The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-05-27
KILLS MAN AND WIFE.
Murderer Declares Dead Man Ruined
His Home.

San Diego, Cal, May 27.-Bert G.
Lewis, former private secretary ana
chauffeur to c.. H. Toliver, an airship
inventor, peered through the barred
door of his cell in the city prison to-
day and calmly admitted to Captain
of Detectives Meyers that he alone
was responsible for the murder or MI
and Mrs Toliver at the Toliver home.
Yes, I killed him." said Lewis, re-
ferring to Toliver. He ruined my
home; if I had not done it someone
else would have had to"
Lewis was calm. He showed a de-
sire to aid the public administrator in
the effort to learn which of the two
had died first. Mrs. Toliver died
first" said Lewis. The body of the
where she had fallen after she had
been twice MORALLY wounded by Lew
is. She had sent in call for the
poIice, but the desk sergeant at the
station heard only a groan and she
died before she could tell of the muir
ders.
The Murder was Planned.
Developments show that Lewis
planned his work carefully. A pet
dog which followed Toliver and his
wife everywhere was caught by Lewis.
He led the dog a. block or more from
the scene of his intended crime and
tied him to a post. Then, armed with
two revolvers and a dagger, he re-
turned to the Toliver home and wait
ed for his victim. The police do not
believe he had planned to murder
Mrs. ToIiver. AS Toliver and his wife
rode up to their home in their auto
mobile Lewis opened fire. Those who
heard the fusillade say he fired nine
teen shots. One. of the weapons was
Woman Is Shot Twice.
The police believe Mrs. Toltver rusheo
To the aid of her husband and was
met by two shots. One struck her full
In the mouth. the other in the head.
Both wounds were mortal but the
woman staggered into the house,
reached the telephone and tried, in her
diving moments, to bring the police
and save the life of her husband. Toll
liver, his body riddled with bullets, fol-
lowed his wife into the house, Lewis
close behind The wounded man fell
to the floor in the front room, his
arms outstretched, his eyes looking
into those of the murderer. Lewis, ac-
cording to his ow-- statement, wanted
to make sure of his work. Drawing
his dagger from it's sheath, he knelt
cursing beside his victim and plunged
the blade into the abdomen of the dy-
ing man. Before the aroused neighbors
could reach the scene, Lewis had left.
That finished Toliver, according tc
Lewis, and with Mrs. Toliver already
dead. his work was finished. He re-
loaded his two revolvers, wiped the
blood from his dagger and catching
a car, rode to Eleventh street. The
police, surmising that the crime had
been committed by Lewis, caught him
as he neared his home. AS he ap-
preached his house they covered him
with their weapons. He threw his
hands above his head and said to Chief
of Police Wilson and the detectives
who disarmed him:
"I guess you've got the man you
want
The officers found one of his peck
cts filled with shells. The magazines
of the weapons had been reloaded
Lewis was dressed carefully in black
frock suit, white shirt and tie and the
police think his intention was to kill
Toliver, return to his own home and
murder Mrs. Lewis and bring the
tragedy to a close by taking his own
life.
Toliver was nearly go years old, his
wife a few years younger: Lewis is
81 years old. His wife, a strikingly
handsome woman, is 35 years old. She
was the first to visit her husband at
the jail She talked with him until
the officers asked her to leave. At
parting, Lewis showed the only emo
ton he has yet exhibited.
God give you strength to bear
your own troubles and stand by me
in mime he said as the weeping
woman was led from the Jail.
II will stand by my husband" said
Mrs. Lewis. Beyond this she would
make no statement.
According to her statement to
friends earlier in the day, she had no
animation of the tragedy which was
impending. Lewis had not been drink
ing; he apparently was in good spirits
and had dinner with his wife last
night. He was cheerful when he left
The couple have no children.