The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-01
Adolphe Steinheil, a Grand.
Nephew Of Meissonier, Is
Murdered in His Home.
lMOTHER.IN.LAW KILLED,
BUT HIS WIFE ESCAPES
Three Men and a Woman Accom-
plish the Audacious Crime and
Escape With Money and
Jewelry-Woman Sup
posed to Be Paint
er's Model.

ARIs May S1.-A sensation No.
been caused in the art world
here by the brutal murder
II OF the distinguished painter,
Adolphe steinheil. and l,ia1
mother-in-law, who were found stran-
gled this morning in the formers res
idence in the Rue de vaugirard. which
adjoins the studio of Seymour Thomas.
the American portrait painter. The
house was ransacked Of everything of
value. NJ. Steinheil's wife. who was
found gagged and bound to bed. dc
clares that the crime was committed
by two men and q woman. The latter,
she believes, she recognized as model
who was employed by her husband;
Aside from the brutality of the crime,
feature of the affair Is the almost
inconceivahle audacity with which 1t
was ,perpetrated. The artists house 10
situated near a large printing works.
where work is proceeding all night.
A night watchman and time-keeper
are employed there. and an almost con-
slant stream of workmen are coming
and going all the time.
Wife Bound and Gagged.
The discovery was made by Stein
heil's man-servant, who arose at 6 A.
M. to prepare breakfast. Hearing
groans coming from Nine. steinheil'ss
sleeping apartment, he entered and
found her lying bound hand and foot
on the bed A sag of cotton, which
she succeeded by superhuman efforts
In ejectinS from her mouth. lay on
the floor A thin cord was around her
throat. 91S
In the passage he found the painter
dead. He was resting on his knees and
the body was bent backward. He had
been strangled by a whip cord similar
to that around his wife's neck; his fea-
lures were blackened and his limbs
We're already stiff.
In another room was the dead body
OF Nine. Steinheils mother, Nine Japy.
She also had been strangled and tho
body was fastened to the bed. Every
room in the house had been ransackeG
and aalarge number ofsvaluables stolen
The servant at once gave the alarm,
and Chief Detective Hammard and
spot. To them the wife, who had so
nliraculously escaped death, related in
broken accents what she recollected Of
tho tragedy.
story Of Tragedy.
She. declared that at about o'clock
in the morning she had been awakened
by the entrance Of three men and a.
woman, who sprang upon her like wild
beasts and tied her to the bed. Evil
.dently they had mistaken her for her
sixteen-year-old daughter, who was
absent In the country, as one of the
men said: Your father had an exhibit
tion sale Of pictures; tell us where the
money Is"
She pointed to drawer in the bu-
reau. and meanwhile the woman NUT
tered: "Ilill her quick Why are you
sparing2"
Nine. steinheil. struck by the voice.
looked at the woman and seemed 20
recognize her as one OF her husbands
models.
Beyond this statement the police
have no clue to the murderers, and no
arrests have been made up to mid
night. They believe that the murderers
entered the house by means OF talse
Keys.
Ii was rumored very late tonight
that the police had made an arrest
Of an Italian in the Pere La Chatse.
quarter as one of the assassins.
knew the House.
The mur6erers evidently were We'll
acquainted with the affairs of the stefn-
he'll family. who had planned to leave
for the country. but changed only at
the last moment.
Nine stetnheil's injuries are slight,
but she Is suffering from very severe
nervous shock She distinctly hearfl.
the cries and struggles. of her motheH
while lying bound and helpless She
states that the assasslns got $1,000 in
money, and jewels valued at about
$4,000.
The man servant who slept In a
room at the top Of the house, declares
that he heard nothing during the night
Adolphe steinheil was the son of the.
celebrated portrait painter, Louis.
Charles Auguste Steinheil who died in
Paris in 1855. The younger Steinheili
was about fifty years of age, and was
born in Paris. He was q grand nephew
OF AIeIssonier. He had painted the
portraits of host of distinguished
mon, including Francois Felix Faure,s
President of France, who was his init.
mate friend.