Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1913-11-28
JEALOUS DOCTOR
KILLS CH|CAGOAN
Prominent Missouri Physician
Kills Wife's Admirer.
MURDER FOLLOWS MEETING
Official of Medical Association Enticed
Victim to Hotel and Shot Him
to Death-Spouse Not Told
Of Tragedy.

Kansas City. Mo-, Nov 19.-Appeal
ing to the unwritten law, DR.. w. T.
Elam of St. Joseph, officer in the Mis-
souri, Valley Medical association and
Sne of the faculty of the Central Ems
worth Medical college, shot and in
stantly killed William Putnam Cramer
of $500 Lake Park avenue, Chicago, at
the Hotel Baltimore in this city.
Back Of the shooting is the story of
q secret romance and the relentless
tracking of Cramer by an angry hus-
band, who, under the guise Of friend
ly conference, took occasion to wipe
out his alleged wrongs by death.
Friends of Cramer here assert, how
ever, that the tragedy had no greater
cause than the insane rage of ELAN
over secret meeting between Cramer
and Mrs. Elan, which they say was in
nocent.
Wife Prominent Socially.
The Elams have been married five
years, and, though they have no chill
dren. we're believed to have been very
happy. Mrs. Elan, who is ten years
her husbands junior, is beautiful
woman, and she has been prominent in
the social life Of St. Joseph and other
parts of the state.
Mrs. Elan is now in Detroit attend
ing her mother. Mrs. ]. N. West, who
is seriously ILL., She knew nothing Of
the shooting until relative sent tel
egram to her. Cramer was married
and travelling advertising solicitor
for Eyerybody's Magazine. The Cra-
mers we're also childless, but were said
to have been happy.
Cramer and Mrs Elan had met by
appointment once but another woman
was present. They dined at the Hotel
Baltimore and afterwards went to a
theater. Cramer is said to have ex-
pressed confidence that he could fully
explain this to the angry doctor and
bring about harmony.
Makes Two Statements.
Cramer and the husband met in the
reception room of the hotel. The meet
ing had been arranged through letters
Cramer's attorney and Detective Jack
Glynn, who had been employed by DIR.
Elam to trace his wife and Cramer,
were present 1t is said the doctor was
very calm and smiling, and that he
even shook hands with Cramer Then
the Chicagoan and the doctor ad-
journed to a room on the second floor
of the hotel to talk matters over"
The two men had been in the room
Is minutes when the shooting 90
Cured The doctor has made two dis
tinct statements regarding the shoot
ing. He first said:
He grappled with me and / shot
him by accident" Afterwards he
said:
4 knew Cramer was lying and shot
him.
Don't ask nae about it I've done
it. am ready to answer for it. Taxa
me to headquarters"
Although Mrs. Elan has been promi-
nent In social life for years, little is
known Of her family or antecedents
in st. Joseph. It is known that she
was married before. She was Mrs.
Bertha Fields White when she was
married to Doctor Elan.
Detroit, Nov. 19.-Not knowing that
her husband, prominent physician Of
St Joseph. Mo-, had shot and killed q
man in Kansas City hotel in the at
ternoon. Mrs. w T. Elan, at present
living in Detroit with her mother. at
tended a theatrical performance In the
evening in which crime was the pre-
dominant element. Her mother kept
the news from her until morning.
my daughter did nothing wrong"
said Mrs. Elam's mother. There was
never reason why the doctor should
have become jealous. When my daugh-
ter parted with her husband recently
In Chicago to come here and see me,
they were on the best of terms. That
husband Of hers is crazy-only luna
tic could do such thing and try to lay
the blame on my daughter"