New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-02
Bodv of Contractor, Who
Fled After Murder in Home,
Found in Cemetery.
HAD PLANNED
CHILDREN'S DEATH
Letters on Dead Man, Thought In
sane. Reveal Plot to Wipe
Out Family.

Within sight Of the freshly turned grave
Of the wife whom he had killed four days
before John Monsh trucking COR
tractor. who lived at No. 81 East 81
street. Flatbush. took his own life IN
clump Of woods in Cedar Grove Cemetery
AT Flushing. his body was found yester-
day by three boys. \ bloody razor.
slashed left wrist and two bottles drained
81 poison told the story Of the mans last
moments.
At the moment OF the finding Of the
body Of Monahan the body Of his VIE,
Rol.e. was being buried only few yards
distant Zcnia and Julia Monshan. the
murdered woman's Young daurhtefs
stood beside the grave while the minister
read the burial services. When the last
spadeful OF earth had been dropped into
the grave Of their mother the daughters
returned TO their home. II was not until
an hour later that the bodys Of the man
found On the woods was Identified rs that
Of Monahan.
Monahan. after killing his wife with
chiscl and throwing her body into 4 coal
bin IN the cellar Of his home, disappeared.
and the police Of the entire city have
been looking for him since. That he
would take his own life WAS expected. a
he had written a letter TO William Mona
han, his brother. confessing he had killed
his wife and saying he would commit sui
eide
William Monahan is now i'm Virginia
and the letter addressed TO him eventually
was sent to Johns home. where II was
read By Zenia Monahan, who turned BE-
over to the police
Realizing that the man must he suffer
ing from insanity, the police set guard
about the home Of the wife murderer.
fearing lest he should return and murder
his two daughters az he had written ne
was tempted TO do.
The body was identified by means Of
letters found in Monahan's pockets. The
first Of the letters was addressed 10 irs.
Amelia Del Petro OF No. 200 Hughes
avenue The Bronx. an aunt Of Mrs.
Monahan. it was rambling and incohcr-
ent, for the most part, but this much
could be deciphered:
"Rollie and I had been married fifteen
years and had always lived happily. Then
we had our first quarrel. and struck her
and killed her I lost everything recently
and am down and out. At first thought
Of taking the two children with me and
killing them. too. But my heart failed
me, and I couldn't"
Inspector Faurot gave out a letter AZ
Police Headquarters yesterday mornns.
written by John Monahan 10 his brother.
and dated the day OF the murder, in
which was written:
1T has happened as ] saw some time
this morning have gone out OF my
head and killed Rollie. and now ! will XII!
myself. I am only sorry I did not take
Zenia and Julia with me- This morning.
when | got up. il seemed as II was I'm
dream. / was not myself and did not
know what I was doing. / have been
brooding for the last two months. have
taken poison with me and will go TO some
out-of-the-way place and take IT,"
Coroner Noge. of Queens who took
charge of the case, ~ once sent To the
Monahan home to ask the daughters "
they could identify the body. Philip
Hamm. OF No. So Stockton street, Brook
lyn. a brother Of Mrs. Monahan. identified
the body as Monahans
For several weeks before he became
seized with a sudden Outburst OF insane
rage and murdered his wife. Mon lhan
mad evidently plotted her death \ week
before her mangled body was found m the
coal bin Mrs. .Monahan detected signs OF
poison I'm a cup OF tea she was about 10
drink. She told Zena about H. and there
after mother and daughter watched Mon
ahan carefully.
When Zenia Monahan appeared az the
breakfast table last Monday she saw
blood OH her fathers coat sleeve. She
also noticed the absence Of her mother
and when she started for the cellar her
father attacked her and knocked her
down, warning her not TO enter the cci-
lar. Then he walked from the house.
never 10 return.
Although Monahan had told hrs eldest
daughter that her mother had gone TO visit
Mrs Del Petro. the girl telephoncd 90
The Bronx and found her mother had not
been there Then she called up the Park
vile police. and detective, after search
Of the house, found Mrs. Monahan's body
In the cellar.