Evening journal., 1915-03-04
farmer kills WIFE
THEN SHOOTS SELF
Tragedy Due TO Husbands
Discovery OF Undelivered
Letter
WAS DIRECTED
TO FARMLAND

CAMDEN, n. j., March 4.-rhe i-
nancial troubles and jealous of his
wifes conduct when he found an uu-
delivered note to "a farmland were the
causes that led up TO the murder OF
Mrs. Patience Duncan. 81 years old,
by her husband. Frank n. Duncan,
"A years old, who, after killing her,
committed suicide at their home on
the Turkey Foot road between Laurel
Springs and Blackwood yesterday.
Duncan had recognized the handwrit-
ing on the envelope as that of his wife
and when he was found he had the
letter and another note clutched in
one hand and i'm the other was the re-
volver with which he killed his wife
and ended his own life.
The letter, directed TO James Pol
lock, iS47 Poplar street Philadelphia,
and written last December had been
undelivered and was returned to the
Laurel Springs postohice, where il
was secured by Duncan on Tuesday
The other note directed to Fred Slater
neighbor, requesting him TO take
care OF his two children. Orville. Q
years old and Patience, years old.
The murder and suicide Is thought
TO have taken place shortly before
noon. AT that time the two children
were at school.
Duncan, Slater and James Pollock,
the farmland to whom the letter had
been written and who had just re-
turned to work on the Duncan farm
week ago, was In the field at work.
Duncan left about half hour earlier,
saying he was going to the house.
shortly after noon Pollock and Slater
went up to the Duncan home and, on
entering the kitchen, they found the
dinner burning. Going into the front
room, they saw the shades drawn. and,
on raising them they found Mrs Dun
can ON the parlor floor with two bullets
holes in her head. Both Slater and Pol
lock then went to the second floor and
found Duncan lying on his back in the
bed with a revolver in one hand and tine
two notes in the other hand, and with
bullet wound through the right tenn
pie.
Doctor HurlI. of Blackwood. was sum
moned and on his arrival he pronounced
both dead BY this time the children
had returned from school. They entered
the house and Slater and Pollock tried
TO send them to the home of Slater
They realized that something was wrong
and refused TO 90. In the mcantim,
Coroner Cook. at Laurel Springs, and
Prosecutor Kraft, of Camden. had been
notified and both started to the Duncan
home.
On their arrival they began an in
vcstigation and IL was learned that
Pollock had been employed BY Dun
can last year. and during his absence
in December last Mrs. Duncan wrote
him a letter. Pollock had left Phila-
delphia and It was returned 10 the
Laurel Springs postofice. When Dun
can went 10 the letterbox on Tuesday
in front of his home he found tho let
ter addressed TO Pollock and recog-
nized the handwriting What hap
( penod after this no one knows. as
there were no persons in the house
or nearby when the double tragedy
occurred.
During the investigation IL was
brought 10 light by Prosecutor Kraft
| that Duncan had met with financial
revcrses and had trouble in disposlnr
of his crops. II was also learned that
Duncan had recently appealed 4,
Slater, from whom he leased tho farm
for financial assistance. and this wa,
given him. Despite this fact, il wa
stated that Duncan of late broode,
over his trouble.