The sun., 1918-09-17
EDITOR CHAPLIN
STAYS HIS WIFE
ANDDISAPPEARS
Evening World" Executive
Leaves Note Saying He
Will Kill Himself.
BELIEVED TO BE INSANE
Had Been Suffering From Ncr-
vOus DisOrder-POlicc Are
Hunting for Him.
TO BE INSANE

Charles F. Chaplin. connected with the
Pulitzer publishing interests for the last
thirty years and for the last twenty
years city editor of the Evening World.
is being sought by the police for the
murder Of his wife. whom he shot and
killed yesterday as she lay in bed in their
apartments at the Hotel Cumberland
Chaplin in note to Don C. Seitz. busi-
ness manager OF the World. posted just
after he killed his wife. admitted the
crime and said that II was his intention
to destroy himself. SO far the police
have been unable to determine whether
he did so or lost his nerve and fed from
the city
In his note to Mr.. Seitz he said that
he felt himself to be on the edge OF a
nervous breakdown and could not face
the prospect OF ending his days In a
sanitarium.
so I have resolved to end 1t ALL" he
wrote, land take Mrs. Chaplin with me"
Police Find . Note.
The police found another note on the
table In the room where Mrs. Chaplin lay
dead.
"She is dead. am going to do the
same to myself. HUSBAND"
He left still another note to the hotel
management:
My wife died this A. NJ. l have been
suffering Ereatiy with mental distress
and pains and threatened with insanity.
My wife died In sleep. She never knew.
Please forgive me. will be dead my
self within few minutes after you re-
ceive this
Chaplin appears to have killed his
wife at about o'clock in the morning
Just after that hour Frank Carruthers
Of the business management of the
World. who lives In the Hotel Cumber-
land. was coming down in the hotel ele-
vator when he met Chaplin, who had en-
tered the elevator at another floor. They
exchanged a perfunctory greeting and
spoke of the weather.
Said Wife Had n Cold.
Chaplin had a letter in his hand and
said he was going to post 1t, but would
not be down to the World office that day
as Mrs. Chaplin was confined to her bee
with a cold. They separated at the
street door and Mr.. Carruthers did mo-
see him again.
At few minutes after o'clock ir
the afternoon Mr.. Seitz received tn.
note telling him that Chaplin intended tc
kill his wife and then himself II ha6
been posted at Station G. which Is a few
blocks from the Hotel Cumberland, al
3 9;l5 o'clock not more than Ave minute.
Corr,,.h... =
met in their hotel. and when Mrs
Chaplin must have been already dead
Mr.. Seitz notified the police at once.
The police found Mrs. Chapip dead IL
bed with a bullet hole in the side of he
head. A card In Chaplns handwriting
pinned to the door read. Don't disturb
She wore her night dress and apparentl,
| had been shot while she was still asleep
| The note saying that Chaplin meant t,
table beside her. From the fact that n,
sound OF a shot was heard 1t is sup
posed that Chapin's pistol was equipped
with a silencer.
| seitx Gives Out Extract.
Mr.. Seitz gave out the following ex
tract last night from the letter he ha,
received in the afternoon:
"I have been living with my wife TO
thirty-nine years and have been happ
during that time. / am conscious of be
Ing on the verge OF nervous breakdow
and 1t is apparent that the time is clos
when WIN eompieteiy eoilapee' Whe
you get th's letter "i,i De ueao' M
wife has been such sooa feiiow cahho
for his own demise Is still unknown I