The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-06
Jealous Restaurant Waiter
Goes to Woman's Board
ing House and Opens Fire
with a Revolver.
WOMAN is WOUNDED:
MORRIS A SUICIDE
Couple Separate About a
Week Ago After Quarrel
Over Money.-He Was In
tensely Jealous of Her.

Charles Morris, aged SO, restaur-
ant waiter of this city. this afternoon
attempted to murder his wife, Edna
Morris, shooting her through the
head, then killed himself by blowing
out his brains. The couple had re-
Gently separated. The tragedy occur
red in Mrs. Morris room at her board
ing house, 621 South A street. The
shooting occurred after a quarrel over
money. The woman was shot through
the right jaw. The man shot him
self back of the right ear, dying in
stantly.
The couple had been estranged for
several days, following the charge
made by the man that his wife had
| stolen $72 from him.
This afternoon, Mrs. Morris was sit
ting on the front porch of her board
ing house when her husband called
After talk with her a few moments
he asked her to go with him to her
bedroom. She complied and few min
utes later two shots rang out, follow
ed by the sound of falling body.
Mrs. Charles Rodgers, living in the
west side of the double house at 619
South A street, saw Mrs. Morris run
down the stairs calling for help. The
unfortunate woman, with blood flow
ing from a powder burned wound in
her right jaw. Mrs. Norris fled into
the Rodgers home, then out of the
front door to the home of Mrs. Gar
retson, nextss-4door- west A min
ute later she ran back again to the
home of Mrs. Rodgers, and finally. her
hysteria abating, laid down on a bed,
and allowed first aid treatment to be
applied to her gaping wound. She
was conscious all the time.
Officer Finds Body.
A hurried call to police headquarters
sent Officer Wenger on his motor
| cycle to the home, where the tragedy
occurred. Entering the room of death,
he saw the body of the would-be MUIR
derer and suicide stretched ON the
floor, a CHASTITY pool of blood formed
about his head, his brains oozing from
the hole made by the bullet, and a
smoking revolver tightly clenched in
his right hand. He had fallen at the
base Of the bed.
The hair was burned from the side
of his head, where the flame from
the shell had ignited the hair, even
as the bullet. ploughed its way into
+; aho r.,
ear.
Chief of Police Gormon was called
and made an investigation of the
room. The gun clenched in the sui
cide's hand had been fired twice. 1t
was a cheap, 80 calibre revolver of
the double action variety.
Cause of Tragedy.
The trouble between the husband
and wife had been of several weeks
duration. Recently he accused her of
stealing $72 of him. She denied the
charge. One day last week, he was
chasing her north on North Fifth
street when Chief of Police Gormon
met them. He later had a long talk
with both of them in his private of.
Ace. At that time the wife accused, her
husband of being cigarette fiend, and
of drinking too much whiskey. She al
so said that he was so jealous of her,
that when he was employed at the
Ridgeway restaurant, he wanted her
to sleep beneath counter where he
could watch her all the time.
This noon as officer Wenger was re.
turning to the city building from din.
ner, Morris, with whom he was well
acquainted came by, and stopped and
talked for few minutes. He glanced
in the window several times as il look
ing for Chief Gormon. but soon left
walking south on Fifth street.
Mrs. Morris, when her husband first
stopped and spoke to her this after
noon was embroidering a fancy scarf
She carried it upstairs with her wher
she went with her husband to the
death room. When she came dowr
again, blood flowing through her jaw
she still clenched the scarf tightly in
her hand, although it was covered
with blood.
Blood stains. spots and splotches
showed the path taken by the fren
zied woman after she had been shot.
Room a Shambies.
The room where the shooting tool
place was shambles. Blood from both
Morris and his wife mingled on the
floor Morris was Immediately at
tired, but had removed his coat which
lay on the bed
The police believe the deed was pre-
meditated. and are making an inyesti
cation of the shooting. Many papers
were taken charge Of by the police and
coroner, but none seem to throw an,
light on the affair
The couple came here from Muncie
/ (Continued o. Page Tvol