Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-31

most instantly. The bullet came out
above the right eye.
Bullets Craze His Forehead.
Stewart turned the pistol on himself
but his aim was inaccurate, probably
owing to his nervous state. Three OF
the balls grazed his forehead, another
went wild, and the last chamber was
emptied in the floor. Throwing the re-
vOlyer on the floor beside his wife,
Stewart disappeared through the back
door and down the alley in the direc-
ton of his home He held his coat
over his head To hide the blood that
was flowing from his self-infiicted
wounds. He entered his own home
| through [. & alley gate. Harry, Maude
| Charles and Leo. his children, were
seated on the back porch talking to
cOlored neighbOr woman concerning
| the sale of chickens, when Stewart
came into view. Without speaking to
them he rushed in the house. Harry
| shouted to him TO ask what was the
matter with him. Stewart replied not
to mind him. Harry had heard his
father say that he would kill the whole
family. and was fearful that now was
the time that he was going to try to
do il. He went to'a window and saw
his father taking down his shot gun
and shells
Children Out Of Harms Way.
The boys first thoughts were of the
younger children, two of whom he
grabbed and half pulled through the
gate and down the alley out of the
| range of his fathers gun, Maude, who
| is next to Harry in age running with
| them. The children heard the report
| of the gun. Stewart had lain down
| in the bed in his room. and placing the
| barrel of the gun TO his abdomen work
ramrod. He was terribly torn by the
| discharge, and died in a few minutes
| Officers Sidney Pearson and Henry
| ThOde reached the side Of Stewart as
he was dying. They had followed him
| from the scene of the murder They
were riding in the chiefs buggy The
tragedy attracted great crowds of peo-
pie around both houses, and it was
necessary for the police to dispense
them. John Stewart, aged 20. the cid
est child, was at his work at the Rock
| Island Stove company when the shoot
ing occurred There was an affecting
scene between him and the other chill
dren when he came home in response
to message.
Brain Believed Affected.
Stewart. some years ago. while fish
| ing got a hook caught in his head at
| the back of one of his ears, a friend
of his stated today. Only part of the
| hook was removed. and he had been
| heard to say that he feared the part
remaining in his head would cause
| him serious trouble. 1t is known to
have worried him considerably. but
! hardly had any bearing on the dou-
bic crime of yesterday afternoon.
The bodies were reviewed by Coro-
ner l.. V. Eckhart and jury and then
they were removed to Undertaken
KnOX's moTgue and prepared for bur
ial. The inquest was held this morn
ing at the Office Of the coroner at the
court house.
story of Murdered WOmnn's Sister.
Mrs. Mary Black, a sister of the
murdered woman, was the first TO tes-
tify. With the assistance of Mrs
1 Lena DtdttSr Silt MdS leu ~ the SldHu,
and between sobs she told of the trag-
edy at her home, 314 Thirteenth street.
| Hysterical and overcome, she occasion
ally broke down and wept. She said:
Mrs. Stewart came 70 my home at 3 80
O'Clock in the afternoon. Henry. her
husband came to my home in the
morning at l1.30 O'Clock looking for
his wife. She was not present upon
either occasion. He returned again al
$50 and met his wife. He talked
with his wife for some time, asking
her 10 return home with him. She told
him that she would not. He again
asked her and then wanted TO know
what she was going To do. He then
asked her what she wanted him to do
with the furniture. She told him that
he could set her portion of the furni-
ture out in the yard and she would
send for it. He then went out into
the yard but returned to the house
shortly after. Mrs. Stewart had my
baby on her lap AT that tine. Stewart
said: Belle, are you going home with
me?" Without allowing time for a re
ply. Stewart raised a revolver and shot
his wife. ! stepped between Stewart
and his wife to get my baby. Just
one shot was fired at Mrs. Stewart. II
killed her almost instantly. Stewart
then turned the gun upon himself and
fired four shots. One shot went wide
of its mark. The other three STRUCK
him on the right side of his forehead
Stewart put his coat around his heaC
and ran ont of the house and dowI
L. l.. l.,
, kitchen he fell against the back dool
and the cupboard.
Mrs. Lem Beatty Hears shooting.
Mrs. Lena NJ. Beatty. of BIC Thir
% teenth street, was the next witness