Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-02-14
WOMAN'S AFFAIR WITH
GREEK WAITER LEADS
TO SHOOTING
BABES SEE CRIME
LITTLE DAUGHTER OF ADAM MO
RAViTZ, WHOSE WIFE SUED
FOR DIVORCE. LOOKS ON WHILE
FATHER KILLS MOTHER AND
THEN SUICIDES.

Adam Morayitz aged 35 years, ia
tally shot his wife, Josephine Mora
vitz aged 80 years, lasa evening at
O'Clock in their home in the Fed
eral Plate addition and then turned
the revolver on himself, firing one
shot through his right temple, caus-
ing instant death. The wife was shot
as she lay in her bed with her two
children, Anna, aged years, and Mar-
tin, aged 2, and while her other little
son, Steve. aged : years was sleep
ing in bed not three feet distant.
The murder and suicide are thought
by the neighbors of the couple to have
been preneditated after q long siege
of Jealousy on the part of the hus-
band, which, they declare, WIS not
without cause on the par of the wife.
Feb. !, 1918. the wife applied for a
divorce on the grounds Of drunken
ness and cruelty. but had since been
lising with her husband in the small
home they were buying on moni}ly
payments.
Moravitz's presence al the house
was in violation Of an injunction is-
sued by Judge tlldrcdge restraining
him from going near the abode o.
the complainant or from molesing
her in any way" Regardless Of the
court writ he is said 20 have made
several trips to The home while the
suit was pending,
In her bill for divorce Mrs. Morn
yitz claimed that her husband was
addicted to the Use of strong drink,
and .hat when he was drunk he be-
came quarre some. and after acc0s.
irg her of being faithieas he would
threaten to do her bodily harm On
one occasion during a drunken rage,
he attacked her with Ratchet.
Her plea sets forth that "the de
fendant is man Of ungoycrn1blo
temper, and when he is aroused he
made a practice Of settling aN his
worldly grievances by taking them
out on the body of the complainant
There are three childreu-Ann1.
aged s; Steven, aged ), and Martin
aged 2h years. The couple were mar
ried May 25 1910. and separated on
Jan. 81, when Mrs NoravitZ said she
was forced to seek safety in the home
of neighbors after the defendant
started one Of his Trades and threat
ened to kill her
That Morayitz had some grounds
for suspecting his wfes loyalty 20
him is evidenced by official records,
- The woman, it is claimed by the no
ice, was taken in custody shortly be
ance for having clandestine meetings
with her Greek admirer.
For several months rumCrs Of an
affair between Mrs Moraviz and a
Greek waiter in one of the downtown
restaurants had been circulating
among the residents of the district
where the couple lived Il was after
a free-for-all fight, eliminating from
this affair, between Moravitz and his
wife. that the proceedings for the di
vorce we're started.
Mrs. Morayitz came downtown yes
terday afternoon. When her husband
returned from the factory where he
was employed as a laborer he fol
lowed his wife to the city. The gen
eral supposi;ion is that he was crazed
with jealousy after his wife's visit tt
town, but people who saw him on hi,
way home and who talked with hin
in the evening declare he was coo
and rational.
Passerby Hears Shots.
He visited the grocery store @
Egisto Rabuiti, which is located ahou
goo feet north of his home, and talkeC
to several people while there. A
about ten minutes to he returne,
home and was seen entering th
house The same man who saw hin
return home was again passing tn
house about ten minutes later. whel
he heard a shot and a scream. II
heard the second shot, and ran bac
into the grocery store to tell what b
had heard.
Mr.. Rabuiti and another man star