The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-23
FANCIEO RIVAL
KILLS HUSBAND
Joseph S. Mathews Slain at Home by
Frank WOmack.
VICTIM ATTACKS SLAYER
SHOTS BRING WIDOW AND Or
PHANs TO SCENE.

PHANs TO SCENE.
IOSEPH 5. MATHEWS. SO years of
age, an employee of the Salt Lake
wateTWOrks department. was shot
TO death at midnight by Frank Wo-
mack, an employee of the Oregon Short
Line freight depot. who roomed at
Mathews home. 531 West First North
street. Jealousy over Mrs. Elizabeth
Mathews. wife of the dead man, caused
the tragedy.
For months Mathews had been sus-
picious of his wife and manifested the
bitterest hatred toward Womack.
Mathews had accused WOmack of pay
ing attentions TO Mrs. Mathews on
numerous occasions. He ordered WO-
mack TO leave the place, but Mrs.
Mathews insisted upon renting room
10 WOmack. Only last night Mathews
talked TO John j. McHugh, another
IOdger at the Mathews home, and said
that WOmack was trying 10 break UP
his home and that he did not intend to
stand for il.
Womack had taken Mrs. Mathews 10
the theatre about a week or ten days
ago. and when Mathews came home
she had not returned. Since then he
had only spoken to Womack once or
twice Mathews had made threats ana
Womack bought gun for protection
McHugh came home with Mathews
shortly before midnight and on their
way home Mathews said that ne was
going to kick Womack out of the
house. McHugh warned him that Wo-
mack had a gun and was ready Tor
him.
Fired From Floor.
According to Womack's story, when
Mathews entered his house he went IN
to his wife's bedroom. He talked VIII
her a few moments and accused her o.
being unfaithful TO him. She TesenteI
it and Mathews iniamed with Jeal-
ousy, left the room. He walked
through the house 10 WOmack's room
and pounded on the door. Mathews
had been drinking ard was in quar-
relsome mood. He asked Womack 70
come out into the dini1s room
Womack slipped on his trousers ana
coat and followed Mathews into the
dining ROOM They talked in loud tones
for a minute or two. Mathews grabbed
Womack by the throat and WOmack
attempted to free himself from
Mathews grasp. he succeeded, ana
attempted TO bolt from the room.
Mathews struck him down with blow
on the side Of the head. He jumped
onto Womack and beat him TO the
floor. Womack pulled the gun from
his inside coat pocket and fired from
where he lay. Three shots entered
Mathews body just below the heart
He staggered backwards and fell into
his wife's bedroom
Wife Caresses Husbands Body.
Mrs. Mathews jumped from her bed
and fell in a swOon. Her children
Carlton. s years of age, and Earl
years of age-Were sleeping IN the same
room. They scrambled out of their
bed, Mortified at the sight of thei1
father lying in a pool of blood and
their mother on the floor. The shots
aroused the roOmers and the neigh
bOrhood. Mrs. Mathews was given at
tention and recovered consciousness.
She was frantic and tore her hair mad
~ as she walked up and down the
room Once she knelt down by her
husbands body and screamed, while
she embraced and kissed il. She
fought everybody who attempted TO
drag her away from the body, until
at length she was carried from the
room exhausted. Her two children
y
faces in the pillows, apparently unable
10 understand what had taken place.
They were carried to some of the
neighbors' houses.
Womack Notifies Police.
After the shooting WOmack rushed TO
the telephone and called up the police
station. He told them to send the
wagon down TO 531 West First North
street. a murder has been commit
ted" he said. Send the patrol. I
am the man who did the shooting and
1 viii be right here when you come"
He hung up the phone and waited
for the arrival of the police. Womack
took Police Sergeant r. L. Eddington
and Officers Carl Carlson and Henry
Johnson through the house. and ex-
planned in detail what had taken place.
He showed them his bedroom, and said
that he had been asleep for over an
| hour when Mathews called him. The
furniture in the dining room was scat
| tered about and showed evidence of
a struggle. Two chairs were turned
over and the table was pushed against
the wall. The dishes on the table were
Knocked over and the table cover had
/ been pulled Off Womack described the
scene and showed the officers the po-
sitiOn he was in when he fired the
first shot. His face was bleeding where
/ he had been struck and he had two
large bruises on his head. During the
conversation WOmack was cool and de-
liberate. He was deathly pale, but he
showed no signs of nervousness. At
the police station he told his story to
The Herald as follows:
Tells Story of Tragedy.
II shot Mathews IN save my life H
/ came to my bedside and woke me up
He asked me TO come out with him. /
slipped on my coat and trousers and
/ did so. My revolver was in the inside
pocket of the coat, but 1 did not think
about the gun at that time. I went
with Mathews into the dining room.
Mathews started TO accuse me Of
paying attentions TO Mrs. Mathews. He
said I was trying to break up his fam
| lily. I denied this.
when / made the denial Mathews
grabbed ne by the hair. He said
C d me, I'll XIII you I tried to
| get away. Mathews struck me and
| knocked me down, cutting my face He
| jumped on me and / felt the gun in my
| pocket as he did SO. 1 drew my re-
| volyer. L pulled the trigger. The gun
| failed to go off. / pulled the trigger
| again. I saw the fire shooting out
| Mathews said:
My Cod
Il managed to get away from him,
and as | went across the room he fol-
| lowed me- I fred the second and third
times. Mathews staggered and fell TO
| the floor.
Mrs. Mathews had been kind to me-
but there was no truth in her husband s
charge that / had tried TO win her az
fnrfS ny hu fai8I n h,-.,. l.