The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-11-16
Double Suicide Clears Up Murder
in New Haven.


The terrible tragedy in New Haven
township last week Thursday, when
Ed. Edgar was murdered. was made
still more awful and distressing by a
double suicide Sunday, Mr.. and Mrs.
Bert Seeley having ended their lives by
poison. The mystery surrounding the
death of Edgar, with little progress
made toward clearing it up, was dis
posed of by the suicide of the man most
suspected of having hand in the crime
and there are few if any who are not
now satisfied as to the cause of the
crime and as to who the perpetrator
was
Monday morning, Rufus Seeley
noticed that Bert Seeley and his wife
did not appear around their house and
he went across the road and tried the
door. Finding it locked and receiving
no answer to calls, he knocked repeated
ly. then forced the door open and going
TO the bed room found Bert and his
wife lying as if asleep, the covering
lying over them undisturbed. Rufus
did not need a second glance to know
that they were dead and seeing two
tumblers on table beside the bed with
white sediment in them and a tea
spoon beside them he was Immediately
convinced that they had committed
suicide Beside the tumblers were two
notes, one in the handwriting of the
husband which read: Tonight is our
last. Don't blame Dewey. Good bye
mother. B. A. Seeley" The other in
the wife's handwriting was Good bye
father and mother. We have both
taken poison, Do what you want tC
with the things. Don't blame Dewey.
We alone are responsible. Lottie."
These notes would seem to clear uI
the mystery and practically everybody
is satisfied that Bert Seeley killed Edgar
and that his wife knew of it or had 9
part in it in some way and that they de
cided that rather than live and fight out
the growing suspicion and their proba
BILE arrest and trial they would end i
all by taking their own lives. The only
unexplained part is their both writing
Don't blame Dewey" as there had no
been at any time any suspicion of hi
being in any way connected with tn,
murder. He is an older brother ant
lives with his mother and brothe
across from Bert Seeley's home.
1t is against the dead oman that tn
murdered Edgar is said 10 have mad
insulting remarks and IL is lately cam
to the knowledge of her hu ,band and
is thought that he desired to avenge th
insult.
Letters and statements prove ths
there has been ill feeling between th
Seeleys and Edgars Tor years, one lette
written by Ed Edgar to bis mothe
while he was in California being
warning to her to keep away from tn
Seeleys.
Some people of the section of th
county where the murder was commi,
ted say that Bert Seeley was pleasan
sociable fellow and not quarrelsom,
but that since his fight with the Chas
family two years ago, in which he r.
ceived terrible beating, he had bee
regarded as somewhat deranged an
his wife is said to have feared him 9
times.
The Edgar inquest was resumed Tue
day morning in the supervisors rool
at the court house and Drs. Ward, {
Owosso, and White, of New Lothrol
testified as to the cause of death. Lo
EMO Walworth and daughter, Maud
Walworth Pearsall were examined an
both testified that Mrs. Edgar and hi
son quarreled great deal. Maude sal
she and Edgar were to be married b.
tween Thanksgiving and Christina
even though his mother objected. ST
said there had been bad feeling b,
tween Edgar and Bert Seeley for Ion
time and Edgar had said Mrs. Seele
was a liar aud intimated that he kne'
much about her.
An autopsy held Sunday by DIR
Ward, of Owosso, White, of New Lott
rop, and Norris, of Corunna, Shove
that Edgar's death was due to the she
wounds, two shot having penetrated Il
brain, two the heart and other Wit
parts of the body being reached.