Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-01-21
An Awful Tragedy.

An Awful Tragedy.
A terrible tragedy occurred in
Philadelphia about noon last Friday,
when Edward K. Lands shot and
killed his wife, sister of Mr.. Henry
W. Potts. of Shepherdstown, and then
put bullet through his own disor-
dered brain. The awful occurrence
took place in the presence of Mrs
Potts, who was visiting in the Lands
household at the time.
Mr.. Lands was a chemist of ma
tional reputation. Indeed, bis work
was known IN Europe, as he had spent
considerable time in the old world IN
study and in experimenting. He had
laboratory in Philadelphia, where
be was consulted on many important
matters by leading chemists and man
ufacturers. He was obliged to retire
from business about year ago on &C
count of i'll health, brought about by
inhaling poisonous fumes He had
chronic asthma, and a complication Of
other ailments that made him extreme
ly nervous. A few weeks ago he was
obliged to take to his bed, but he was
unable to sleep and insomnia drove
him frantic.
Last Friday he asked that the door
bell be disconnected, and this was
done. Later it was necessary to con-
meet it, and when it rang again he
called for his wife. She was in another
room with Mrs Potts and a dress
maker, Miss Margaret Patton, and
did not hear him. He called again
and again, ard when Mrs. Lands
went to him he began to upbraid her.
Mrs. Potts heard his excited talk and
went to the room. She saw that he
was almost wild, and she said to her
sister-in-law, you go out Of the room,
Emily, and will try to quiet him.
AS Mrs Lands turned to leave the
room Mr.. Lands reached under his
pillow and got a revolver and fired at
his wife. The bullet struck her, but
glanced from a corset staY and did
not lnjure her. She screamed and
ran to another room. Mr.. Lands
sprang from his bed, pistol in hand,
and started after her. Mrs. Potts
bravely grappled with him to prevent
him from doing further harm, but the
stalwart man, now raving maniac,
threw her aside and went after his
wife. He overlook the terrified wom-
an in the sewing room, and the awful
scene that followed is thus desert bed
by Miss Patton:
Poor Mrs. Lands ran to me, look
ing the picture of hopeless terror,
said Miss Patton. "Oh, Miss Patton,
she exclaimed, II am shot, | am shot,
l, too, was paralyzed with fright,
and l sat there with my needle and
thread in a piece Of cloth, like wo-
man of stone. Mrs. Lands had hard
ly ceased speaking, when her husband
appeared in the doorway IN his night
shirt, the revolver in his right hand.
| have never seen go demoniacal face.
The recollection of his expression
makes my blood run cold. His eyes
were like wild beasts, and the fin
gers of his left hand opened and shut
like claws. He caught his wife by
the hair and pulled her backward un-
I'll her face looked into his. Neither
made a sound. She seemed to be
frozen with horror. Deliberately he
adjusted the revolver to her right
temple and, when he was satisfied
with bis aim, he pulled the trigger
She sank gradually to the floor, be-
cause he was holding her up by the
hair. For few seconds he looked at
her as though to assure himself that
she was dead, and then he went back
to his own room, just as Mrs. Potts
came staggering into the sewing
room"
Mr.. Lands took no account what
ever of the two women, who were 80
Mortified at the awful occurrence, but
returned to his own room and locked
the door He placed the pistol at his
own head and pulled the trigger and
a moment later was himself a corpse.
An alarm was at once given, but Mr..
and Mrs. Lands were both dead be-
fore physician arrived. Mrs. Potts
was terribly shocked, and almost col
lap,ed, while the aged mother of Mrs.
Lands, who 10 so years old, was en-
tirely overcome. She was in another
room of the house when the tragedy
occurred.
Mr.. Lands was about 40 years Of
age and was wealthy. His wife was
Miss Emily K. Potts, daughter of
Joseph Potts, who was one Of the
founders of the town of Pottstown,
Pa, and famous iron manufacturer
They were married in 1882 and had
one daughter, Isabelle, II years old,
who was attending school at Milford,
Conn. The Lands home at 1925
Spruce street was a very handsome
one, and the social position Of Mr. and
Mrs. Lands was OF the highest.
Mr.. Henry W. Potts was at bis
home in Shepberdstown when the
new. of the dreadful occurrence wac
wired him. add he went to Philadel-
phia of onoa