New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-21
FIRE REVEALS THE CRIME.

Diving from a bullet wound through her heart,
Mrs. Louise Elan was found yesterday morn
ing on blazing bed in her apartments on the
sixth floor OF No. 419 East Sixty-fourth-st. Be
side her lay her two children, Rosie. seven
years old. and Annie. eight each with bullet
wound In the heart. The children. 1t Is believed
were dead some time before they We're discov-
cred. The woman died fifteen minutes after she
was found.
The coroner and the police think that Mrs.
Elan shot her children. probably early Tues
day evening. and herself some time yesterday.
The fire. which was consuming the bed on
which all three lay. was probably started oy
the fash from her revolver when she shot her
self.
Mrs. Elan was twenty-eight years old, and a
German. Her husband. Frank. the same age
is an ironworker, and is secretary Of Branch AZ
OF the Housesmiths' and Bridgemen's Union
He and his wife separated week ago. and he
took furnished room ct No. AIS East Seventy
sixth-st. taking with him his Frank. four
years old. Elan is under arrest witness.
The tragedy revealed by the fire. Mrs.
Elan occupied three rooms She moved In
on the 18th. The other people In the house
knew little of her. man passing through
Sixty-fourth-st. saw smoke coming from the
window and gave the alarm. william Stanley.
an ambulance driver, connected with Flower
Hospital. was opposite the house. He and John
Van Horne, the janitor, and Paul Faust
tenant. found the door of the Elan apartments
locked. They got on the fire escape of an ad-
joining apartment and smashed the window to
get in The fire was put out with few pals
of water. An engine company and hook and
ladder came afterward
Mrs Elan was fully dressed. Her clothes
had not been touched by the fire. but the chill
ones body badly burned. The other was
burned about the feet and her face was scorchej.
The woman was unconscious. She had been
wounded twice.
The fire and the discovery of the tragedy
caused intense excitement among the hfty-hve
families IN the house. While Detectives Devlin
and Vonderau were investigating Elian the
woman's husband entered the house. He car
ried summons addressed to his wife, issued
few hours before. II directed her TO appear in
court in the afternoon to answer to her hus-
bands complaint Of desertion. The news of the
tragedy unnerved Elan. so that for few min
CteS he could not speak. He had served sum-
mons on Tuesday evening. His wife would not
let him in, but took the summons through the
half open door His desire was he declared, to
get possession Of his two daughters His wife
told him when he gave her the summons that
he would get the children, but not In the way
he expected. He did attach much impor-
lance 10 the words at that time.
Faust the tenant, told the coroner that be-
tween and 7:30 o'clock on Tuesday night he
heard two distinct shots. but did not know
where they had been fired. He said he had been
told by another tenant who lived directly be-
meath Mrs. Elan. that there had been quarrel
in the womans apartments early on Tuesday
evening. This was probably when Elan called
to serve the summons. Fausts daughter. Mag
gle, who is connected with the Salvation Army.
told her father that at IL o'clock on Tuesday
night she met n man coming downstairs. She
thought he answered the description OF ELAN.
According TO Faust, Cronjaeger. upon return
ing home at 100 o'clock yesterday morning.
heard some kicking the door of Mrs.
Elians room. CronjaeSer called to the man that
if he did not desist he would have him arrest
ed. and the left the house.
People who knew the Elians think she was OF
unsound mind They declare that ELAN was an
extremely good husband. giving his wife all HIS
money and bearing patiently with her. He told
the coroner yesterday that he had tried to get
her TO come back TO him. but she wished the
custody OF the three children. while he thought
he should take care OF them. He knew moth
ing of the shooting. he asserted. until he came
TO the house yesterday.