The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-29
SIMULTANEOUSLY REEDPOR
LEOPOLD WsRTHEIMER NAY DIE
FROM SIMPSONS ATTACK.

Months Ago ana Stnspso0' Wu0o Dee"
Nixht Waterman, Lest IIls JOo-Nursed
. Grudse Against ms Old Employer
Leopold wertheimer, the dry goods
merchant, whose store at Hist street ana
Third avenue was destroyed two months
ago by fire in which two persons lost their
lives, was shot early yesterday morning
In the hallway Of his fiat at io2 West iistn
street by Joseph Simpson, who. for q year
previous to the fro. was night Waterman
ut the store.
Simpson fired three shots at wertheimer,
all Of which took effect In his body. The
only serious wound was that made BY BAH
which entered q little to the right OF the
breastbone and which caused Internal
hemorrhages yesterday afternoon.
Wertheimer. who was taken to the j.
Hood Wright Hospital. became unconscious
yesterday afternoon and Coroner Scholer,
who was sent for. was unable TO get an ante
norton statement from him.
The doctors were then unable TO ma
the bullet and said that the man was dying.
Wertheimer's other wounds were In the
right arm and right side.
In the absence Of q definite statement
from Wertheimer the police were unable
to learn definitely what the motive was
for the shooting. but they believe that
Simpson was insane.
Simpson refused to mako any statement
after being arraigned In court, but to Sergt.
Wolf, immediately after his arrest, he de-
clared that wertheimer owed him some
money for something no had done for the
dry goods man, the nature Of which he re-
fused to explain.
The Wertheimer family and Wertheimer
himself before he became unconscious,
declared that this was untrue; that Werth-
elmer was under no obligation to Simpson.
but had simply befriended him.
Simpson Is 81 years old. He applied
for the job OF night Waterman In ans wer
to an advertisement. He performed his
duties satisfactorily and was considered
Alter the FIRE he worked a. motorman,
but lost this job several weeks ago and
since then has been bothering Wertheimer.
According TO Max Wertheimer. tho
wounded mans brother. Simpson called at
wertheimer's home for a recommendation
three weeks ago and got It.
opod %saihe es had cns TAX al A IN
private. When simpson had gone, accord
ing to the family, Leopold came tn and said,
THAT mans been talking TO me for a
couple OF hours and i don't know nov
what he's been saying. except that think
he wants some money.
At s O'Clock yesterday morning Simp-
son walked into the apartment house.
went upstairs to the third floor and rang
the Wertheimers' bell. Max Wcrtheimer,
who was sleeping with his brother, said
and that II il should happen to be
Simpson to tell him he couldn't see him..
Max opened the door the length OF the
chain, and as he did 50 his brother got out
of bed and stood ut q turn In the private
hall In his pajamas.
a revolver over the chain and blazed away
at him. Max Wertheimer was then behind
the door. As Wertheimer fell back into
his bedroom he said to his mother:
THAT man has shot me. don't know
what for
simpson, after the shooting, put the
revolver In his pocket. walked downstairs
and went through 1i5th street. Max
Wertheimer dressed and rushed for q
He found Policeman MoHugh and the
latter jumped into a bakers wagon and
to the fiat. where Wertheimer identified him.
When arraigned In the Harlem police
court yesterday Simpson kept laughing
and acting like crazy man. When he
was asked Dv the mdRlstrdte III ne kEeW
Wertheimer, he said with q laugh.
Sure, know him. He's good Yellow.
too That was all he would say. He
was renlanded until tomorrow to await
the result Of Wertheimer's injuries.
From Mrs. Barton, In whose fiat at 200
East 121st street Simpson had been board
ing for the last two weeks, the police learned
that Simpson had been carrying the re-
volver with which he did the shooting
since he had been there.
When Mrs. Barton asked him why he
was carrying 1t Simpson, according to
her story, told her to mind her own business.
According TO Mrs. Barton, Simpson sent
his wife, TO whom he was married four years
ago, back to Ireland with their two children
three weeks ago to see her mother, who is
diving. Mrs. Barton said that the trip was
made on the money they had saved UP. Mrs.
Barton said that Simpson and his wife were
on the best OF terms and that he seemed TO
miss her very much. Last Sunday she said
he spoke OF having had a talk the night
before with his mother, who In in Ireland.
Wertheimer " the senior member Of the
firm of Aaron a Wertheimer. The firm Is
now rebuilding the store that was burned.
According to Fire Marshal Freel, who made
an investigation. the fire was caused by a
cigarette left In the basement among some
packing material. Simpson was not about
at the time Of the hre, Freel said. He made
this statement to set at rest rumors that
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