New-York tribune., 1915-03-23
Howard Boocock, Nervous
atDinner, Shoots Woman
as She Plays Sonata.
CHILDREN SLEEP
THROUGH TRAGEDY
Mystery in Motive for Deed of
protege of H. p. Dawson.
Morgan Partner.

Harvard Booeock. treasurer Of the
,,.or Trust Company, graduate Of Yale
"A member Of many clubs, killed his
"a. last night in their home. at So
r.,, Seventy-fourth Street, and then
-, bullet into his own temple.
p.,b were dead on the floor when ser
-.,,s who had started at the first
hot rushed into the music room.
Tho murder and suicide occurred
..or,lv after $3.50 o'clock. The two
.snsrcn Of the couple were upstairs
,.,.ep. and at midnight were still in
,b,lr beds unaware that they were
,-,bsns. There is a girl, Mollie, eleven
-.,rs old. and Kenyon, boy Of eight.
An hour before the shooting the
,,r,ls were at dinner. Two young
vorsn who served them, Anna Mag
,,.on and Linnea Johnson, said after
v,r6 tha, Mr.. Boocock seemed agi-
,,,sd during the entire dinner and that
,.sv separated as soon as dessert had
hssn eaten. Mrs. Boocock went into
.bs music room, where coffee was
carved Her husband was not there
Qben the servants entered, and 1t is
believed he had gone to get bis army
revolver.
Music Preceded Death.
When he returned Mrs. Boocock was
=, the piano. with her back to the
TWO windows which looked out on
ssyen,y-four,h Street and off at an
angle from a lounge, toward which he
vent. She played snatches from Bee
.hoyen's Sonata No. 3.
Face down on the table in the library
where Mr.. Boocock had been sitting
vble his wife played in the music
room, was found a book entitled Pill
grim's Progress-From This World 20
NE Next" Inspector Bolan was Of
he opinion that it was this book Mr..
Boocock was reading before he seized
t5e revolver and went downstairs.
50 far as the servants would testify
sf,er the tragedy. TIE atmosphere
vbieb pervaded the dinner contin-
ned when coffee was served. For a
tine there was no sound from the
rtom except the music which Mrs.
Booeoek played. Evidently Boocock
vas the FIRST TO break the conversation
a. silence that prevailed. From the
nature Of the wound which killed her
i was apparent that Mrs. Boocock
tuned and gave her husband the tar
get for which he was seeking.
The bullet went straight TO the lett
temple and the woman tOppled from
the seat az the piano. There was hardly
seconds pause before the second shot
vas fred. Boocock fell from the lounge
With bullet in his right temple.
As the revolver clattered from his
hand and struck the floor, May Hag-
gsrty, the cook, rushed into the root.
When she saw whac had happened she
directed Anna Magnussa to telephone TO
Nrs. H. ?. DAWSON, at II West Fifty
first Street.
Further details were rigidly held
back Il developed that the Davi-
sons were old friends of the couple and
That in a way Boocock owed his rapid
idvsncement TO the Morgan partner.
When Boocock was a student at Yale,
irom which he received his degree in
1900, the Davisons were neighbors in
tnglewood, \. J. Although the young
mans father, Samuel W. Boocock, a
trustee OF the Brooklyn Trust Com
sny, was prominent in banking, the
son became a protege of their banker
heighbor. Boocock was about thirty
llne years old. His wife was of almost
he same age.
Motive a Mystery.
Servants in the Boocock home, many
VI whom had been there for years,
could not enlighten Coroner Healy as
70 the motive for the shooting.
knew there was something the
minute Mr.. BoOcock came into the
aouse,' said Annie Magnason, a Swed-
sh maid, in precise English. "He came
aome early. IL wasn't more than half
pest 4, / should say. He was very
nu:h excited, but he didn't say any
;hhs out Of the way, at least, while
vas within hearing.
i told Mary Haggerty, the cook, that
vas sure something was wrong. At Z
Ve!oek | set the table for dinner, and
N'y sat down-Mr and Mrs. Boocock
sha the two children. There was little
1inrg at the table. Mr.. Boocock's
YES were rolling, and he was excited.
.V oidn't seem 10 see just right, and
ven ne started 10 pick up his fork he
"ssas like as not to tumble and drop it.
after dinner ] put the children 10
~ ~. Mrs. Boocock came up to kiss
Sem good night and then she went
IN and played operate selections on
e panoia Mr.. Boocock was upstairs
Me library, reading, ! suppose. She
fi!ea Tor about half an hour and then
htatd two shots.
ran downstairs. The first thing |
S. SG was MT. Boocock. He was lying
s'ge the pianOla. and | saw he was
started back, and then ! saw
h., WE. She had fallen from the
1'h and was dead, too. Then | told
~ sook and the rest and we called
S.SOloher Healy was patient in his en-
an ~ 10 establish a motive, quiZzing
Is,.nne me servants in the house at great
IA esn' None Of the others seemed
Ar" e"Vw as much about il as did
rere,, re, ihe Swedish maid. None Of then.
sssS sssS"oered having seen the weapon
0d model. WV 0- al
bst Johnson, another maid, said
hons, we BoocOcks had lived in that
@VSSs use for seven years.
she .ey were very lovable couple"
be, ilo' the tears streaming down
N,ppty p DAWSON was informed OF
Nr hpooeock's act. For several days
AID ,ssVison's health has not been good
an sS Me shock weakened him to such
heds.eht that he went to bed i'm
, siSniS Sy, leaving orders that he
Ven, hot be disturbed. Mrs. Dawson
M. GO GO the Boocock home. Mr.. and
Hov,SSSs SSsroel W. Boocock, of Brooklyn
VIZ booeock's parents, were also