The sun., 1907-11-04
CHILDREN SEE MOTHER SHOT
SEPARATION AGREED UPON, THEN
MAN KILLS WIFE AND SELF.

/
taEe while Callers Are In tho PaFIOr
-stOnecusters Jealousy the Csnse
-NcIghDers Say % Was GrOunaIesse
william Frederick John. a well to do
stonecuttsr. who lived with his family in a
pretty cottage at Twelfth avenue and
Seventy third street. In tho Dyker Heights
sectten OF Brooklyn. shot his wife and him
self yesterday. She died instantly. He
died several hours later in the Norwegian
Hospital
The couples two daughters. Rita. who
Is ? years old. and Olive. who is T. we're
in the room while the father was firing
and they crept under the bed and remained
there shrieking a. loudly as they could
until tho police arrived. To the policemen
the elder child explained later that her
father and mother had quarrelled for some
time before the shooting, but she couldn't
recall anything they had said.
Mamma and papa was awful mad she
said -and papa took revolver and shot
mamma"
Jealousy. that had made the pair rnser-
able for the last year. led to the tragedy.
They were married FIVE years ago and lived
happily until John suspected that his wife.
Grace. who was 20 years old. cared more
for others than she did for him. Neighbors
told the police that his ,-soicions were
groundless.
The husband was even jealOus OF the
asorI,I he. -.
visit the house. and after John had made it
known that he didn't want his wife to have
any callers her friends kept away. The
woman did all she could to dispel tho sus-
picions OF her husband, and last June che
prevailed upon her mother, Mrs. Nancy
Maria Small. to come and live with her.
The presence Of the mother-in-law in the
house didn't help. matters any. and finally
Mrs. Small decided that she couldn't put
up with John any longer. On Saturday
she announced that she was going back to
Brewster, N. Y, where she and her hus-
band. Frank Z. Small. an engineer on the
Croton Dam. have a cottage. Mrs. John
said she was afraid to remain in the house
with John unless somebody was with her.
as he had threatened several times TO kill
her and himself.
Saturday night the husband and wife
had a long talk and agreed to separate.
She said she would take their two children
and live with her mother and allow him TO
zee the girls once a week. He reluctantly
consented to the proposition and promised
70 send her money every week for the
support Of herself and the girls Yester-
day they drew up and signed separation
'-pap6fs
After breakfast John bade his wife and
daughters gOod-by and left the house,
and Mrs. John and her mother Immediately
started 70 pack up their things 10 be in
readiness 70 leave for Brewster on the
morrow. Late In the afternoon John un-
expectedly returned and asked Mrs. Small
where Grace was. Mrs. Small replied that
she was in her bedroom with Olive and Rita,
and the husband went up TO the second floor
and found her playing with the children.
While John and his wife we're quarreilinG
in the bedroom two friends Of the family.
Joseph Il. Lieder of IS Atlantic avenue
and Miss Ida NJ. Ziehler of $50 Atlantic
avenue. called to see Mrs. John. Her
mother called TO the daughter from thc
foot OF the stairs and Mrs. John leaned
over the bslu~trade and said she would be
right down. She returned 20 the bedroom.
and almost Immediately after that four
shots sounded in rapid succession.
Mrs. Small rushed upstairs and started
70 open the door. It vas unlocked, bat her
daughters body had fallen against 1t and
Mrs Small had 70 throw her full weight
against IL to get into the room. As soon
as she crossed the threshold John. Who was
standing over the body OF his wife. placed
the revolver under his right ear and fred.
II. RaII axnA v,Ar,ar ras,asnaA a,cr .nsonu.nAo.
Lieder. who had followed Mrs. Small up
the stairs, telephoned to the Fort Hamilton
police station. and Inspector Harklns, Capt
Knipe and a squad OF reserves rushed
to the house. A call was sent to the
Norwegian Hospital and Ambulance Sur
geon Norton. who responded, found that
Mrs John had been shot three times. One
bullet had entered the left side OF the breast.
another under the left ear and tho third
behind the ear. >One bullet had struck tho
ceiling
An examination OF the woman's body
showed that the three shots had been fired
at very close range. and DIR. Norton was
inclined to believe that John had pressed
the muszle Of the revolver against her
every time he pulled the trigger. There
were powder marks on her head and body. |
When the ambulance surgeon got to the
house John was lying across his wife's body.
His revolver was at hls side. DR.. Norton
rushed him TO the hospital. but he was in |
such a critical condition that the surgeons
couldn't probe FOR tho bullet.
The house in which the Johns lived is |
owned by Mrs. Johns father, and they had |
occupied Il ever since they were married. |
When they first appeared In Dyksr Heights |
they made many friends. All tho nelehbors |
looked upon them a. q happy couple until |
q year ago.
DIES on HIS WAY TO CHURCH.