The San Francisco call., 1905-01-13
Drunkenness Leads
to Frightful
Tragedy.
ShootsSpouse, Then
Cuts Own Throat
With Razor.


switchman, this afternoon shot and
killed his wife, tried to kill his son
Edward, seventeen years old, when the
boy tried to save his stepmother, and
completed the domestic tragedy by
nearly severing his own head from his
body with a razor.
The murder and suicide occurred in
the kitchen. of the Rowland residence.
91S Center street, at 2:45 o'clock. Row
land had been drinking heavily and was
enraged over Mrs. Rowland's decision
to leave him. s t-
Gathered in the parlor shortly before
the shooting were Mr. and Mrs. Row
land, the boy Edward and Mrs. Ethel
Day and Mrs Frank w. Sonderleiter,
daughters of Mrs Rowland. The hus-
band and wife had returned from
trip to San Francisco to arrange the
terms of property settlement, prehm-s
mary to the carrying out of an agree
ment to separate. The folks had been
talking about the family differences,
when Rowland suddenly left the room.
Soon afterward he called to his wife,
asking her to go into the kitchen. The
boy, who is Rowland's son by for
mer marriage, warned his stepmother
not to leave. He feared something
might occur, because his father had
shown signs of ugliness.
But Mrs. Rowland went and had
barely closed the door. when the others
heard two pistol shots. Young Row
land ran to the kitchen and saw his
stepmother lying on the floor. The
father was brandishing a pistol. The
boy grabbed a chair and smashed it
at his father, knocking the weapon out
of his hand. The young man tried to
get the pistol, but his father seized 1t
and fired shot at the boy, who rushed
out to alarm his stepsisters. He had
opened the front door to let them out
into the street when a bullet passed
between his arm and body.
PREPARES FOR DEED.
The father turned away and went
to a pantry off the kitchen, where he
laid the pistol on a shelf. Then he took
his razor, stepped out on the back
porch and facing a small looking
glass on the wall, slashed his throat
deeply. He staggered back to where
his wifes body lay and died with one
arm around her neck. Mrs. Rowland
was shot once through the head.
The women went to neighbors as
young Rowland summoned the police.
Captain of Police Wilson arrived and
found the house locked. Young Rowland
was in wildly excited state outside the
house in the hands of friends. Captain
Wilson entered the house and found
the bodies. The floor, doors and table
were covered with blood, the trail
showing the movements of Rowland.
The pistol and razor were all evidence
of the CORY crime. On the kitchen
table were the remains of a half-fin-
ished meal and large tin box that
contained the family private papers.
A deed, blood-spattered, lay opened on
the table as if Rowland had been exam
lining the paper shortly before he made
up his mind to end the domestic differ
ences.
AS soon as Captain of Police Will
son entered the house he ran to the
kitchen and then sent for DIR. w. K.
Sanborn, who examined the bodies,
pronouncing the man and the woman
dead. Rowland's pistol, still warm
but empty. was found on the pantry
shelf. Two cartridges were found on
the kitchen floers One of the bullets
plowed through the side of the house
and lodged in the side Of the next
QOOi oWClilHS. ldiS pOilCG IOOk CndrSe
and sent for the Coroner, who re-
moved the bodies, to the Morgue.
LIQUOR THE CAUSE.
Young Rowland declared that
liquor was at the bottom of the faith
er's crime. There had been ouarrels
over his drinking ans Mrs Rowland
had told him that she could no longer
bear to live with him. After 1t had
been arranged they should part Row
land and his wife decided to settle the
property interests amicably. The hus-
band owned the two-story dwelling
(which was their home, and 1T was in
tended he should deed that to his
wife. They made the trip to San
Francisco, but found they did not
have the documents necessary to make
certain transfers that were to be pre
pared. 1t was on their return that the
stepchildren met the couple to talk
over matters.
None of them had complaint to
make other than that Rowland In his
cups was disagreeable toward his wife.
Young Rowland, after the shooting.
said he had fear of something
wrong, but did not suspect his, father
would resort to such desperate deed
&NtAiC yCehi e1SO fsItOWldn0 married
the woman whom he killed. She was
then the widow of Thomas H. Irwin
Mrs. Rowland's maiden name was
Florence r. Mcintyre. She was AZ
years old. being twenty-five. wears
younger than Rowland He had been
in the Southern Pacific Companv,s
employ for thirty years, having come
to Oakland from Canada.
The children are Edward Rowland
a Southern Pacific Company emplove.
Mrs. Ethel Day. wife of Fred Dav,
also in the Southern Pacific employ
who resided at the Rowland home.
Mrs. Frank w. Sonderleiter, wife Of
a member Of the painting firm of
Sanford & Sonderleiter of Oakland
and Mrs. Antonio Silva, wife of a bar
Der at Point Richmond. The young
women are daughters Of Mrs. Row
land by her former marriage.
WOMAN DISAPPEARS. Oakland Jan IL
The police have been asked TO find Mrs L.
rpor, rJ,rF hoe hoa,. ,.sfne efx