Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-24
DEATH COMES HOUR
LATER IN HOSPITAL
Slayer Submits Quietly to ..rrest
After Committing Deed.
REFUSES TO TALK OF CASE
Couple Were Separated Six Months
Ago and Had Met Today
by Special Appoint
ment.

Mrs. Gertrude Macdonald, twenty-four
years old, OF 92S street northwest. was
shot and fatally wounded by her husband,
Edward ]. Macdonald. at I 80 O'Clock this
afternoon. in the fifrh-fioor corridor of
the Colorado building.
Macdonald pulled the trigger OF the 49,
caliber revolver four times. and three
of the bullets penetrated his wife's body.
one striking in the mouth. another in the
left eye and a third in the left shoulder.
One shell in the revolver missed fire.
Mrs. Macdonald was carried in a dying
condition to the Emergency Hospital. and
her husband, who made no attempt to
resist arrest, was taken to the first pre-
cinct police station.
Mrs. Macdonald was placed on the
operating table Immediately. but died in
less than an hour
Couple Had Been Separated.
The couple were separated. and they
met by appointment this morning in the
office Of an attorney on the fifth floor OF
the Colorado building. Certain moneys
were coming to Macdonald. and it was
necessary for his wife to sign the papers
In order that he might get it.
Whether they were quarreling about
this will be known only from the story
Macdonald may tell later, but the first
time the man and wife were noticed
was when Miss M. H. Moore. a stenog-
rapher employed in the office Of George
W. Blankenship. was going toward the
elevators to go out to lunch. She noticed
thecouple talking quietly. saw Macdonald
take his wife by the arm. MacDonald'f
remark to his wife was inaudible. bal
Miss Moore heard Mrs Macdonald say:
''Oh, 1 guess not and with the remark
Mrs. Macdonald laughed.
i Woman's Sister Rushes Up.
The elevator. with Miss Moore as g
passenger, had just started downward
when three shots rang out in quick sue
cession.
Lemuel R. Fugftt, whose offices are on
the fifth floor, rushed into the hallwa,
and grabbed Macdonald by both arms
The man readily gave up the revolver.
but just as he did so Mrs. Macdonald S
been waiting on lower floor. reached the
scene. She accused Macdonald Of the
crime. and to her he replied:
Yes; 1 have killed her, and you are
the cause OF all my lrOUDleS.
Other tenants in the building ran to
the street and summoned Crossing Po-
liceman Robert Kramer. to whom Mac
Donald surrendered. He was taken a
prisoner to the first precinct station.
Positively Refuses to Talk.
Standing before the railing in the
station house. Macdonald was obvious
ly completely unnerved, and seemed
only to stand by supporting himself
against the woodwork. He developed
a stubborn streak and, although pa
perS were found in his pocket bearing
the name of Edward j. Macdonald he
refused absolutely to admit that that
was his name or to make a statement
Of any kind about the crime. He de-
clined to give his age. but appeared
to be about thirty-seven or thirty
eight years old.
fragmentary history OF the compile this
afternoon, 1T was said that they married
about six years ago. At that time Mac
Donald. 1t is stated. told his wife he was
from New York. but 1t seems she was
never able TO verify that statement.
Wife Went to New York.
When the MacDonalds separated six
months ago Mrs. Macdonald went to New
York city. Macdonald had been writing
to his wife, addressing her through Mrs.
Bulloch. because he did not know her ad-
dress there. In response to his entreatieS
she returned to this city three days ago.
and their meeting at the Colorado build
ing this afternoon was the outcome.
None of Mrs. MacDonald's relatives
knew whether the young couple intend
ed to see a lawyer this morning to ar
range for a final separation or TO effec-
a reconciliation. At any rate. 1T seems
1T was necessary for them to sign GER
tain papers Jointly. and this probably
precipitated the trouble.
When Macdonald drew his revolver and
fired his wife fell at the first shot, but
he continued to point the revolver at
her and to pull the trigger as fast as
he could. ceasing firing only when he
believed he had killed his wife. The
him standing, with the still smoking re-
volver in his hand, looking down at his
victim.
DR.. Harry n. Kaufman happened to be
in the building, and he gave first-atd
treatment before the ambulance from the
hospital arrived. To avoid tie crowd
the injured woman was carried to the
rear of the building and lowered to the
first floor on the freight elevator and
placed In the ambulance.
Has No Regular Employment.
AS a result OF their preliminary inves-
tigation in the case the police stated this
afternoon that Macdonald has no regu-
lar employment but that during the
Christmas holidays he was bar tender
in McDonald's saloon, at 18th and B
streets northwest. He is in no way re-
lated to the owner Of the saloon. The
police also stated that Macdonald was
an ex-soldier and that he had served a
term of one year in the soldiers prison
eli nd oh <,PI n