Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-12
A DOUBLE TRAGEDY
Herman Denham Kills His
Wife and Then Himself.
CAUSE A MYSTERY
WIFE WAS SHOT AS SHE SLEPT
AND DIED INSTANTLY,
Supposed That Man Was Actuated by
Jealousy-What Friends Of
Family Say.

A double tragedy, that was premeditated
and was a most complete affair, was enact
ed this morning about o'clock at 426 9th
street northeast. A letter carrier named
Herman F. Denham shot and killed his
wife and then ended his own life. The bull
let that ended his wifes life penetrated
the left temple. while the leaden missile
that was sent from the weapon Immediately
after the first shot was fired entered the
right temple Of the man. Except that the
husband was insanely Jealous Of his wife
without cause. no motive can be ascribed
by friends for the mans conduct Three
nights ago Denham turned on the gas in his
room after his wife had retired, but the
odor of the gas was detected in time to pre-
vent serious ending. His explanation Of
his conduct was that he had been dream
ing and was not responsible for what he had
done.
Herman Denham had been connected with
the post office for more than twelve years
He was a son of Thomas 8. Denham a
painter. whose home is at 702 9th street
southeast. A sister of the deceased figured
in the scandal in Southeast Washington
several years ago in which the Rev. Gilbert
F. Williams. pastor Of Christ Church, Navy
Yard gained SO much notoriety. Denham
was thirty-three years old and was well
known in the northeast and southeast sec
tions of the city. Beyond his display Of
Jealousy he was Of 4 happy disposition.
Six or seven years ago he married Miss
Willie NJ klgore. daughter of Judge
James Kilgore, law clerk in the Treasury
Department. He formerly lived at New
berry, S. c. Three years ago Denham built
the 9th street house. where Judge Kilgore
and his wife also lived. Only this summer
he had the house painted from top to bot
tom and there was no apparent reason why
he should not have been happy.
Two weeks ago he was granted his an
op,1 h4 IL
order that he might spend his time in camp
with friends at Colonial Beach His sister
in-law and her husband DR.. Philip N.
Wisner, were in the party. So far as his
friends In the party know nothing oc-
Cured during the summer outing to mar
the pleasure of the two members of the
Denham family, and when they returned
home Wednesday night the husband was
apparently in the best Of spirits. 1t is now
certain. however, that something disturbed
him and his relatives are sure that when
he turned on the gas in his sleeping apart
ment that night he did so for the purpose
of ending the lives of his wife and himself
AS already stated, the odor of the gas was
detected and the husband was called upon
for an explanation.
Il was dreaming about being in camp"
he said, land thought l was turning up
the light" @
The explanation was deemed a reasona-
bic one. although his wife had never known
him to follow up his dreams in so dangerous
q way before. Thinking over the affair af-
terward her mind was not clear as to her
husbands conduct. They had never had
any trouble. however. and she could not
imagine that her husband had, desire to
get rid of her. She knew that he had en-
gagged in pistol practice while on his vaca-
ton, but che too had used the revolver in
the same way and she knew she had no i'm
proper motive concerning its use. Last
night DR.. Wisner and his wife were at the
Sth street house with other members of
the family and enjoyed a game of cards.
pafr nol apr xyara GOV md yryoo lot
when those living away from the Kilgore
and Denham home departed Denham went
with them to the door and said good night,
as had been his habit when they called.
and there was nothing about his conduct
to indicate that he contemplated violence.
Shot as She Slept.
He had evidently thought over what he
intended doing, for he destroyed some pa
pers before he retired. His wife went to
bed ignorant of what was in store for her.
The condition of the bed this morning in
dicated that she had been a sound sleeper,
and that she had hardly moved from one
spot after retiring. 1t had been her habit
to sleep on her stomach, with one arm un-
der her head. and 1t was in this position
that she was lying at the time the fatal
shot was fired. That she did not know of
the shooting is evident. Her body had not
moved and her arm was still under her
head, although her mother is satisfied that
IIle daughter was Stlll duVe WHEN 6n6
reached the room.
Immediately after taking the life Of his
wife the husband turned the weapon toward
his own head and fired the second shot.
Lying side by side on the bed were the
dying forms of the husband and wife when
Judge kilgore entered the room. 1t WAS
just ten minutes past o'clock when the
judge entered the ninth precinct police sta
ton and said that q double tragedy had
been enacted at his house. Sergt. Falvey,
who was in charge of the station at the
time sent Policemen Curd and Smith to the
house and he also sent for Drs. Boswell
and Cole. The doctors responded promptly.
but death had claimed 10th victims, and
there was nothing that they could do ex-
cept to assure the elderly couple that both
were dead. Coroner hewitt was notified and
he reached the house before o'clock. HIS
conclusion was that the man had murdered
his wife and had then committed suicide.
Certificates of death were given according
ly.
Jealousy Only Known Cause.
Mrs. Kflgore explained to the police that
she had been awakened by hearing the re-
ports Of the pistol shots. and she thought
they had been fired by some person on the
lot near the house. She called her husband
and sent him a tour Of investigation.
He had taken but. few steps before he
found that the shots had been fired in his
own house. Returning to his wife's room
he told her of his CHASTITY discovery and
then went for the police. DR.. Wiener and
other relatives who were at the house last
night were sent for. and they returned to
the house to assist the elderly couple. They
discussed the affair fully, but were unable
to determine what had caused the man to
kill his wife and himself. Jealousy was the
only reason they could assign.
But" said DR.. Wisner to Star reporter,
there was no occasion for jealousy. Mrs.
Denham was a lovely woman and had
never done thing that was calculated to
arouse any jealous feeling the man may
have harbored."
While they were at Colonial Beach, he
said, her conduct>Was exemplary She was
in her husbands company most all the
time. and would have had no opportunity
to have done anything out of the way had
she SO desired. Several friends of the fam
fly who were seen by Star reporter told
the same story of the Denhams. They all
said that Denham had exhibited evidences
Of his jealousy ever since his marriage
Denham was on run along H street north
east for several years. and recently he had
been on duty In the vicinity of the Capitol
Hill post Office. He was a member Of sew
eral beneficiary organizations and had