The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-27
KILLS A WOMAN.
Louis g. Hampton Then Com
mlts Suicide in Hotel.
He Was Assistant Secretary Of
u. s. Trust Company.
DIED BY AGREEMENT.
This Is Indicated by the Evil
dence in the Case.
The Dead Man Leaves Wife and
Two Children.

LDLs dSSlSldtlL secretary VI Lie O4AAtON
States Trust company of this city, shot
and killed Victoria L Taczkow, a beau
tiful young woman in the Hotel Griffou
in West Ninth street, late last night and
then committed suicide. Hampton was
infatuated with the woman and they
had been seen together many times dur
ing the past month. They had been at
the hotel where the tragedy occurred
since early yesterday. Whether or not
the tragedy was the result of a pact
between the man and the woman &c die
together mas not been determined, but
! the circumstances seem to show that
the young woman had agreed to die
with her companion. Hampton, who
was about 60 years of age leaves
wife and two children. Miss Taczkow
was % years of age and lived with her
father and invalid mother. She was
employed in Fifth avenue department
store.
The United States Trust company of
which L. G. Hampton was assistant
secretary, is one of the largest and
strongest trust Companies in New
York. Secretary Lyman J. Gage vas
its president until recently, and on is
retirement Edward W. Sheldon was
elected president and Mr., Hampton
for some time acted as secretary
The events leading up tc the tragedy
have been traced by the police and &C
cording to them the last chapter in
/ what looks ike an lillClL GOllldtIEC
opened on Thursday afternoon last
when Hampton called at the Hotel
| Griffou, and engaged a room. He said
he would return late that night or the
next morning Il expect to have my
wife with me-" he said, as he was
about TO leave, and then half hesitat-
ing. he said:
would you like me to register
now?
The maid replied that it would be
time enough to do this when he ar
rived at the hotel to take the room
Hampton then left and nothing more
was seen of him until Friday morn
1 ing when. about o'clock he entered
the hotel accompanied by a woman
and going straight up to the hotel Of
fee he registered as Mr.. and Mrs.
Sinclair, Burlington, Vt
The woman who accom- panied him
was an unusually handsome brunette.
/ She was fashionabiy dressed and car
/ ried in her hand a small travelling bag
( The couple took breakfast and then
went to their room. The woman left
! the hotel several times during the day,
! but Hampton remained in his room.
Soon after she returned from one OF
these excursions early in the evening. a
light dinner was sent to their room,
and a request was sent to the clerk to
call them at II o'clock last night.
Eve want to be called at 1 1 so that
we may catch a train" said Hampton.
From that time until half past 10
nothing was heard or seen of the cOu-
pie, but at that hour maid was in the
corridor outside the room which they
! occupied when she heard what she
thought was an explosion in the street
She took no particular notice of it at
the time. At seven minutes to II she
went to the room to call the couple,
but when her repeated raps at the door
| brought no response she notified the
hotel office. The room was opened
with a pass key and the mystery was
explained.
on the floor at the far end of the
room between a large mirror and
dresser, lay the man stretch ed out on
his back. In his right hand was cluth-
ed a revolver while his hat was held
tightly in the left hand. A shot fired
into his mouth had entered his brain,
killing him instantly. Directly in
front was the bed and upon it was the
woman, also dead Her feet were on
the floor while her head was resting
on the bed clothes with her arm shield
ing her face. In her arm were three
bullet wounds, none of which appear
ed very much more than flesh wounds
but right under the left arm pit was
a fourth wound The bullet had been
fred evidently after the woman had
sunk back onto the bed when she had
been shot in the arm, for it entered
her body in a downward direction and
must have gone through the heart.
Word of the tragedy was sent to the
coroner's Office and as a result of that
I o-~-'f0
officials investigation the identity of
the victims was established. In addi-
ton to a valuable watch and other Jew
elry found in Hampton's pockets there
were papers which directed inquiry to
the apartment house in West Twenty
third street where he had lived with
his wife.
At the United states Trust COMPANY
it was said today that Hampton was
at the Office of the company on Thurs
day attending to his duties. On Fri
day he telephoned that he was indis-
posed. but would be at the office to-
day. An officer Of the company said
that Mr.. Hampton's duties were sec
retarial only and that he had nothing
to do with the com pany's finances. Tt
is believed, the officer said, that his
books were correctly kept. Mr..
Hampton had been employed by the
protege of former President John A.
Stewart now chairman of the board
of directors. He was regarded at the
offices of the company as an able and
efficient man and with good habits.
The first positive identification of
the victims of the tragedy was made
by the dead woman's brother. He
had been notified that a young woman
wearing jewelry bearing his sisters
initials had been murdered and went
to a police station to look at the ar
ticles which had been taken there. He
at once recognized a pair Of silk gar
ters with gold buckles as the prop
ertv of his sister One Of the buckles
the other was inscribed Il. G. H"
Young TaczkoW also told the police
| that the man undoubtedly was L. G.
Hampton. who had been very atten-
tive to his sister for some time
Hampton told US that he intended to
marry my sister when his mother
died, said Taczkow. aI never knew
much about him, but he seemed TO be