Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-21
JEALOUS LOVER
SHOOTS FIANCEE
August Beernaert of Moline
Fires Three Bullets Into the
Body of Miss Puma.
GIRL Is STILL LIVING
Her Chances of Recovery Are Slight,
Hewever-SIan Turns Gun on
Himself.

! Infuriated by a quarrel with his
fiancee, Marguerite Puma, and her
subsequent shaping of his face, Au-
gust Beernaert, IS years old, shot the
woman and then made an attempt
upon his own life yesterday afternoon
at o'clock in the Edmond verbiest
residence. 1924 Fifth avenue. Today
the woman lies at ST. Anthony's hos
pital probably fatally wounded. three
shots having taken effect in her body.
One entered above the heart and the
others on the right side of the abdo-
men. Two left the body and the third
lodged against the spine The lower
parts of the body are paralized as a re-
suit, and it seems but a question OF
time till death will overcome her. The
man, confessing his guilt, has been
held under bonds of $4,000 by the po-
lice magistrate to await the outcome
Of the woman's injuries. His prelimi-
nary hearing is set for Wednesday,
Aug. 80, at 2 o'clock, in the police
court of Magistrate c. J. Smith.
JEALOUSY THE CAUSE.
The quarrel which ended so tragi-
cally had its incipiency Saturday night
when Beernaert came down from his.
home in Moline to visit Miss Puma.
She seemed distant, he states, and her
tolerance of the attentions OF other
men melted his jealousy He so in
formed her and asked her to cease re-
ceiving their attentions. The difficulty
was amicably settled and Beernaert
remained at the Verbiest residence till
after the shooting yesterday after
noon. While the pair was alone in
her room after o'clock, the quarrel
was again started and after Beernaert
had asked his iancee to quit flirting
with other men. she told him she was
through with him. She emphasized
her remark. he says. by slapping his
face. He returned the blow and then
took his revolver from his coat, which
was hanging on a hook.
y Detecting his intention, the girl-at
tempted a reconciliation, but Beernaert
informed her that it was too late He
then fired at her with the above re-
suit. Turning the revolver on him
self, he pulled the trigger on the last
bullet in the chamber. 1t failed to re
spond, and his life was spared,
ALLOWED HIM FREEDOM.
Adolph Puma, the girls brother,
threatened to kill Beernaert, but Yer
best took his gun away, and Beer
naert was allowed to go on his way
unmolested. Nerbiest summoned a
physician, who, upon learning the /
cause of the trouble, reported to the
police, the first intimation they had Of
the attempted murder Chief James /
Brinn and Officer F. w. Herges went .
to the home, learned the circumstances /
in the case, and Chief Brinn and Off
Ger DeJaegeT went to the home Of the
mans relatives at Seventeenth avenue
and Fifth street Moline He had been
there and gone, they learned, and the
they traced him to the home Of an
uncle He was caught after a chase
in the vicinity of Sixteenth street aud
Twelfth avenue. He was Immediately
locked up in the police station.
HERE SHORT TINE.
A year and a half ago Beernaert
came TO this country. He has been
employed as a laborer in the Moline
factories for the greater part of that
time His marriage to Miss Puma had
been deferred pending the arrival of
some papers from his native country,
Belgium. The pair had planned on
marriage within a few weeks.
Verbiest was severely reprimanded
this morning by Chief Brinn for his
failure to inform the police department
at once Of the attempted murder and
his further transgressiOn against JUS
tice in allowing the man TO depart
without an effort to detain him so that
he might answer for his crime.