The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-03-18
MILLIONAIRE KILLS
TO SAVE WOMAN
ARMSTRONG cHALoNER
STAYS A WIFE 5EATER.
ExoNERATED BY CORONER
Man Of Picturesque Career, Cousin
Of the Astors, In Tragedy At
His Virginia Country
Home.

Charlottesville, Va, Mar. 1.-THE
exoneration by the coroner's jury yes
terday for the killing of John Gillard,
an Englishman, in a scuffie for the
possession of a revolver, added new
chapter to the life of romance and
tragedy Of John Armstrong Chaloner,
former husband of Amelia Riyes, au-
thoress, and cousin of John Jacob AS
tor and brother OF former Lieut., Gov.
Chanler of New York.
Chaloner, whose real name is Chan
Ter, is reputed to be millionaire and
the killing Of Gillard occurred at the
Chaloner country home, Merry Mills"
! at Gotham, Va, Monday night.
Story Of the Tragedy.
Glllard came to Virginia about two
years ago from Australia and was
living within three miles of Merry
Mills" His wife Monday sought
Chaloner's protection from her hus-
band who, 1t is alleged, had beaten
her and threatened her life.
Mrs. Gillard had arrived at The
Merry Mills In advance OF her hus-
band, and with her children was wait
ing in the dining-room to tell her story
when her husband entered and as
saulted her, it is alleged, with pair
of heavy tongs At this point Chal-
oner and Erie G.. Money, who was
with him, entered the room and in
terfered.
A scuffie between Chaloner and the
n oil Isl nj he
drew his pistol to restrain the frenzied
man. Gillard seized the pistol, 1t is
said, and tried to turn it on his wife.
Chaloner grabbed 1t and in the scuffie
the pistol was discharged. the bullet
entering Gillard's temple. A magis,
trate was at once summoned and
made acquainted with the facts. He
held an Inquest at which the widow
told the story Of her husbands alleged
brutal treatment.
Woman Saved by Millionaire.
She said she was positive that her
husband discharged the pistol in an
effort to kill her. and others testified
to this fact. Her 14-year-old son, who
was present at the tragedy, said that
his father had fully determined to kill
his mother and that he would have
succeeded but for Chaloner
The body was kept at Merry Mills"
all night in the position in which it
was when death ensued, and the jury,
consisting of substantial farmers,
made searching investigation and
came unanimously to the decision
that death was due to accident, which
occurred during an effort to save the
life of Mrs. Gillard.
Chaloner's Picturesque Career.
John Armstrong Chaloner, has had
picturesque career in the past few
years. He is the former husband of
Amelia Rives, now Princess Troub-
| etskoy. Mr.. Chaloner was confined
| for some time in an insane asylum in
New York state, and leaving that in
| stitution after hard fight for his lib.
erty sought restoration of valuable
property of which he claims he was
| ceration.
Legal proceedings in his fight for
| recovery of, a fortune are still pending
and promise sensational developments
at the trial, which was expected to be
held about September l next. Mr..
Chaloner has spent most of his time
since he took up his residence in Cob
ham in reading current literature,
| riding horseback, visiting neighbors
/ and considering the litigation he is
conducting. He is a lawyer, and has
supervised all of the intricacies of his
| legal fight against those who con-
tended that he was incompetent to
manage his own affairs. He recently
had his name changed by legal pro-
cess to the old form of the name Chan
Ter. ...