The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-25
TRAGEDY IN A SKY-SCRAPER
Charles Swayze Jumps from Eleventh Floor of Chamber Of
commerce Building ia Detroit, After Shooting
Hiss Efile AlVord.

/ n EFROIT, Mich. June 24-Charles
IL Swayze, employed by a life in
suranee company, and former as
sistant superintendent of the Detroit
/ house of correction, today shot Miss
Eftie Alvord twice while the c0uDle
were IN prOVate Office ia the com
/ pany suite on the eleventh floor Of
+ The Chamber of Commerce bUildiup
and then jumped from the window him
I self. Miss AlvOrd was shot ia the neck
and wrist but not seriously hurt. it is
! reported.
Miss Alvord drove to the Chamber Of
commerce building I'm an automobile
about II O'Clock, ACCOMPANIED by =
man. She went TO the Office of the life
I insurance company and asked To have
private interview with ar Swsvze.
9le was shown into a small private
once fronting on the State street side
or the building, where Swayze joined
her' shutting and locking the door
Screams and Shots.
In few moments ether persons r.
Ihe Office heard a sLruEEIe then
screams which were followed in quick
succession by several pistol shots
Manager Mccall of the agency broke
IN tne door, Miss Alvord was PROSTATE
on the moor, her hair disheVeled her
waist torn and blood pouring from the
wounds IN her neck and wrist Through
the open window Mr. Mccall could See
SWayze's hands clUtching the window
ledge. They were I'm view for only
moment Then Swayze let go and his
body went Whirling down through the
air. II hit several wires and turned
over twice, striking on the face aud
chest. A bullet wound in his nose /
showed that ne had shot himself. There /
was Just breath of life iu the body 4
Nhen II was picked up, and that flick /
cred out before IT had been carried into
the Chamber Of Commerce lobby.
Meanwhile. physicians i'm the build 4
ing mad been summoned to the insur-
ance Offlce TO attend Miss AIvOrd They
found that her wounds are not fatal
Occupants Of a building across the
street from the chamber Of COM 3
merce say that Swayze attempted to
throw Miss AlvCrd out OF the window
Her head and shoulders were seen
across the ledge and she was lighting
desperately.
Then the couple disappeared from
the window, and the shots rang out
followed by Swayzes mad plunge.
A letter, written by by SWayze. was
found which. 1t is said. explains the
tragedy. It is alleged that the letter
says Miss AiVOrd was responsible for
SWayze's losing his position at the
house of correction
Miss Alvord is an employee of a sew
ing machine company. but worked af
the house of correction when Swavza
was there Her home is said to be at
Saginaw, Mich
Object Of Girls Visit.
The man with whom Miss AIvord
drove uD TO the building was j. b
Terry, an empioye of the same sew
lhg machlne company that employed
Miss AiVOrd. At Miss Alv0rd's board 4
Ing house il was stated that MSS Al
word and Terry lad been married for
several months Miss Alvord denied
his but said she was engaged to him
yesterday was her birthday and She j
told the physicians TO tell the report
7Is that SWayze sent here q teie-
phone message that he was was GO
Ing 10 shoot her as a birthday present.
Sic said she went to SWayze's Office i
-0day 20 break with him. He had ,
been threatening. she said. TO write
% the mother OF her sweetheart and .
ell her that Miss AlVOrd was not the
lind of girl her son should marry. Z
she says that she went TO Tie office J
oday 70 tell him to go ahead with his ,
eJter If he pleased to do SO and 10 :
12ally break with him.
superintendent Mcdonnell of the
louise OF correction stated that it was :
he intimacy between Swavze and =
barge them both. The intimacy. he r
aid. gradually grew while they We're ]
elbow employees at the institution and
lille Miss Alvord was visiting
waves home frequently as a friend
f his wife.
1t is not certain that swayze de-
berately jumped from the eleventh ID
tory window III is thought by MANY 81
hat when he heard the door of tie u
q vate offce being opened me crawled O
ut on the window ledge and endeav- G
red TO hang by his hands in a mad IL
tempt to escape detection Marks ii
D the dust on the window ledge show II
here his fingers gradually drageed id
cross it until bis hold was lost TEfs Ii
taken To indicate that he did net cl
ltend to jump q
Witnessed by Hundreds. e
The Chamber OF Commerce building =
ST the corner Of GrisWold and State
reefs. one block from the busiest
lOpping districts on Woodward aV-
lue. Even when SWayze's body
hirled through the air the attention b
people Tad been attracted to the
lildiug by the cries Of Miss AIv0rd
3 she fought at the window against
eng hurled 10 the street and by the dI