New-York tribune., 1910-02-05
TRAGEDY In A FLAT
NAN FOLLOWS GIRL IN
DEATH.
First, Then Suicide
zcith None to Tell Of Her
Life or It's Ending.

Ethel BERNARD pretty girl, about
TWENTY-FIVE years old, was shot and
mortally hurt, dying within an hour, last
night on the threshold of the nat 'u
which she lived with a man known as
William T. Fisher, on the second hoor OIL
No. IS West 9Sth street Fisher was
found on a couch just inside the door'
lying unconscious, with a bullet Wound
in his right temple and revolver III MS
hand. He also died later.
No one witnessed the tragedy. though
a negro maid, returning from shopping
tour about ) o'clock. heard the shot fired
which killed Fisher. and got to the door
OF the fat a moment after her young
mistress had fallen.
Verde Weeks, the maid, ran to the
street as soon as she saw the plood
streaming from the girls head, and hnd-
ing Patrolman Murphy, of the west
Tooth street station, returned with MN
to the fiat. Murphy sent for an ampu-
lance and then battered in the door,
which had caught and locked when the
girl. mortalIy injured, stumbled through
to the hallway.
j
both victims died within Il hour after
the shooting, it was found that the girls
wound was also in the right temple, and
the powder blackened face showed that
the gun had been almost as close to the
murdered girls head as it had been
moment later to Fishers. Neither of
them regained consciousness after the
shooting
In the five-room fat into which the
police broke through the locked door a
modest dinner was half prepared and a
kettle of water was just beginning to
sing. Evidently the quarrel which pre-
ceded the tragedy had developed in the
kitchen and gone on in a passage
through the dining room to the hall door.
An overturned chair testified to the
proba BILE rush of the girl in her attempt
ed escape when she saw that the man
was more than ordinarily excited and
angry.
Neighbors had little to say of the cou-
pie. and that little was not good. They
quarrelled frequently, it was said, and
came in at all hours, often disturbing
the house with their high voices.
No one, however, had heard anything
of the quarrel which undoubtedly pre-
ceded the murder and suicide, and none
of those the police talked to could give
sny idea of the immediate cause of the
tragedy.
Mrs. Schmidt. janitor of the building,
shed the only tears that came from any
of those who lived near the ill-fated
thing, and so good natured,' said Mrs.
Schmidt; land as for him, 1 think he
treated her shamefully."
For the rest, they shifted and raised
their eyebrows. When the police, seek
ing information, informed them of the
tragedy they did not accuse or condemn
They said only: "Oh, yes, those two in
front; too bad.
4 policeman was left on duty at the
fat when the two victims were taken to
the hospital and to him about s o'clock
last night came a, caller who had heard
nothing of the affair. James Klein, OF
No POI East 96th street, he said he was.
and A friend of Fisher. but he could
add nothing to the information about the
couple more than to say that Fisher had
worked as a bookkeeper for publishing
house
In Fishers effects the police found a
memorandum book with the note: In
case of accident, notify James Fisher,
Detroit, Mich"
Nothing by way of identification of the
girl could be found-nothing more than
the mere name of Ethel Bernard" and
the police blotter record of "actress''-an
actress of but one performance, and that
a tragedy, THE Passing of the Second
Floor Front"