Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-10-19
HIS MENTAL CONDITION A POINT
Instructions to Office Manager on Bus.
mess Suggests Normal
GIRLS SISTER CALLS HIM CRAZY
Sleuman's Finances Sound, Though He
Tired of Womans Expense.
SUICIDE IS LONG CONTEMPLATED
From Prosperous Farmer and Active
Churchman, He Drifts Down
DissoIute Career nt Rapid
and Reckless Rate.

and Reckless Rate.
The inquest this afternoon over the death
Of Scwoll Slcuman and Eva Hart will bring
out the fact that It was after sleuman had
shot the woman that he telephoued to ]. Z.
Comstock, notifying him to inform Sleu-
mans brother, George Slueman OF Hast
ings. The corouer's jury may also wrestle
with the question whether slucman was
sane or not at the time he committed
the double tragedy, and the fact that he
then notified Comstock, his office man
ager 20 close out all trades this morning
may be adduced as evidence that he was
not Insane
At the inquest, which will be held at 9
O'Clock there will be in attendance George
sleuman brother, who arrived from Hast
ings early Sunday morning. but Mrs. sleu- .
man, the widow, probably will not be there.
1t Is said that she will not come to Omaha.
but will await the arrival of the body
there, where the services viii be held.
Mrs. Sleuman did not get word OF the
tragedy until Sunday noon. She had gone
from Hastings in an automobile to Trum-
bull to visit one of her daughters who with
her husband. live on a farm near there.
Mrs. sleuman, who left her husband only
few months ago. is not an invalid, as
| reported. She had continued to live with
slueman for n long time after he began
his attentions to other women. and notably,
Miss Hart had become common gossip, but
finally felt herself driven, say Omaha ac-
quantances to discontinue living with him.
Brother H. Deeply Affected.
George Sleuman, the brother was deeply
affected on hearing Of the murder and sui
] tn
friends that his brother must have been
| insane.
! A different view was taken OF sleuman's
act by members Of Miss Hart's family.
Her sister Gladys, said:
! III only the old fool had killed himself
| and let poor Eva alone. Papa is proken-up
| over It. but Byron Chats brother) Is
bearing up wonderfully. poor boy. He
| would not let me be told about II last
night and the first | knew of It was when
the neighbors came aud spoke about It
this morning.
Papa got the news In Lincoln. He is
travelling, and was at breakfast in the
| hotel when they sent word from his office
| there for him to come down after break
! fast. our mother died less than a year
/ ago We feel worse than anyone could
possibly tell about this
why did he do It? oh, ne just went
crazy I guess. Nobody but a crazy man
could possibly have wanted to do any
! harm to Eva
Lost Track OF EvR'a Husband
The members OF the Hart family are not
! Informed of the whereabouts of Eva Harts
former husband, whose name was Harrison
and from whom she separated through a
divorce three and one-half years ago. nor
would they discuss the divorce In any
way. One member OF the family thought
| that Harrison was in Texas, and another
had heard he is now in Portland, Ore.
"sleuman began paying Eva attentions
about three years ago." continued the SIS
ter, and "she did not know then that he
was a married man. Ihave heard that ne
was going with other women besides his
wife before he met Eva
Byron did not know OF the affair until
he reached the house, coming from down
town. and found the police waiting on the
! porch They had just arrived haVhs
come in answer to Mr.. Comstock's tele-
phone call He was still living out there
| though he had cottage at the lake
The telephone message referred to was
received by Comstock, sleuman's manager
IN the brokerage business, after the latter
| had gone to bed.
! "I got up from my sleep and was not
fully awake when I answered. sald Con-
stock. but knew Sleuman's voice. / tlrst
understood him to say that sonethihs
dreadful hah happened. I asked what' ana
he went on to say that something ~ soins
70 happen. He then said to close out all
trades Monday morning and left the tele-
nhone I tried to get central to ring back'
but he had left the receiver on
"Tben telephoned the police and guess
I did the right thing for the hrst TINS !"
my life in an emergency
"sIeuman's orders shall, OF course De
carried out suppose there is about $4,000
In orders coming to customers. They may
have to wait a little, but every ore viii get
every cent"
Ultimate of His wealth.
Comstock estimated sleumans fortune
at sl5OOOO He admitted knowing that he
left a will written five years ago ana SUB
iect 10 several codicils since. II was au-
thoritatively learned from other sources
that there was no mention Of Miss Hart
in this document, either originally or as
II now stands. Had she been an heir under
the testament the probability is that she
would not have inherited, for she died be-
fore SIeuman and her interest would have
Iapsed with her death. according to numer-
Gus decisions In somewhat similar cases
The property, 1t is asserted. will all go to
the legal heirs.
Double the girls Age.
The high-rollng broker leaves wife and
five children, one soE and four daughters.
These are Joseph Sleuman Of Hanson, Mrs.
/. II. G. Rauch. Mrs. James Slife, Mrs Elmer
) Smith, all Of Trumbull, and Mrs. Dr. Pat
terson of Grand Island.
Sleuman's business had been confined the
last year to seven offices, In the following
towT-s and cities: Omaha, South Omaha.
Columbus. David city, Seward. Hastings
} I'd Grand Island.
Sleuman was 80 years OF age and was
twenty-siX years older thPn the girl he
, killed Closer examination OF the bodies
, forces the conviction that ne must have
held the small revolver he used close to
/ her temple. probably while she lay asleep
} The bullet hole H. his own head, which
showed the nvariable powder burns OF the
suicide. was In exactly the same part "a