The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-06-29
Roosevelt and
Fairbanks Y0ked.
a DESPERATE CRIME.
A Man Shoots a Woman and Rurls
Himself TO Death.

A Man Shoots a Woman and RurI
Himself to Death.
a small private Office in a suite OF
the eleventh floor OF the Chamber o
Commerce builing at the corner o
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 Efie Alvord for severa
minutes in an attempt to throw be-
out Of the window, then shot he]
twice and plunged himself from th'
window to the brick pavement O.
State street, being almost instantly
killed.
Miss Alvord was shot twice in thu
neck and badly beaten about the heaC
and face by Swayse, but her physician
said Friday night that she is not dan
gereusly hurt. Every bone in Swayse'!
body below bis neck was broken by
his fall Of 165 feet. Despite the ter
rife fall, faint flicker of life remain
ed when he was picked up, but ii
went out as his broken body was be-
ing carried into the lobby of the build
ing.
Back Of the tragedy lies a tale O.
intimacy between Miss Alvord anG
Swayse, who was 81 years old, married
and the father Of two young daugh
tiers. Both Miss AIvord and Swayst
were for several years prior to Noven
Der, 1902, employed at the house 0.
correction here, Swayse as deputy
superintendent and the woman as Z
matron. In letter found on Swayse's
body he charged that the woman be-
guiled him while they we're at the
house Of correction. Their intimacy
resulted, Superintendent Mcdonald
OF the institution says, in neglect of
their work and both 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 sewing ma
chine company.
Friday she drove up in an automo-
bile to the Cham Der Of Commerce
building 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 strug-
gle 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 arrived In time to
be the first man to rush into the room.
Miss Alvord lay on the floor, 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
it 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 hurting down through the
air to his death. It 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 al office on
the floor below.
Miss Alberta Burns, who is employed
in a building a block below the Chamss
Der Of Commerce building, saw the
desperate struggle between the couple
from her Office window. Swayse, she
says, made two attempts to throw the
woman from the window. Once ne
lifted her feet and succeeded in getting
part Of her body through the window
when she broke away from him. Then
be grabbed her about the waist and
again tried to throw her to the street.
Again she broke away. Then ne at
tackled 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 Whirled through the
air out Of Miss Burns range OF viS-
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
words cries for help as she struggled
with the infuriated man. They also
saw Swayse's body strike the pave
ment.
There are still some elements OF
mystery in the case. At Miss Alvord's
boarding house it is stated that she
and J. B. Terry are married. This Miss
Alvord denied to physician who at.
tended her. Reporters have not been
permitted to question her at the hos.
pital. One Of the letters found or
Swayse was addressed to Mrs. A. E.
Zenri OF Saginaw, Mich, warming
her not to let her son marry Miss
Alvord, whom Swayse bitterly excori-
ated in the letter, charging her With
wrecking his home. at Miss Alvord's
boarding house 1t was stated that
Swayse had been threatening her fol
some time and that she went to his
Office Friday to tell him that she
was martied and to finally break with
him. It is also stated that Swayse had
threatened to write to her sweetheart
in the west, supposed to be George
Zenrl, and tell him Of their Intimacy,
and that she went to his Office Friday
to defy him to do it. A letter to
Swayse's wife was found, the contents
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