Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-05-27
Man Who Slew Airshlp Invent
or and Wife Tells Dramatic
Story of How Crime Was
Perpetrated.
nineteen SHOTS
FIRED At VICTIMS
Body Was Riddled with Bullets
and Dagger Thrust Finished
I. Work of the Determined tS-
Sassln.

SdSSlFs
fny Msrnlng Journal Special Leased wirs.l
San Diego, Cal, May 26.-Bert 9.
Lewis, former private secretary and
chauffeur to C. II. Tolliver. 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 OF Mr..
and Mrs. Tolliver at the Tolliver horne
late last night.
Yes, 1 killed him." said Lewis. re-
ferring to Tolliver. 'He ruined my
homie. II ] had not done II some one
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. Tolliver died first" said Lew
is. The body of the woman was
found near the telephone where she
had fallen last night after she had
been twice mortally wounded by Lew
is. She had sent In call for the 9o-
tion heard only groan and she died
before she could tell of the murders.
Developments show that Lewis
planned his work carefully. A pet
dog. which followed Tolliver and his
wife everywhere. was caught by Lew
is early last night. He led the dog a
block or more from the scene of his
intended crime and tied him to post.
Then, armed with two reyolvers and
a dagger, he returned to the Tollivef
home and waited for his victims. The
police do not believe he had planned
to murder Mrs. Tolliver. As Tolliver
and his wife rode up to their home
in their automobile, Lewis opened
fire. Those who heard the fusillade
say he fired nineteen shots. One OF
the weapons was an automatic.
The police believe that Mrs. Tolli-
yer rushed to the aid of her husband
and was met by two shots. One
struck her full In the mouth, the 9TH
er in the head. Both wounds were
mortal, but the woman staggered into
the house, reached the telephone and
tried, In her dying moments to bring
husband.
Tolliver. his body riddled with bull
lets, followed his wife into the house.
Lewis close behind. The wounded man
fell to the floor In the front room,
his arms outstretched. his eyes look
ing into those of the murderer. Lewis.
according to his own statement today.
wanted to make sure of his work.
Drawing his dagger from its sheath,
he knelt, cursing. beside his victim
and plunged the blade into the abdo-
men of the dying man. That finished
Tolliver, according to Lewis. and with
Mrs. Tolliver. dead. his work was
done,
Before the aroused neighbors could
reach the scene, Lewis had left He
reloaded his two rcvolvers. wiped the
blood from his dagger, and catching d
car, rode to Eleventh street. The po-
lice, 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 de-
tectives who disarmed him: II guess
you've got the man you want"
The officers iound one or his pock-
cts filled with shells. The magazine
Of the weapon had been reloaded.
Lewis was dressed carefully in a black
frock suit. white shirt and tie. and
the police think his intention was to
Kill TolIiyer. return to his own home
and murder Mrs. Lewis and bring the
tragedy to close by taking his own
life.
Tolliver was nearly go years old. his
wife few years younger. Lewis is 32
years old. His wife. a strikingly
handsome woman. Is IS years old. She
talked with him until the officers ask
ed her TO leave. At parting. Lewis
showed the only emotion he has yet
exhibited.
God give you strength To bear your
own troubles and stand by me In
mine" he said. as the weeping woman
was led from the jail.
Il will tell nothing but the truth in
this" said Lewis tonight. ''If the
truth VIII not help me. nothing will"
Il 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
intimation the tragedy was impend-
ing. Lewis had not been drinking;
he apparently was In good spirits and
had dinner with his wife last night.
He was cheerful when he left. The
couple hs se no children.
u is said tonight that Lewis will
plead the -'unwritten Law" In defense