The Detroit times., 1910-09-14
SHOOTS DIVORCED
W|FE's Lover;
KILLS SELF
0rrin Groat Meets Former speaas
and John Mcleod On Street and
Opens Fire, Then Sends Bullet
Into His Own Braiaas
Woman Escapes By Running Int
Store, But Her Companion Il
Seriously Wounded.

jealousy and revenge were the mo-
der and suicid eat No. 4OSh Grand
ives behind an attempted double muir
Rlver-ave., about $50 O'Clock. Tuee-
DAY night. Orrin Groat. piano agent
from Port Huron, who did all the
shooting. Is dead as q result Of = seIf.
inflicted bullet wound through the
brain. John Mcleod, a boarder in
Mrs. Groats home at the Grand River
ave. address, Is In st. Mary's hospital
with serious wound in his left breast
which narrowly missed his heart. but
the house surgeons say his chances:
for recovery are good.
Groat also shot at the woman az
she fed into nearby meat market.
but missed her. Groat and his wife
had been divorced since last June.
Mrs. Groat and Mcleod were wholly
unprepared for the attack. Groat
came from Port Huron late Tuesday.
afternoon, and at once started out to
md his former wife. He learned that
she was living somewhere on Grand
River-ave. He started to walk out
that thoroughfare and In front of No.
40S found his seven-year-old son. Law
renee. sitting on the steps. The boy
led the way to the apartments IN
stairs. Two elder soma, Arthur and
viviPan, returned from work present
ly, and the father chatted with them
for some time while awaiting the ar
rival OF Mrs. Groat.
Shortly before the shooting, Groat
went downstairs and waited on the
sidewalk outside the building. Pres
emily he saw his former wife and Nc
Leod coming down the street and a.
they drew near he pulled his revolver
and opened fire on the pair without
the slightest warning. One bullet
grazed McLeod's scalp. The second
pierced his chest. and he dropped to
the ground. After firing at his wife
and missing her. Groat placed the
weapon to his right temple and fred.
A man passing in an auto rushed him
toward st. Mary's hospital, but Groat
was dead when the institution was
reached.
Mcleod was hurried away In an
ambulance and, at his request, Mrs.
Grost accompanied him. All her sym
pa,hies we're for the wounded man.
There were no tears for the dead hus.
band.
HE wrecked my life," said Mrs.
Groat. He left the support of my
four boys entirely to me and on top
of that abused me shamefully. |
stod all this until he sank so low
In the moral scale that was COM
PEELED to leave him for decenoy's
sake. My eldest boy, Earl. who IL
working In Port Huron, lent me the
money to secure a divorce, and had
no difficulty in getting decree. with
the custody of the children.
"Mr. Mcleod was simply q boarder
in my home. He Is married man
and think his wife lives in Sault Ste.
Marie. I think a great deal OF him,
but only as q friend. He has been
very kind to me and my boys. In
Port Huron he bought shoes for the
children and coal to keep US warm.
but It was with my husbands con-
sent. Mr.. Goat had no excuse Tor
shooting him."
While his wounds we're being
dressed I'm the hospital Mcleod re-
ferred to Groat as "the first husband
of my wife" Later he denied that he
and Mrs. Groat were married. but said
they expected to be soon. According
to advicer from Port Huron, Mcleod
already had been divorced from his
wife. He is a tailor. Groat, 1t Is said
in Port Huron, had been brooding over
his family troubles for some Anne.
The Greats are wellknown In Port
Huron and Memphis, Mich. Both Mr..
and Mrs. Groat were born In the lat
ter place and Groat had been living
with his mother there since his wife
obtained her divorce. Groat and his
boys were all unsteady inclined. They
once had an orchestra known as The
Groat Family"
Two OF the sons, Arthur and Vivian.
were witnesses to part OF the tragedy.
They heard the first shots and ran
downstairs to see what the trouble
was. They arrived just In time to
see their father place the revolver to
his head and pull the trigger.