Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-16
Chicago Promoter Attempts
to Murder Woman.
THEN ENDS HIS OWN LIFE
Note Found From annie" Who
Claims Him % Husband.
NOT KNOWN HE WAS MARRIED
Little Hope Held Out That the VIC
tim Of His Bullet Will Recover.
Case Of Love Grown Cold.

CHICAGO. July 10.-Charies w. Rig
don. capitalist. promoter and real estate
operator. shot Mrs. Emma Deufex
through the abdomen today. missed her
with the second shot. and. turning the
weapon to hts head and chest. fred
three times. He died instantly.
Mrs. Deufex 10 lowering between life
and death today. Physicians at the
hospital said that her chance Of recovery
was slim. and that che had passed q bad
night. The bullet passed through the
womans intestines. and after an opera
tion yesterday II was thought she
might recover. During the night. how
ever. she became worse until the hospi-
tai physician said she had practically no
chance to live.
Miss May Wilson, who accompanied
Mrs. Deufex to John c. Fetxer's Office.
where the shooting was done. Is still
being held by the police. 1t is thought
she could shed considerable light on
events leading up to the tragedy IL she
cared to do 80. She has maintained a
calm attitude. and has remained self-com-
police. She has limited, however, that she
knows some things against Mrs. Deufex
and Rigdon that she does not care to
tell.
One was signed Annie" and addressed
to Rigdon. The writer told how much
she admired Rigdon. You know where
you can send a message and certainly
know how 1 try to please you." 1t read
Claims Rigdon as Husband.
The letter signed "Annie" has added
complications to the case. g
Mrs. Annie Rigdon, who is now at Il
Grand, Iowa, declared last night that
she was the legal wife Of Rigdon: that
they were married in Chicago January
4, 1885, and when she was told that
father had married since the death Of
his first wife announced she was coming
to Chicago to defend herself and the
name CT her dead husband.
Mrs. Rigdon resided in Chicago at 3116
Walnut street
Mr. Rigdon and I were legally mar
ried. all right" she said at LIE Grand,
but / want to understand this thing
better before 1 talk much.
Il thought he was out in Reno. New. I
as 1 knew he had Left for the west the
night before. He had a big deal on out
there. / usually come out here to visit
my relatives when Mr.. Rigdon goes away
on a long trip"
Mrs. Rigdon was employed recently in
the cloak and suit department of a down.
town department store. At the boarding
house in Walnut street where she re-
sided but few Of the people there had
ever seen Mr.. Rigdon. They said Mrs.
Rigdon spoke of him frequently, but he
was there only occasionally
Tragedy in Rigdon's Office.
The tragedy was enacted in Regions
Office. Ten minutes before the shooting
Mrs. Duefex, accompanied by Miss Mary
Wilson. entered the offices of John c.
Fetxer. Rigdon occupied part of the
suite The two women walked into Rig
don's room and closed the door.
Two shots were heard and the women
ran out into Fetzer's Office, Mrs. Duefex
staggering and screaming: II am shot,!
She fell on q couch. Three more shots
followed. Fetzer ran to Rigdon's desk
and found him breathing his last on the
floor.
Investigation by the police indicates
that it is an affair of love grown cold.
Rfgdon was sixty-five years of age,
widower. His son. Jay c. Rigdon, as
sistant cashier of the Hibernian Bank.
said he did not know the woman and
never had heard his father mention her
name.
Note Written by Mrs. Duefex.
The other note found on Rigdon's
body was unsigned, is q woman's hand
writing. addressed to John C. Fetzer
1t was dated July Is. Fetzer said he
had not received the note. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY written by Mrs. Duefex. 1t said
that she and Rigdon had Quarreled and
that he told her he did not desire to
see her again. He gave her 200 shares
Of mining stock. which she was trying
to sell through a broker.
Rigdon, she wrote, had refused long
err to associate with her and warned
her to keep away from his Office. Il
hear, however" says the writer, that
he wants to see me again. l suppose
to blun and threaten me some more.
have no fear Of him. He is q fiend."
Mrs. Duefex. widow. is thirty years
old. good looking and formerly lived in
St. Paul.
Miss Wilson's Story.
Miss Wilson said:
Mrs. Duefex is a friend whom l
knew in st. Paul. ! now live in New
York and am here on q visit. l met
Mrs. Duefex on the street today and
she asked me to accompany her to the
Office in the Bedford building. I did not
know Mr.. Rigdon. Mrs. Duefex first
talked to Mr.. FetEer about the sale of
mining stock. Mr.. Rigdon heard her
and called her into his room. l walked
with her. There were angry words for
a few minutes and then he began to
shoot"
Fetzer is a millionaire real estate oper-
Ii iod hof ha nf