Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-06-25
4 DETROIT TRAGEDY
0. A. Swayse Shot Girl, Then Plunged 165 Feet to Street.
EVERY BONE IN HIS BODY BROKEN
Suicide Made Two Attempts to Throw Miss A1vOrd From Seven Story Window-she Fought Him Off
 and Saved Herself.

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 DETROIT, Mich, June 25.-A small private office in suit on the eleventh floor of the Chamber of Commerce building, at the corner of Griswold and State streets, was the scene of most thrilling tragedy when Charles A. Swayse, an insurance agent, fought with Miss Fife 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 Alvord was shot twice in the neck and badly beaten about the head and face by Swayse, but her physician said that she is not dangerously hurt Every bone in Swayse's body below his neck was broken by his fall of 165 feet Despite the terrific fall a faint flicker of life remained when he was picked up, but it went out as his bro- ken body was being carried into the lobby of the building.
 Back of the tragedy lies tale of in- timacy between Miss Alyord and Swayse, who was fifty-one years of age, married and the father of two young daughters. Both Miss Alvord prior to November, 1902, employed at the House of Correction here, Swayse as deputy superintendent and the wO- man as a matron. In letter found on Swayse's body he charged that the Wo- man tempted him while they were at the House of Correction. Their in timacy resulted, Superintendent Me Donnell of the institution says, in neg lect of their work, and both were dis charged.
 She rode up in an automobile to the Chamber of Commerce building with J. D. Terry. She went up to the in surance office on the eleventh floor, where she and Swayse entered small private office at the front of the build ing, Swayse locking the door after them. Angry words were heard, then struggle and screams. Next several shots were fired, and employees of the office broke in the door.
 The woman's screams were heard on the street, and her companion, Terry, had hurried up in the elevator and arr rived ina time to be the first man to l rush into the room.
 Miss Alyord lay on the floor, 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 l Swayses face above the window ledge, l to which he was clinging with his l hands. The face was there only a mo- ment Then the hands slipped across the ledge, and Swayse was hurtling down through the air to his death. 1t is not clear! whether or not Swayse de- liberately climbed out on the ledge to commit suicide or had crawled out and dropped his legs and body over in an attempt to work his way down the front of the building and escape into an office on the floor below.
 Miss Alberta Burns, who is employed in a building block below the Cham l Der of Commerce, saw the desperate struggle between the couple from her office window. Swayse, she says, made two attempts to throw the woman l from the window.
 The Chamber of Commerce is situated in the heart of tho business portion of the city, and hundreds of people on the street heard Miss Alvord's cries for help as she struggled with the infuriat- ed man. They also saw Swayse's body strike the pavement.
 l There are still some clements of mys- tery in the case. At Miss Alvord's l boarding house it is stated that she and J. B. Terry are married. It is also stated that Swayse had been threaten I ing her for some time and that she went to his office to tell him that she was married and to finally break with him.. Itis also stated that Swayse had threatened to write to her sweetheart in the west, supposed to be George Seeney, and tell him of their intimacy and that she went to his office to defy