The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1904-06-28
THRILLING TRAGEDY.
Attemptsd to Kill a Woman and Fell
to Death From a Window.

Detroit, Mich, June 25.-A small prte
vate Office in a suite on the eleventh
floor of the chamber of commerce
building, at the corner of GriswOld and
State streets, was Friday the scene IF
a most thrilling tragedy, when Charles
A. Swayze, an insurance agent, fought
with Miss Effie Alvord for several min
utes in an attempt to throw her out of
the window, then shot her twice and
plunged himself from the window to
the brick pavement of State street, be
ing almost instantly killed Miss Al
word was shot twice in the neck and
badly beaten about the head anal face
by Swayse, but her physician said Fri
day night that she is not dangerously
hurt Every bone of Swayse's body
below mis- neck was broken by his fall
of 165 feet
Back of the tragedy lies a tale of
intimacy between Miss Alvor,2 ard
Swayse, who was 81 years of age, mar
ried and the father Of TWO young
daughters. Both Miss Alvord aud
Swayse were for several years., prior
to November. 1902, employed at tho
house of correction aere. Swayso as
deputy superintendent, and the woman
as a matron: In otter found ON
Swayse's body he charged thai the
woman tempted him while hey were
at the house of correction and he fell.
Their intimacy resulted, Superintend-
ent Mcdonnell, of the institution says,
in neglect O. their work, and both were
discharged
Swayse then entered the employ Of
the life insurance company, in whose
offices the tragedy occurred. Miss Al
word held several positions and then
entered the employ of sewing ma
chine company. Friday she dove up
in an automobile to the chamber of
commerce with J. w. D. Terry. She
went up to the insurance Office On the
eleventh floor, where she and Swayse
entered a small priv4ge Office at the
front of the building, Swayse locking
the door after them. Angry words
were heard, then struggle and
screaming. Next, several shots were
fred and employees of tire Office broke
in the door. The women screams
were heard on the street, and her COM
panion, Terry, had hurried up in the
elevator and arrived in. time to be the
first man to rush into the room Miss
Alvord lay on the fl lJr, her clothing
torn, blood running from the bullet
wounds in her neck and her hair down
and disheveled. The. window was
open, and through it could be seen
Swayse's face above the window ledge,
to which he was clinging with his
hands. The face was there only a
moment Then the hands, slipped
across the ladge, and Swayse was hurl-
ing down through the air to his DEATH
The chamber of commerce is situated
in the heart -efathe business portion
of the city and hundreds of people
on the street heard Miss Alvord's cries
for held. as she struggled with the
man. They also saw Sawyse's body
strike the pavement.
There are still some elements OF
mystery in the case. At Miss AlvOrd s
boarding house it is stated that she
and j. B. Terry are married. This
Miss Alvord denied to a physician who
attended her. Reporters have not been
permitted to question her at the hos
pitaL
One of the letters found on Swayse
was addressed to Mrs A. Sweeney,
of Saginaw, Mich, warning her not to
let her son marry Miss AlvOrd, whom
Swayse bitterly excoriated in the let
ter, charging her with wrecking his
home At Miss Alvord's boarding house
it was stated that Swayse had been
threatening her for some time, and
that she went to his Office to tell him
that she was married.