New-York tribune., 1903-07-27
MORTON HOUSE TRAGEDY
MURDER and SUICIDE.
Nan Kills Woman and Self Il fter
Midnight Supper.

ton House. at which there was no sign OF tne I'M
pending tragedy, man shot his woman com
panon to death and put a bullet through his
heart at early hour yesterday morning. While
the identity of both unknown at an early hour
this morning. the police were searching for per-
sons thought to know them. Coroner Scholer
believes the couple came here from Schenectady.
strange feature of the crime is that Arnold
Moser. wholesale dealer in laces and embroideries
at No. 80 East Eighth-st.. whose name was on a
letter in the clothes of the murderer and suicide.
had an appointment with friends. supposed TO be
the two dead. yesterday.
The fashionably dressed. and about six
feet in height. The woman. black haired and
handsomely gowned looked to be about twenty
three years old. The couple registered at the
Morton House between IL and u o'clock on Sat
urday night as c. Weiss and wife, Syracuse, N. y.
No about the hotel ever saw either man or
woman before. The woman wore a black travel
ling suit with white braid trimming. black silk
long coat. picture hat of black with white flowers
and black silk skirt.
They had 10 baggage with them. They were as
| signed to a the third floor OF the hotel' TO
which they retired Immediately.
A cold supper sent for at O'Clock ana
bottle of sauterne ordered with it. The waiter who
took the viands to the room says that the couple
were in good spirits.
! 1t was O'Clock when Kate Mackey, a servant
while passing through the hall on which the room
| opens heard woman's scream of terror, followed
| by three pistol shots. first and then anotner
| some seconds afterward. and then another.
She hastened in to the clerk, who told the
| proprietor, Mr. Jackson He found the room door
| locked Policeman Bell of the Mercer-st. station.
who had been called. could not force the door, he
tried the door to the next room, which ne oroKe
into. and then he got into the room wnere tle
| tragedy had been enacted. The house engineer got
] into the room over the transom at t'e same time
| The woman's body sparsely clad, was lying In
front of the door The body of the man lay length
wise along the side of the bed on the floor PISTOL
| with five chambers and three empty shells. lay a
| few inches from the right hand of the body
! There were evidences Of a struggle Inc peo-
clothing was thrown about the bed The chairs were
| in unlikely places, though not overturned anu
| table was in a corner the other side or the
| room from its usual place.
| Blood had spattered over the door. near "heIe
| the woman's body lay.
| WOMAN's VAIN EFFORT TO ESCAPE.
The police and detectives quickly reached the
theory that the woman had struggled with the man
in bed as he held the pistol; that she had escaped
from him and run toward the door. when ne Hreu
the first shot which struck her in the left Wrlst
that she grasped doorkey, but that 1t fell from
her fingers on the floor, leaving her at the man
| mercy; that he shot her again, after graspng hef
by the throat and pressing the muzzle OF tne
weapon against her breast and that ne thel Aiiieo
| himself.
| The remains of the supper lay on table. The
wine bottle was empty. but glass full Of sau'
| terne was on the bureau.
| Ambulances were called from st. Vincents anc
| Bellevue Hospital the former arriving AI9'- N'
! surgeon was not certain the woman was deao ahc
| apnlied a stethoscope. 1t showed she was beyone
aid The bullet had torn large mole IN her preas
and had lodged in her back
Coroner C5oldepkranz was at once sent for plair
band ring was tied in the womans handkerchief
which Law on the table In the mans pockets were
found two railroad tickets from Syracuse n: \.
| but the couple had come to the city from Albany
on the night boat. There was also pawn tcAe os
for a ring in the name of Weiss, dated July Il
ssued nv a pawnshop in this city, which led TO th'
! belief that the man had pawned the ring and the1
| gone to Syracuse. A letter addressed 10 =: Z
| Weiss was also found, but Its contents were KEEP
| secret by the poLce ana cOIoHel' Inv 'i'0 --'
| over 500 in cash.
| Coroner C;oldenkranz made thorough examina'
ton Of all the effects. He was satisfied that ooth
| came from Schenectady. He found S4 in money II
| the woman's effects. The pawn ticket Tor the rlns
| was found he said among the womans possessions
| and was from Simpsons. on the Bowery. seventy
| five dollars had been procured on 1t in the name o.
| Creatne- A number of trolley tickets TOT rldeS
between Albany and Schenectady were , also IN I'M Int
womans clothes letter among nee her enecf{ Wa WA:
in German and addressed 10 tid oF girl nance
dated March of this year. II toIa o. 5l 5 i ~ y
| Annie who had worked in a hotel put had lei
The coroner said the man was member s, o:
Elks Lodge No. S2i, according 70 an e!HDlei ~
| German Of, Yesterdays date, addressed to &C. II
In G one tSe f9RedEd address Ro IS East ghthst
| The substance of the letter was that the ~ritel
on that statement. and that he wanted the the persoI
| add O
the writer remained here, He told his Trlend NJ
! would like the house it had green bathroom
Journey Re was about to take on the boat Canal
ST. and would try to arrange for a meeting nam
he said he would be at the Hotel Belvedere, Eigh
5 and S f bad Pe wsr
that the girl Annie had been working in a hotel
the door, and had been afraid to go back
MosER IN SEARCH OF FRIENDS.
Moser called at the Belvedere House at moor
yesterday Approaching the clerk he presented his
card and said that he expected friends to meet
him within the next hour He requested tha
should any call for him he be summoned
as he would be in the corridor or reading
| about the hotel at times impatienty pacing W
and down. He waited until o'clock and then ap
| longer but would go 10 a North River steamboat
pier and try to ind his friends there. ne 9* Wa
told that Albany boats would come In during
About o'clock Mr.. Moser returned to the hote
greatly disappointed when tod that they had mo-
appeared, and said it was pity tnat man snouit
waste whole day looking fruitlessy Tor people
when he might bette- be ENJOYING himself IN tbs
country. He made il clear that he expected more
At the hotel it was said that Mr., Moser wa:
known by sight. although no knowledge was nae
to where he lived or as 10 where he could o'
The bodies were removed from the Morton House
during tho evening and taken 10 underta k1ne
rooms at No 494 East Twentysixth-st., a permit
John r. Nugent one of the proprietors of the
Morton House said late last night th3t ne nae
every reason for believing tina; the dead MAJ
was Charles Weiss. Of Syracuse
That conclusion" said MI Nugent. is war
ranted by the fact that the man registered as
Charles Weiss. and letters and papers found II
III" room bore that name"
Schenectady y Y. JUly 2G-Diiigent search
tonight failed to find any trace of any one
named G. Weiss ha wing lived in this city and al