Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-25
TRAGEDY ON THE EAST SIDE
Little Brother of Chief Actor Tells
Story of the Bloody Deed.
PARENTS OPPOSED MARRIAGE
Youth and Maid in Their Teens,
Schoolday Sweethearts' Put
Quietus on Their Troubles.

NEW YORK, January 25.-The only wit
ness of the murder was Meyer Schwartz's
nine-year-old brother, Joseph, queer
child, with a very large head and a white,
prematurely aged face like that of a with
cred old man.
1t was Joseph who told the story to the
police, to Coroner Shrady, the reporters and
the hundreds of Jews Of the quarter who
stood for hours in the cold on the sidewalk
In front of los Broome street and listened
to the lamentations and wailing that echoed
and re-echoed in the narrow hallway until
the policemen came up and drove them
away with rough words and light hand.
The boy talked without tears and in level
voice, standing in the back room of cheap
toy shop next door to his home and pocket
ing nickels and dimes.
"They are up there on the floor, my
brother Meyer and Bessie" said the boy.
1T is from where the noise of voices and
the crying comes. The coroner, 1 think he
has been here. AS for the police, do not
know. 1 do not like the police officer.
Bessie was shot in the mouth, on the right
side of the mouth. She held the pistol while
1t. Then my brother shot himself"
The toy shop was filled with Yiddish
children, who on coming out of school
stopped first to play around the dead, half
frozen body of horse in Broome street, an
unfortunate peddlers horse which had
slipped on the ice, broken its leg and was
shot where 1t fell.
News of the greater happening drew
and for while. until the policeman drove
them away, they stormed up and down
the stairs, peering through a crack in the
door into the room where the dead lay.
holding tightly to one another, listening to
the cries of the mourners, until a sudden
movement from within the room or harsh
voice frightened them and sent them scam
pering back down the flights of stairs to the
toy shop where Joseph was monotonously
reciting the story Of the tragedy.
Customers Come and Go.
The toy shop man, himself keenly inter-
ested, waited on customers, stopping now
and then to listen to the even voiced Joseph,
or to threaten the children with instant
eviction If they didn't still their Gathering
tongues or their restless feet. How could he
acquire information if they cack!ed and
the corner? They should hush, Joseph was
talking.
MY brother and Bessie were sweethearts.
Ny brother had love on Bessie and Bessie
she had love on Meyer. 1 should know
it all the time. They wanted to make a
marry, but my father he talk with Meyer
and say they cannot make a marry because
Meyer Is at school yet and Bessie is child.
Then Bessie's mother she had talk by her
and tell Bessie 1t was a foOlishness, and
she should not go with Meyer. Ny brother
and Bessie make long talk about it and
he shoots Bessie with a pistol and right
away shoots himself. Meyer is a good boy.
He would not for to make my father mad.
That is ALL"
Such grownups as were in the toy shop
nodded their heads In comprehension, and
even the children accepted Joseph's reason
ing without comment, knowing to what
lengths filial obedience may go on the East
Side among a people where the father 8
word Is the sons law. They were much
more interested in what took place in the
room before Joseph's eyes and the boy
told the story detail by detail. Pieced out
with what the coroner, the police and the
neighbors knew 1t was this:
Meyer Schwartz was seventeen years old
and student at the grammar school at
Norfolk and Hester streets. thin, dark,
understood boy, very quick to learn and a
lover of books. He had made up his mind
to be a lawyer. His father. Philip, makes
shirt waists In shop in Prince street and
ambition. Some months ago Meyer fell
violently in love with his cousin, Bessie
King, who was year older and lived with
her mother In a tenement at As Orchard
street. Bessie was typewriter. who work.
ed for time for lace-making concern at
Broadway and Broome street. She was a
comedy girl. as much in love with Meyer as
he was with her. the neighbors said.
Parents Refused Consent.
Weeks ago Meyer asked consent to marry
Bessie, but his father refused consent.
They were first cousins and marriage be-
tween them was an impossibility. He was
too young. Let him become a lawyer first
and it would still be time to marry. Bessie's
mother told her she was too young to
mo and hot Ct0 rnf IL
of marrying her cousin. Meyers father
asked him to quit paying attentions to the
girl. and Mrs. King told Bessie not to go
out with the boy.
pistol in a secondhand store. Last Tues
day he called on an aunt in Allen street
and asked her to intercede for him.
Il know Bessie loves me-" said the boy
'She would let me hold a pistol to her
mouth If / asked her to-"
Yesterday morning, little past 10
clock, while the elder Schwartz was at
work and Mrs. Schwartz was out market
ing. Meyer brought his sweetheart to his
parents fiat, on the top floor of the Broome
street tenement Little Joseph was lying
on bed when they came in.
Joseph" said the elder brother. you
must be quiet and stay where you are.
will not hurt you. but Bessie and are tired
Of living and we are going to die. 1 am
going to kill her with this pistol and then
am going to kill myself"
was HOt ITlSnteHeQ Then, SAID the boy
telling his story, because my brother
smiled and Bessie smiled at me, too. lay
still on the bed. My brother wrote two
letters and laid them on the table.
These were the letters that Meyer wrote:
To Every One: l beg not to suspect or
blame any human being. because 1 did it
myself. Parents and friends. have MOTH
ing to say to you, for die for my sweetest
on earth.
My father did not allow me to go to her
and her mother did not want her to 60 to
me-. Therefore We go together.
The girl sat down in chair. MAYER put
the muzzle of the pistol in her mouth his
hand shaking. and she steadied the barrel
with her hand. s.---
And she was smiling said little Joseph
81 saw her.
When Meyer killed his cousin Joseph
jumped Off the bed and ran out of the room
The blood scared him. Before he had time
to alarm the neighbors on the same floor
Meyer had killed himself putting a bullet
in his right temple. He fell on the floor at
the dead girls feet.