The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-03-28
KILLS SISTERS HUSBAND
Tragedy in Brooklyn, N. " House
Caused by a Death.
Funeral of the Murderer Sister
Set For 10 O'clock, 10 Shoots
Ills BrUtller.in-Law at s..

Kew York Citv.-A nan ran out OF
the fiat house at 156 West Ninth street,
Brooklyn. at $50 o'clock in the morn
ing. Around the corner Of Court street
he went, into S. Chess, drug store, and
behind him he left a red trail on the
pavement. The ma was Fritz Fem
nen, 4. bartender. He had been shot
by his brother-in-law, Thomas Beet
man, a plumber. ..
Fennen fell dead as lie entered, the
drug store. Back in -15G Beetman
put a bullet through his head, and killed
himself instantly: Mrs. Fennen. who
had died of blood poisoning, lay in her
coffin in the front room of the fiat
awaiting burial. The funeral had been
set for 10 o'clock.
Fennen married Beetman's sister
only three months ago. She had been
sick q month before her death. One
story had it that Beetman blamed the
husband for not giving proper care to
the wife, and that this lay at the bot
tom of the crime. But Beetman's
brother told the police that the plumber
was angry because Mr.. and Mrs. Fen
hen had taken his furniture and had
not paid him. The police think that
brooding oYer his troubles led Beet.
man to the shooting.
/ Beetman and Fennen ate breakfast
together. The dead woman's brother
had come to the house on her account,
and addressed few remarks to his
brother,in-law. There was no quarrel.
| When. Fennen rose from the table
Beetman quietly pulled a .44-calibre
revolver and fired at him four times.
Two: shots took effect.
The wounded man made q dash for
the door, bound for his pharmacist
friend, Chess, to seek aid. AS he went
Beetman turned the pistol on himself.
The first shot went wild and shattered
a mirror hanging on the wall. The
second went through his head and
killed him instantly.
Mrs, Louise Lower, sister of Mrs.
Fennen, and Mrs. Annie Larsen, a
nurse, were sitting in the front room
with the coffin. Hearing the first shots
they ran into the dining room aud mar
rowly escaped being hit by the, flying
bullets.
Policeman Mehaffy, Of the Hamilton
avenue station, was standing in Court
+ street wlren~Fennen ran out Of the
house. "Hearinghth the mans ;cries and
seeing the blood, Mehaffy ran toward
him, but before Nllet reached him Fen
men was dead in, the arms; of the drug
glst. The floor Of the little shop was
| soaked with blood.
In three minutes an ambulance had
come, and the surgeon had pronounced
the bartender dead. Mehaffy tele.
phoned to his station, and the Sergeant
sent four men to the scene Of the trag.
! edy. Leaving the : '"uhone, Mehafy
followed the trail OIL 'ood into 156
! West Ninth street, al. here found
Beetman dead, and the two women in
Mysteries.
A year ago Beetman was employed
by the India Wharf Brewery, near the
foot of Hamilton avenue. He got to
drinking and was discharged. Shortly
afterward his wife died. Up to that
time bis sister had lived with him in
a fat in Sixteenth street, Brooklyn.
and after the death Of Mrs. Beetman
acted as housekeeper. Then Fennen
married her and took her away. Beet.
nan went to live. in a furnished room
| at % Atlantic avenue.
The druggist, Chess, said that Mrs.
Fennen had had plenty of medical as
sistance, and was in the care of a
good nurse.
The bodies Of the dead men were
crien ovav to an underta ker. Mrs,
Fennen's burial was postponed.