Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1917-03-15
SHOOTS WIDOW
KILLS HIMSELF
Tragedy in Joseph Steel
mans Home.
WIFE Is SHOT.
Former Bridget0n Family Now in
Camden in Horrible
Affair.

Angered because she refused to
permit him to continue calling on ner
Charles Steelman, in Camden, yester-
day shot and killed Mrs. Anna Mccoy,
: 30-year-old widow, and killed him
self. He probably fatally wounded
Mrs. Anna Steelman, who is not re-
lated to him.
The shooting took place in the
home of Mrs. Steelman, 1424 Baird
avenue. Notes found in the pockets
of the dead man showed the tragedy
had been premeditated.
On the preceding night Steelman
called and asked to see Mrs. Mccoy
He was refused admittance, and left
uttering threats. When he called
again yesterday morning Mrs. Steel
man declined to open the door. He
kicked in the glass panels and shot
the woman in the breast Unlocking
the door by reaching inside the brok-
en- panel, Steelman ran up stairs,
him to warn Mrs. Mccoy
Meeting Mrs Steelman on the sec
ong floor landing he shot her in the
mouth Finding the door to Mrs. Nc.
Coy's room locked he kicked it open
and sent bullet through her brain.
Acausing instant death.
Throwing himself on a bed he sent
bullet into his own head. dying in
stantly. The shooting was heard by
Gertrude Steelman, a daughter of the
wounded woman, and she gave an
alarm. When the police arrived they
found one revolver by the body OF
Mrs. Mccoy and second one clutched
in the hand of the dead man.
Miss Gertrude Steelman, aged 10
an adopted daughter of the Steelmans
was the only person in the house at
the time of the tragedy, and, although
y badly. frightened, she telephoned to
police headquarters and called out OF
a window for assistance She was
hysterical when Policemen ANIME and
Smith arrived, and she was placed
at the side of her wounded mother in
a police automobile and hurried tC
- Cooper Hospital. She was able .tc
leave in short time and it was stat
ed at the hospital asst night that Mrs
I Steelman would recover.
Joseph Steelman, the husband OF
the wounded woman, upon his return
last night from Wildwood, where he
is engaged in the erection of a high
school, stated that ne had heard OF
the barber calling at his home to see
Mrs. Mccoy. He also said he be.
iieved his wife was shot because the
slayer was of the belief that Mrs
Steelman was interfering with the af-
fairs of the widow, who had refused
to make her home in apartments rent
ed by the Philadelphian
Steelman had two revolvers and he
had fired nine Shots
Half an hour after the tragedy a
messenger from a Philadelphia drug
gist called at the Steelman home and
asked for Mrs. Mccoy saying he had
a package for her.
Mrs. Mccoy will be unable to re-
ceive the package; she's dead,' said
Mounted Policeman Smith, who was
stationed at the door. The package
= contained several bottles of perfume,
which had been ordered by mail.
A letter found on Steelmans body,
indicating that he had carefully
planned the crime, was addressed "to
my wife and children that once loved
me-" 1t said in part:
When this reaches you l will be
cold in death.
You have always been a good,
faithful wife to me; Annette and Hen
ry have been loving and kind. am
nearly blind from crying over the
loss of all those who once loved me.
would only be in the road in this
world.
sI have written to Kruse and told
him what to do, So will not be any
mere expense to you. Life is not
worth the price; the long lonely road
of the future is not worth the toll.