The sun., 1909-06-18
SHOT WITH HUSBANDS GUN
MRS. ". E. WESTERVELT KILLED
~ HER ROOM AT NIGHT.
Two Charges From shotgun struck Her
Husband Says the Shooting Was 40.
cldental-AIleged Attempt at Suicide
Caught and Bound by Neighbors.

Husband Says the shooting Was 40.
cldental-Aileged Attempt at Suicide
Caught and Bound by Neighbors
HAcKENsAcK. n. j.. June 17.-William
Ely Westervelt, q boss mason, living In
his new residence at Teaneck, shot and
instantly killed his wife shortly after
O'Clock this morning.
Westervelt says he was showing hie
wife how to handle double barrellet,
shotgun In the event Of a burglar enter
ing the house, when both barrels OF the
gun went off,
One charge struck the woman under
the jaw on the right side. causing in
stant death. The other charge took effect
in the back OF her right leg below the
thigh. 1t is thought that the second
wound was inflicted as Mrs. Wester-
welt struck the floor and while her feet
were in tho air.
Assistant Prosecutor John s. Mackay
says he cannot understand how both
discharges of the shotgun could have
been accidental and he expects to prove
that Westervelt shot his wife after a
quarrel.
Westervelt gave the alarm o! the
tragedy when he walked along Queen
Anne road and yelled to three Of his neigh
bors that he had shot his wife. j. Dirig.
an exporter; Richard Palmer, publisher,
and Frederick Danrau florist, were
awakened by Westerve!t. They saw him
walking along in his pajamas. He wont
back to his home and then turned to in
form his neighbors Of what he had done.
The three men decided to go to the Westcr-
welt home to investigate. Before entering
the house they stopped Hudson River
trolley car and prevailed upon some Of
the passengers to go into the house as
witnesses.
After seeing the dead woman the mon
tied Westesvelt's hands and feet and
then tied him TO the porch. Before they
did this Wcsterve!t had broken away
and thrown himself upon the trolley
track. but the car was stopped in time
to avoid running over him. Coroner
W. W. Curry. County Physician DR.. @.
H. McFadden, Assistant Prosecutor j.
s, Mackay. County Detective Blauvelt
and Dawson were buried in automobiles
70 the scene Of the tragedy. and they
VI CtICu tHC lopCS Du tHS accused
man.
Mrs Westervelt. who vas SO years old,
was found in her nightdress on the floor.
her head in a pool Of blood. As tine
wound in her throat is on the side the
assistant prosecutor concluded that she
was not observing the instructions her
husband said he had heen giving her.
She had been in bed. but Westervelt says
she arose when he reached home at mid
night after having, been at several hotel
bars in Englewood
Since Westervelt received a large sum
of money from the sale OF the Westervelt
estate in Teapeck few years ago he ia
said to have been drinking hard He
could give no coherent statement 10 the
officials after his arrest. He denied that
he had ouarrelled with his wife and 50 id
he had no occasion to be jealous.
Mr.. Palmer, neighbor. who is a pub
Usher with an Office at 1874 West Sixty
fifth street. Manhattan. says he paid. the
Westervelts a short visit in the evening
and IL was agreed to make fishing trip
on Saturday. He says the couple seemed
in the best OF spirits when he left at $50
o'clock
Mrs. Palmer says she went to the wes-
tervelt home shortly after she learned
OF the shooting and when she was told
claimed. My God. was Irene killed." To
this, according TO Mrs. Palmer. Wester-
welt replied, Yes. and il you don't shut
up IL kill you. too" She says he grabbed
her by the arm. but the other men rescued
her.
The presence OF finger marks OF blood
on the wall in three different places is
taken as indicating that Westervelt
touched his wife's body after he had shot
her On a table in the hall near the
front door was found a loaded revolver.
and Coroner Curry says he believes West
ervelt took the weapon from under his
pillow. intent on committing suicide but
Ia ter changed his mind.
Mrs. Westervelt had many friends in
Teaneck Englewood and Hackensack.
She was prominent in church work and
was secretary Of the Ladies Aid Society
in Teaneck. She Was daughter OF John
NJ. Foley. wheelwright Of Englewood.
Coroner Curry will hold an inquest in
on Monday. Westervelt was
committed to the Hackensack Jail. He
has engaged ex-Prosecutor p. ". Stage
as his counsel. The prisoner is 40 year 8
old. The couple had no children