Evening star., 1914-07-21
MURDERS WOMAN:
THEN KILLS SELF
Member of the Army Engineer
Corps Is Author of a
Double Tragedy.
COMRADES WIFE VICTIM
OF SLAYER'S JEALOUSY
Husband, From Whom She Had Been
Separated. Refuses to View
the Body.

Mrs. Bessie McC Cormck Roberts. wife
OF Van 5. Roberts. a member OF Com
pany u. LIST Battalion. Corps O: E.ngi-
neers. shot and almost instantly
killed in her apartmen: at III eth street
southwest about > O'Clock this morning.
The shooting was done by W. Lee New
comb. also "A member Of the LIST Battalion.
Corps OF Engineers. who after firing the
shot that ended the woman's life sent
bullet crashing through his brain. New
combs death was instantaneous.
Jealousy on hte part of NeWcomb. who
had quarreled with the woman because,
as stated. she permitted another man to
accompany her home from a South Wash
ington beer garden last night is given
as the cause of the double tragedy.
Separated From Husband.
Mrs. Roberts WAS separated from her
husband, the two having lived apart FOR
the past few weeks. Roberts was aslee,
ut Washington barracks when informed
about / O'Clock this morning of the m,I--
der of his wife
Coroner Ncvitt held an inquest at the
norgue today. at which Mrs Harbin.
Fields and Scott were the witnesses. The
witnesses appeared reluctant to go into
details of the tragedy and of the events
which preceded it, and Coroner hewitt
was compelled to admOnish them sew
eral times. At the close of the inquiry
the jury returned verdict stating that
Mrs. Roberts was killed by shot from
a 40 caliber automatic pistol in the hands
of Newcomb, and that the latter had then
turned the weapon on himself. infiicting
wound that was instantly fatal.
Both Dead When Found.
The murder and suicide was reported
to Policeman Tompkins. at 7th and +
streets southwest by Mrs. Ethel Har-
bin, a roomer in Mrs. Roberts apart
ment. When the policeman reached the
apartment he found that the woman
and her slayer were dead. The two
were lying on the bare floor OF the
dining room. Investigation showed
that Mrs. Roberts had been shot in the
left side. while the bullet that ended
NcWcombs life entered the right tenn
pie, passed entirely through the head
and lodged in the ceiling of the room.
According to the story told to the
police by Mrs. Harbin and Jesse E.
Fields. also soldier at Washington
barracks, the two were in the hallway
near the front door of the apartment
when the shots We're fired. Charles
Scott who had been at the apartment
they said. had left Il few minutes he
fore the shooting.
at the beer garden with Mrs. Harbin,
who is u widow. leaving her there about
lO:o O'Clock. and returning to the bar
racks An hour later. he said he re-
turned to the garden. where he joined
Mrs Harbin. Mrs Roberts and scott
later accompanying them to the eth
street apartment. where they arrived
about midnight.
Joined in Drinking Beer.
The Two men, Fields said Went ont
for a pitcher of beer. When they return
ed Fields told the police. they found
Newcomb with Mrs. Roberts The two
were quarrehng, Fields said. but New
comb joined the party in consuming the
beer. He continued. however. to reproacb
Mrs Roberts with encouraging the at
tentions of another man. and after a few
words, Fields said. NeWcomb struck the
woman with a pitcher.
etc hat