Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-12-09
WOMAN KILLED. |
MANDEAD, GUN IN
HAND IN COTTAGE.
South Orange Con-
tractor Commits
Double Crime.
TRAGEDY TOOK PLACE
NEAR SHORE OF LAKE
Ludwig Palmer Blew Out Con1-
panion's Brains and Then
Shot Himself. I


NEWTON, n. j.. Dec. e-I'he Dodies
of Ludwig Palmer. a contractor. of
South Orange. and a woman eom-
panion. as yet unidentified, wers
found in a cottage IN the shore
OF Swartswood Lake. near here. to-
day. The womans body lay in the
dining-room. bullet hole in the right
temple Pslmers body was found il
an adjoining room.
There was a 33-calibre revolver IN
Palmer's hand, and it is believed thar
he shot himself after numbering the
woman.
The bodies were found By George
Peck, of East Orange, owner of the
cottage; Axel Palmer. brother Of the
dead man; Ernest L. shay. OF this
place. and Recorder John A. CarT.clk.
of Branchville. Although physicians
have not as yet examined the bodies.
it is believed that Palmer and his
companion were dead at least
twenty hours before the bodies
were found, this morning.
The right side of the woman's face
was badly burned, as though the re-
Yolver with which she was killed had
been held very close to her face. The
bullet in Palmer's head entered just
below the right ear.
The last seen Of Palmer and the
woman before the bodies were found
today was shortly before noon sum
day. Then they left the home Of
John Emmons. at the lake. SAY ng
they would return in time for dinner.
The Emmons family thoughr notn-
ing of the failure TO return yesterday.
Last night, however, when Emfaons
found the horse and buggy IN which
Palmer and his companion had driven
from this place still in his barn he
became anxious and resolved -
search for them in the morning.
Emmons EemenheEsa shat Ealaer
had told hfi.sSs7 ka9 come To Swai IS
wood Lake to examine Beck.s csttage.
which he had built. The contractor
said there had been a complaint abost
the failure of the doors to :. ana
that he desired to see what repairs
would be necessary
Accordingly, they looked for Pai-
mer and the woman at the Beck cot
1 tage. They had left the door uil-
h.
first thing Emmons saw when he
entered was Paimer's body on tbs
floor. He hastily summoned Mr..
Beck and Axel Palmer.
Suicide Acted Strangely.
Axel Palmer said his brother hnd
been missing from his home siTics
Friday morning. He said the suicide
had been acting strangely for a iong
time, and had drawn all his savings
account from a South Orange ba4lk
two weeks ago.
Palmer was about 45 years ol.:.
His woman companion was aboat
40. She was rather hashily tired n
light tan tailored suit. lined with
yellow satin, and wore a gold watch
pinned to her shirtwaist. Seve. al
rings were on her fingers. When ssls
was found, she wore a fur coat. bor-
rowed from Mrs. Emmons.
Sheriff Mains. Prosecutor Dolan
and Coroner Coleman, of Sussex
county. have taken charge of the
affair Up TO a late hour this after
noon the body of the woman had
not been identified. The authorities
say that there is no question but
that Palmer shot himself after kills
/ ing his companion.
Palmer's disappearance from his
1 South Orange home worried his farm
/ ny considerably. Their fear was in
tensified by the appearance at his
home Of a number of carpenters he
employed Saturday afternoon de-
manding their money. As Palmer had
made no arrangements at his hume OF
in his shop for the payment of his
employees. they had TO leave without
their wages.