New-York tribune., 1915-02-22
ANGRY WIFE KILLS
HUSBAND AND SELF
Couple Lived Apart for
Months-Man Feared
Jealous Woman.

MOrristown, N. j., req. Zl.-oeph-
rated for six months from her hus-
band, Harold Losee, gardener on the
Normandie Heights estate Of Alexan-
der C. Humphreys, president Of Stew
ems Institute, Vera Losee returned yes
terday TO kill him and take her own
life. The bodies were discovered this
morning by Patrick Pillion. assistant
Of the dead man, In the greenhouses.
The arrangement Of buildings on the
Humphreys estate is such that no one
heard the shots. Man and woman had
been dead about ten hours when Of
ficials from here had made the four
mile trip over the back road to Con.
vent to the house where the shooting
occurred. This building is mile from
the mansion. The second floor is un-
occupied, and the wife Of James
Eager, the coachman, on the third
floor, declared that she was too busy
last night to know what was going on
in the rooms below, where Losee lived.
Both bodies were in the kitchen.
Losee had been shot through the back
of the head. His wife had bullet
wound under the right ear. The re-
volver lay nearby, as did a home made
blackjack, fashioned from a piece OF
garden hose and filled with shot. From
marks on the woman's face and body
it was evident that Losee had tried to
protect himself until he became con-
vinced that his wife would shoot, when
he turned and tried to escape.
Mrs. II. 6. Loud, daughter of DR..
Humphreys, told story which made
clear to the authorities the motive for
the murder and suicide. The couple
came on the estate year ago, and
from the first their constant chickering's
were source of trouble for the entire
colony there. Last fall Losee was told
that he might retain his Job only by
sending his wife away.
This, il is said, he was only too
willing to do. Weighing about l20
pounds, he was afraid of his 200-pound
spouse, whose bulk was backed up by
q feverish Hungarian temperament.
She often threatened her husbands life
in those days, Mrs. Loud said, and so
great was the contrast between her
ungovernsble temper and unreasonable
jealousy and his sobriety and industry
that finally the ultimatum was de-
livered. She must 80. He might stay
il he desired.
Losec voted to stay, and his wife went
to the home of his mother at Highland
Falls, N. Y. He sent money regularly
until he received a letter from his
mother saying that Vera had decided
to return to Normandie Heights. Mrs.
Losee, the elder, gave details even to
the time of arrival, and closed by urg-
ing her son TO receive his wife and
try to make amends for the past.
The gardener was not in Morristown
yesterday when she arrived and she en-
gagged cab TO take her to her hus-
bands quarters. She was seen TO reach
there by a daughter Of Eager. She
Rad q suitcase and for some time after
she had made herself at home in her
husbands absence was heard singing
and laughing TO herself.
At nightfall Mrs. Eager says her chill
dren were having their bath, and the
almost constant running of water dis
tracted her attention. She did not hear
Losee return from his days work nor
any sound of the fierce struggle that un-
doubtedly followed before both hus-
band and wife were stretched out on
the floor dead.
Evidently the old quarrel broke out
when the gardener found his wife, her
travelling dress laid away for a house
dress that indicated her intention to
stay on her own terms or end their
disagreement for all time.
IL appears that the first assault was
purely physical, but that Mrs. Losee,
who had carefully plotted out the loca-
ton Of her husbands revolver, resorted
to its use only after he had success
fully defended himself with the i'm
provised blackjack. His actions after
she took the weapon from the drawer
where it was kept and impressed him
with her determination to use il, show
that his only thought was self-preser-
walton.
Coroner Welch, Prosecutor Reed, DR..
George L. Johnson and Patrolman
Wildey agreed that there was no mys-
terry about the shooting. and IL was an
nounced that no inquest would be held.