New-York tribune., 1912-01-14
REJECTED SU|TOR KILLS
WOMAN AND HIMSELF
Widow, with Three Children,
Shot to Death in Her
ROOming House.
WAS H0UNDEO, SAY POLICE
Clerk, Just Freed from Prison
for Beating Her, Calls to
Renew Suit While
Intoxicated.
WAS H0UNDED, SAY POLICE

/ would not marry MN, John B. Edwards,
a clerk, yesterday evening shot and
killed Mrs. Minnie E. Kuster, a widow,
in her furnished room house, at No. 164
West I'D street. He then put a bullet
into his brain and fell to the floor. where
he was found by Mrs. Kuster's daugh-
ter May, twelve years old. Death was
almost instantaneous in both cases.
Mrs Kuster had been living i'm the
house in West 122d street for about two
months. Previous TO that she had kept a
furnished roomng house at No. 234
West 22d street. and It was while there
that Edwards had been a boardcr in her
house. About three months ago Ed
wards was arrested on charge Of beat
ing May Kuster and her mother. He
was tried in Special Sessions and sem
fenced to sixty days on Blackwelrs
! Island. Aftor the man had gone To the
| islaLd Mrs Kuster "loved To Harlem,
and had not been bothered by her un-
welcome suitor until YESTERDAY II is
supposed that Edwards had been tracing
Mrs kuster since his release. few days
ago, and had found her yesterday.
Edwards Drunk, Il is Said.
According to George B. Tutwiler. OF
Mobile, Ala, boarder in the house, Ed
wards rang the door bell few minutes
after . o'clock last evening and was ad-
mitted by maid. He asked for Mrs.
Kuster. and awaited her arrival in the
drawing room, on the first floor 1t is
said he was strongly under the influence
Of liquor and was In beligerent mood.
When Mrs. Kuster walked into tue
room Edwards greeted her. and then the
two began TO talk. The conversation
was mostly in low tone of voice, al
though the voice OF Edwards could fire.
quently be heard raised in protest. on
such occasions Mrs. Kuster tried to
calm him, but without much success.
Directly in the rear of the parlor and
shut off from il by two folding doors is
| another room, in which Miss Amelia
Foley lived She is convalescent. fol-
| lowing an operation for appendicitis a
few days ago. and was lying in her bed
at the time Edwards was talking with
the widow.
Miss Foley said she heard the :lan
and the woman talking in undcr.ones
but could not distinguish what they
were saying. Following a lull In tho
| conversation, there was muffied
scream from Mrs. Kuster. and Ed
! wardss voice took on a menacing tone
This was Immediately followed by the
report Of a revolver. and then a second
perhaps three seconds later.
Miss Foley screamed and tried to rise
from her bed. At the same time the
three children OF Mrs. Kuster, May.
| Charlotte and Viola, all under twelve
years old. rushed from the dining room
in the basement. where they had been
sitting With Miss Amelia Daily. STE
nographer, and Tutwiler, and ran TO the
parlor May Kuster was the first to
reach the door, and found her mother
sitting half erect on a sofa, with a
stretched at ner feet, his head toward
the door, with bullet wound in his
head. Neither stirred. and IT was EVIL
dent they were dead.
Detective Hurries to Scene.
| The child screamed, and Tutwiler ran
| to a telephone and called up Police
Headquarters. Then he went back to the
room and tried TO assist Mrs. Kuster.
While he was thus engaged Detective
Flynn. OF the West 125th street station,
arrived at the house and made an inves-
tigation. He then called Coroner Win
terbottom and DR.. Michael G. O'Brien,
of No. 161 West 122d street, who pro-
nounced the man and woman dead.
In one Of Edwardss pockets Coroner
Winterbottom found letter addressed to
the dead man at No. 342 West 29th street.
An address in the corner of the envelope
had the words Henry Clay Lodge, No.
| 277, F. e. A. NJ, No. 209 West 109th
street" On the back Of the envelope
Edwards had written the words, Notify
lodge" and the figures '1-13-12." these
being abbreviated figures for the day,
month and year. In another pocket
were found half dozen cartridges.
Later CharleJ Lane, a lawyer, Of No
900 Broadway. came down from his
home at No. S15 East 18TH street, The
Bronx, and made a statement. He said
that Edwards had been arrested three
weeks ago ns the result Of a complaint
made by a neighbor of Mrs. Kuster when
she was living In West 22d street, who
had seen hirl beating May Kuster and
abusing her mother.
| According to Lane, Edwards was often
Intoxicated while boarding in Mrs Kus-
tors 22d street house. and had been fire.
ouently put out of the place. but always
returned Lane said that Edwards had
n wife and two children In the West In
dies.
Mrs. Kuster's husband. Otto, died two
wars ago. He was a druggist. with a
store on Seventh avenue, and after his
death his wife supported the family by
conducting a boarding house.
II was recalled last night that In the
summer Of 1910 negro butler and an
| q God woman housekeeper In the home OF
Dr Mott d. Cannon. No. 131 West 122d
.treet. were found murdered in the base
ment OF the place. This is almost oppo-
site the scene Of last evenings crime.
|
BONE IN THROAT KILLS CHILD.
| [By Telegraph 20 The Tribune
1 Ian IA Robert