The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-07-01
Roosevelt and
Fairbanks YOked.
A DESPERATE CRIME.
"A Man Shoots a Woman and Hurl.
Himself to Death.

a small private Office in a suite or
The eleventh floor Of the Chamber ol
commerce builing at the corner oI
GrisWold aud State streets Detroit
Mich, was the scene of a most thrill,
Ing tragedy Friday when Charles A
SWayse, an insurance agent, fought
with Miss Ellie Alvord for severa
minutes In an attempt to throw he,
out or the window, then shot hel
Twice and plunged himself from tn,
window to the brick pavement O
State street, being almost instantl,
killed.
Miss Alvord was shot twice in tn,
neck and badly beaten about the heac
and face by Swayse, but her physicia
SAID Friday night that she is not dan
gerously hurt. Every bone In Swayse' p
body below his neck was broken b,
his fall of 165 feet. Despite the ter
ritic fall, faint flicker Of life remain
ed when he was picked up, but i
went out as his broken body was be
ing carried into the lobby Of the build
ing.
Back Of the tragedy lies tale O
intimacy between Miss Alvord anc
Swayse, who was 81 years old, married
and the father Of two young daugh
ters. Both Miss Alvord and Swayse
were for seyera! years prior to Eovem
Der, 1902, employed at the house Of
correction here, Swayse as deput,
superintendent and the woman az q
matron. In letter found on Swayse,s
body he charged that the woman be-
guiled him while they were at the
house of correction. Their intimacy
resulted, Superintendent Mcdonald
OF the institution says, in neglect of
their work and botn were discharged.
Swayse then entered the employ of
the life insurance company In whose
Office the tragedy occurred. Miss AL.
word had several positions and then
entered the employ Of a sewing ma
chine company.
Friday she drove up in an automo-
bile to the Cham Der of Commerce
ou1lolng with j. D. Terry, also en-
ploYed by the same sewing machine
company. She went up to the insur-
ance Office on the eleventh floor where
she and Swayse entered small private
Office at the front Of the building.
Swayse locking the door after them.
Angry words were heard, then a strup
gle and screams. Next, several shots
we're fired and employees OF the Office
broke In the door. The woman IS
screams were heard on the street and
'iier companion, HerryYh had hurried I'M
In the elevator and arrived In time to
be the first man to rush into the room.
Miss Alvord lay on the door, her cloth
Ing tern, blood running from the bull
let wounds in her neck and her hair
down and disheveled.
The window was open and through
1T could be seen Swayse's face above
the window ledge, to which he was
climbing with his hands. The face
was there only a moment. Then the
hands slipped across the ledge and
Swayse was hurling down through the
air to his death. 1t was not clear
whether or not Swayse deliberately
climbed out on the ledge to commit sui
eide 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 building a block below the Cnamal
Der of Commerce building, saw the
desperate struggle between the couple
from her office window. Sways,, She
says, made two attempts to throw the
woman from the window. Once he
lifted her feet and succeeded in getting
part OF her body through the window
when she broke away from him. Then
he grabbed her about the waist and
again tried to throw her to the street.
Again she broke away. Then he at
lacked the woman and pounded her
about the head, finally drawing his re-
volver and shooting her.
Swayse then crawled upon the win
dow, and, Miss Burns says, let his
body down until his feet seemed to
rest on something, possibly narrow
ledge a few feet below the window.
Here he hung for a few seconds then
his head fell back, his hands lost their
grip aud he whlrled through the
air out OF Miss Burns range of Wis
ion.
The Chamber OF Commerce building
is situated in the heart of the business
portion of the city and hundreds OF
people on the street heard Miss AL
worlds cries for help as she struggled
with the infuriated man. They alsc
saw Swayse's body strike the pave
ment.
There are still some elements o
mystery in the case. At Miss Alvord'
boarding house it is stated that sh
and j. b. Terry are married. This Mis-
Alvord denied to physician who at
tended her. RepC rters have not beer
permitted TO question her at the hos
pita! One OF the letters found OF
Swayse was addressed to Mrs. A. E
Ienri OF Saginaw, Mich, warming
her not to let her son marry Mis-
Alvord, whom Swayse bitterly excori
ated In the letter, charging her will
wrecking his home. AT Miss Alyord'
boarding house it was stated thai
Swayse had been threatening her fo
some time and that she went to hi,
ofllce Friday to tell him that she
was martied and to finally break Will
him. 1t is also stated that Swayse ha(
threatened to write to her sweetheart
Ia the west, supposed to be George
Ienrl, and tell him OF their intimacy
and that she went to his office Friday
TO defy him to do it. A letter e
Swayse's wife was found, the content.
OF which has not yet been learned.
Why the Change?
Secretary OF State Hays decision tt
change the name Of this republic from
United States" to America" |.