The Washington times., 1905-02-10

back until her neck was stretched and
hurt Ter.
oh, Gus! Please don't hurt me-
screamed the woman.
Opening the razor with his right hand,
Shaffer grasped the handle close up &c
the blade and slashcd his divorced wife
across the left side of her throat The
blow was a sweeping one, and laceratea
the woman's neck horribly from her ieIt
ear around beyond the center. with 50
much force did Shaffer WELD the blade
that the jueular and carotid veins were
both severed and death followed within
three minutes.
Still in q drunken stupor and seeming
ly bewildered Shaffer stood over the
PROSTATE form OF the woman and looked
into her face as if expecting her to utter
q cry or speak to him.
Considerable cummotion was caused by
! the tragedy and within a few moments
| the streets were crowded with persons
eager to get d glimpse at the woman.
Private James Sullivan, of no Engine
! Company. of the District Fire Depart
! ment, rushed to the corner and finding
! The man standing over the woman grab
/ bed Shaffer and informed the murderer
! that he WAS under arrest.
One Eyewitness.
An old negro man who was standing
on the corner and heard the words that
passed between husband and wife prior
| to the murder. informed Sullivan that
Shaffer was the right man, and the fire
men held him tightly. Shaffer, who ap-
peared cool and calm but blur-eyed and
| Weakened, turned to Sullivan and the
other firemen who rushed up and IN
qnired il they We're policemen. They in
formed him that they were officers of
the law for the time being, and he re-
| piled that it was all right as he did not
| intend to run.
| A patrol wagon was summoned from
/ Sixth precinct station and Or, H. Il.
Butts was brought to the scene OF the
/ murder, He reached the woman about
| five minutes after the cutting and pro-
nounced life extinct. To expedite mat
| tiers the body of Skaters victim was
| placed in the patrol wagon IN Which
| he was removed to the station house.
He made no objections against riding in
the same vehicle.
1t was learned from friends of the
| prisoner that he had been on protract-
| ed spree covering a period OF about three
| weeks. Broodfng over the fact that his
| wife procured a divorce from him on
| the ground OF infidelity. and other do
/ nestle matters, is believed to have in
spired the murder.
| Made No Denial.
! At the time Of his arrest he made no
denial of his guilt and offered no ex-
| PLANTATION as to why he did it. When
! seen the day after the tragedy and
asked what he meant by saying This
| makes it even, Kate, he did not know.
He had sobered up and hardly remem-
| bered anything about the murder save
| that he had seen his wife and knew
that she was dead
| Three years prior to the night on
| which the tragedy occurred, Sa;tfTer had
! a disa greemeut with his wife and APP
piled for a divorce but failed TO get It.
| His wife waited some time and finally
| filed suit for separation alleging IN
| fidelity. The court granted her divorce
n short time before the murder. Shaft
fer took his son and the daughter went
/ to live with the mother. At no time
/ after the divorce was granted did Shaf-
| fer act like the same man. He drank
| more frequently and seemed to be with
Cut ambition and had no desire 10 work.
Verdict of the Jury.
The jury in Criminal Court No. l
| found the evidence. such as would war
rant a verdict of murder in the first de-
| gree. although it was contended by
counsel for the defense that the man
| was mentally irresponsible for his ac-
| tons because OF the spree on which he
| had been for three months. This had
/ sentenced him TO be hanged on January
| s. The execution did not occur at that
time as the condemned man was re-
spited pending the action OF the Court
of Appeals. The date was finally set as
February 10. President Roosevelts re-
fusaI to commute the sentence or inter
fere in the case were the last steps IN
the effort of counsel to save the con-
demned man.