South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-28
WOMAN SHOT AS
SHE LAY ON COUCH
IS POLICE THEORY


ICONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.)
sleep with this revolver under his
pillow" said Chief Kuespert in dis
cussing the case Friday morning.
There is no doubt in my mind that
Scott shot his wife while she lay
asleep on the couch and then turned
the weapon upon himself ] do not
think that the woman did the shoot
ing. The gun was lying closer to
Scott"
Kuespert stated that latest develop
ments in the case pointed 10 the pos
sihility that Mrs. Scott was asleep on
door OF the dining room nearest the
front OF the house He said that Scott
may have come in while she was
asleep. and under the influence OF a
temporary mental arrangement
placed the end OF the revolver at his
wife's head and puleld the trigger.
The flesh about the wound was burn
ed "a was the hair. proving the shot
was fired at close range
Married Three Years.
Domestic wrangles and dissensiOns
arising over financial matters are said
10 have moved Scott and his wife to
repeated quarrels. The couple al
though he gave his age 20 the physi-
clan at the hospital as 81 and she was
said to be over so. had been married
a little less than three years She
was Mrs. Mary HOsev. and formerly
lived with her family on y. Notre
Dame st.
Scott is said 70 have sold furniture
and other household articles and TO
have kept the money from the sales
FOR himself. Friends of the family
declare that Mrs. Scott had often COM
planned of his alleged tightness in
money matters. She was said to have
pleaded with him at times for money
10 pay certain expenses
Scott was a sewer inspector in the
employ OF the city street department.
His salary was not large and he work
ed only in the summer time.
Boosted OF His Home.
Scott. aCcOrdin~ TO members of the
police department who are acquaint-
ed with him. at times seemed men
tally unbalanced He would boast Of
his home and his fondness for his
wife He was said TO have objected
strenuously when she started keeping
BOarders at the home.
Gunderman said he had gone TO
sleep about 1:1O in the afternoon, and
had not heard revolver shots. A 81
cali5re revolver. found by Chief OF
Detectives Kuespert on the floor near
the couple held two exploded car
tridges and one upon which the ham,
mer had fallen. but which had not
exploded. IL was evident that he had
fired twice before the fatal shot
1T looked as if they might have
been sitting on the settec,' said Gun
derman. 1T was soaked with blood
and the two bodies were on the floor
at it's feet Mrs scott was dead when
i found her and Scott was uncon-
scious / dent know any Of the fam
lily, since L have been here only since
Sunday 1 Immediately summoned
the police"
Gunderman was positive that he had
heard no reports from the revolver.
From that il was deduced that the
killing had taken place before Gunder-
man entered the house about 1
o'clock lie said that he went up
stairs without going through the room
in which the couple lay.
Man Unable to Talk.
DR. G. Il. StoItz attended Scott at
the hospital lie declared TO Chlei
Kuespert that Scott was too weak TO
talk. and although the solving OF the
affair rests with what Scott might
have to saw. he was allowed TO rest un-
til he either showed signs of improve
ment or neared death.
The physician stated that the bullet
penetrated the left lung Just above
the heart. and left the body on a
straight line in the back. 1T is not
thought that Scott VIII i've. lie sdlu
nothing at the hospital except 10 Zee
blV murmur his name and age.
When Gunderson. the roomer, FOUND
MIR and Mrs Scott the latter was ~
ing on her right side with her right
arm stretched toward the cot. from
which apparently she had fallen ana
with her left arm folded over her
in, direction
az the sitting room window, which
faced the back yard and sitting on
the floor in front of the window ana
at his wife's feet was the huddled
body of the husband unconscious ana
with "a wound in his left breast. Close
To the wife's head was the dining room
table and Just beneath il and within
a foot OF the womans head lay "A
32-calibcr revolver from which two
bullets had been fired.
Dishes on the Table.
Apparently the two had entered the
dining room Immediately after their
MONDAY meal for in the kitchen the
dishes remained ON the table just as
they had been during the meal. IL
would seem that then the couple had
become engaged i'm one OF the family
quarrels which the wife had previous
Is said had been common occur
rance an the home during the two and
a half years OF their married life.
From the position of the bodies
when GundersOn found them and
from the blood stains on the quilt
which covered the cot Mrs. Scott had
apparently been sitting on the cot
when she was shot. She had then
fallen with her face at the foot of
the cot and away from the window
and had then rolled 10 the floor where
she was found Under those C6ndi-
lions the husband may have shot his
wife as he stood near the center OF
the room for the bullet had struck
her in +he side OF the head which
would have been turned away from
the window 81 she were sitting on the
cot. If the husband stood at the win
dow when he shot himself he then
threw the revolver six feet from him