The Washington times., 1907-11-28
Found on Sidewalk
in Front of
Hotel.
Believed Financial
Troubles Responsible
for Double Tragedy.

NEW YORK, Nov. 2s.-J. Whitley,
the heating and ventilating engi-
neer, at 215 Fulton street, BROOKLYN,
shot his wife dead and jumped TO
death from his room on the ninth
floor of the Hotel Belleelaire. at
Broadway and Seventy-seventh
street, early today.
The case looked at first like an
exceedingly mysterious one. Whit
ley's body was found in the street
before dawn by a Passing cabman.
The body was clad only in pajamas.
Many bones were broken, making it
plain that it had fallen from a con-
siderable height.
Though there were no identifying
marks, 1t was at once eoniectured
that the man must have Ieaped from
one of the hotel windows None Of
the employees of the house remem-
bered him, however.
Find Dead Woman.
4 search was begun OF the rooms
fronting on Seventy-seventh street ana
when no response was received rc
knocks at the doors Of suite 10. on +ba
ninth floor. Night Manager Blackburn
broke into the room TO find a wor-q7
dead in bed with a bullet wound urde-
the ISft eye and another al The lef-
side OF ,he mouth
Day Manager Keen arrived soon after
LAe second body was found and idenu-
he'd the man as Whitley and the v,a-1--
as Whitley's wife
The couple had previously STONED ~
me Martinique, at Broadway and Thirty
second street, but moved 10 the Belle
claire some time ago. took a suite frer
on the sixth floor. and afterwarl
changed 20 the ninth.
The police Investigation revealed thai
l9r. Walters. Of AnSonia, had been treat
Ing Whitley for some time for nerv-
BUSINESS and II is believed his mind had
finally given away
Contemplated Suicide.
In the apartment was found a .s2-cali-
Der =S-olver with four loaded chambers.
The fired shells had been removed.
Whitley had afterWard. judging rrou
the towels spread on the bathroom foo.
intended 10 shoot himself, but apparen,-
lyly changed his mind and jumpe- from
the -'indOw instead
The words I can't write found serb
blcL In Whitley's handwriting on an
envelope on the dresser
Whitley was prosperous. and so far
as can be learned. always lived hap
PLY with his wife.
The only explanation for the murder
and suicide is that Whitley. who own
cd much property, was SO tied uD
financially that IL was difficult for him
10 realize ready money for HIS business.
and that he lost his mind temporarily
through worry over financial matters.
Large Manufacturer.
,rhe dead man was about sixty years
old. and had done a large manufactur-
.ag business. IN heating. ventilatinE.
and lighting equipments His skull
was crushed by his fall. and nearly
every bone IN his body broken No one
saw him jump from the window. ana
tho tine OF the tragedy is not den
nitely known. The corpse lay in the
street for nearly an hour before il was
taker 10 the West Sixty-eighth street
police station. Whitley had sprung
clear Of tho building and landed In the
middle CT the roadway.
Mrs. Whitley was about twenty years
her husbands s junior. She always signed
her name Elizabeth Jean L Whitley"
and the police believe her maiden name
TO have been logan.
After her death her husband had
her face. which was so calm as TO indi-
cate that she was killed as she slept
Death must have been instantaneous,
the revolver being held so close 70 her
face that the flesh was burned by the
powder