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

house She shouted for me TO come
TO the house. / went into the house,
found it full of smoke. and 1 could
hardly see. Lonking on the floor | saw
the dead body of Mrs Stewart. Mrs.
Black said that Stewart had shot his
wife at last | saw the revolver ~
ing at the feet of the dead woman. |
picked il up. placed it in my pocket,
and kept it until Officer Thode arrived.
when | gave it TO the officer. / saw
Stewart running rapidly down the al
ley between Third and Fourth avenues
on Thirteenth street.
officer Describes Scenes.
Officer Sidney Pearson: At 3:45
O'Clock | received call from Oficer
Thode Thode and went to the scene
of the murder and inquired into it and
found that Mrs. Stewart was killed
by her husband. We started for Stew
arts home. Going TO Stewards home.
623 Seventh street. we found Stewart
lying on the bed in the bedroom
with a shot gun resting beside him,
the butt of the weapon being on the
floor. In the mans stomach was
gaping wound. He was breathing his
last.
officer Henry Thode: l saw a ram
rod lying beside the gun. l think that
Stewart used the ramroad to discharge
the gun.
John Stewart, aged 90 years. eldest
son of the couple: Father and moth
er had been quarreling considerably
of late. and mother finally left home.
Father told me in the past week that
he would never die alone. Mother had
not been home since last Thursday
morning. Father last saw mother last
Saturday afternoon. He wanted me to
induce mother to return home. Moth
er said last Saturday she could not
come home
Talked Of Leaving City.
Harry Stewart. &c year old son of
the couple: Father. sister Maude,
brother Leo. and Brother Charles ate
dinner together yesterday. Father
said he was going to go to Denver
Wednesday. and asked me to go with
him. | told my father that / did not
want to go with him; that | wanted
to stay with mother. Father replied
that he did not care, but that he was
going 20 go and take Leo with him.
Father and left the house together in
the afternoon. | returned home
shortly after leaving. but father did
not. When father returned home af-
ter shooting mother. Maude, Charles
and Leo and Mrs. Dora Wilson, a col
Ored neighbOr and /. were on the back
porch. Father came running rapidly
down the alley, with a coat over his
head and blood flowing down his face.
asked him three times what was
wrong. He said. Never mind, Harry"
He went into the house. | ran to the
window on the north side of the house
and saw him get his shotgun and a
shell. | hurried back to where the
children were and took Maude and
Leo by the hand and ran with them
and Charles to the corner. l heard
father fire the shot. Officers ThOde
and Pearson arrived shortly after-lThe
officers went to the house and found
father lying on the bed.
Mrs. Wilson corroborated the testi-
mony of Harry.
Verdict of Murder and Suicide.
Two verdicts were returned by the
jury, which was composed of Edward
Dover. foreman; L. G. Eddy, Philip
Swift, Simon Goldberg, ]. w. Rush and
l.. w. Moffett. One was that Mrs
Stewart was shot to death by her
husband, and the other that Stewart
died of injuries inflicted by a shot gun
in his own hands.
Henry Stewart was born in this city
and was "A years of age. He was the
son of Mr.. and Mrs John Stewart
The father was known by the name
OF Stuhr. When he enlisted for ser
vice in the civil war at Davenport h.
was enrolled by the registering Off
Ger as Stewart After the war he was
granted a pension. When he filed his
application he signed his name as John
Stuhr, and il required affidavits of his
comrades to prove that Stuhr and
Stewart were one and the same per-
son. The aged parents still live.
Their home is across the street from
the house in which their son took his
life. Mrs. Stewart was Frustrated by
the news of the tragedy. and there
were fears last night that the shock
would kill her. She is II years of
age.
Their Marriage Romantic.
Henry Stewart and Belle Krocker
eloped to Muscatine 20 years ago. She
was born and reared in Coal Valley.
Their life was happy until the hus-
band took TO the excessive use of
liquor some years ago. He was a
member of Camp 309. NJ. w. A. and
she belonged TO MayflOwer camp.
Royal Neighbors. Both were insured.
For number of years Stewart was
employed at the soda water factory
of Carse & Ohlweiler. More recently
he worked as a laborer at the Rock
Island Stove company foundry. Be
sides his aged parents he leaves two
! brothers. John and Edward Stewart. of
this city. and a sister. Mrs Fred SUIT.
! cliffe. of Whatcom. Wash Mrs. Stew