Gowie. They had not Deen
out of bed long. and had just finished
dressing. when Miss Bosarth saw Greeff
approaching the house.
She called to Mrs. Greef, who took tae
baby and started down stairs followed by
her aunt. They had proceeded but :, few
steps. when the front door. which had
been locked, was crashed open Fearing
trouble, Miss Bosarth did not go down
stairs.
Heard Scream and Shots.
She heard Greef talking, then
scream, followed by three shots in quick
succession. She looked out the window
and saw Greeff hurry away and Join the
children. Fearing he might return, she
waited few minutes, and then went
down.
Sitting in a chair beside the table. Ter
head resting in her hands sat Mrs
Gowie. The child sat on the floor at her
feet, and blood from Mrs. Gowie dripped
on its dress. Mrs. Greem was nowhere
to be seen, but trail of blood leading
to the door showed where she Lad gone.
Miss Bosarth was just about to open the
door when Samuel Jones, constable. who
lives opposite the Gowie home, entered.
Trail of Blood.
He said that Mrs Greeff was in his
house. dead, having expired Just as he
opened the door in answer to her feeble
knock. trail of blood in the roadway
and marks of her hands showed that she
had crawled on her hands and knees
across the road.
Mrs. Gowie was unconscious when
placed in a trolley car and sent to Cooper
Hospital, where il is expected she will
die. Mrs. Greeff was stabbed in the
throat, the knife seyering her jugular
vein.
Greeff, when arrested, admitted that he
had stabbed his wife and shot Mrs. Cowie.
He said she had refused to live with him
and he had determined that If she would
not live with she should not live at all.
He made no resistance and when asked
produced the knife and revolver. He was
committed to await the action of the cor
oner.