South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-07-17
Two Children. 9 to u Years
Old, Homeless as Result
of Tragedy.
ARRESTED LAST WEEK
Found Guilty IN City Court of
Assaulting Wounded
Woman.
By STUART II. CARROLL.

BY STUART IL. CARROLL
Under the rolling clouds Of smoke
from the Studebaker fire nearby was
enacted Friday afternoon the final
scene in the checkered life OF Joseph
Cheres-husband. father and jealous
lover. And when the last curtain
came tumbling down il was 10 the
echo of a pistol charge fired by his
own right hand into his fiery brain.
But a moment before had come the
anti-climaN when Cheres had turned
savaEely on his young wife and sent
two shots laundering into her body.
Tragedy on Porch.
The tiny enclosed back porch of
the Cheres home At 1910 s. Lafayette
ST. was the setting of the tragic pan
tomime. Near the door leading TO
the back yard lay the body OF Cher
es. hfeless, with blood pouring from
the wound ina his head and forming q
dusky pool at the foo. ~ the
kitchen steps. His hand clutched a
revolver Of 3. caliDre. Three cham
hers were empty. the remainder had
not been fired. Opposite lay his wife
Mary. still conscious, her face wrirh-
ing IN pain from the wounds In her
back.
Children In House.
Pcering throuh a closed window
4 in the kitchen was the 12-ycar-Old
daughter named for her mother,
I Mary. Too stunned 10 CRY, she stood
silently gazing at the fearful pic
ture Nearby was the other tiny
girl. Elizabeth nine -year-o old.
frail. crying tot, twisting the ends Of
her gingham dress just sensing that
some tragedy had crept into her
young life, but not knowing its fun
meaning.
Child Tells Story.
Papa was a bad man." whim-
pered little Mary, her blue eyes shin
ing through tears which were be-
ginning 10 come. "He was not good
with mamma and he was not good
with me.
Il heard him yelling at my nam
ma on the porch and I woke up.
ran TO the window and when papa
saw me he said Don't you come
out here. You little --. or TN
shoot you. too He had shot mann
ma once and then he shot again.
Then he shot himself"
Then the little girl broke down,
sobbing:
Where viii we sleep tonight
Papa is dead and mamma is in the
hospital. Where viii we sleep?'
Taken to Scifcrt Home.
Kind hearted neighbors answered
the touching question and even be-
fore dusk had come 10 soften the
picture of ruined lives. the two girls
were taken TO the home OF Leo Sell
fert. where gentle hands began the
tremulous task Of lcssening the great
sorrow that has come 20 them.
All had not gone well lately in the
life OF Joseph Cheres. lie thought
that his wife. Mary was unfaithful
10 him and ne believed that Mary
had clandesune lover, a man
named Steve Leier.
SO it happened that I'm the city
police court last week Chercs was
found guilty OF assaulting his wife.
IL developed that they had not been
happy together for some time and IN
his trial he admitted having kicked
her.
His story.
His story was that on July %, while
the family was az breakfast. Mary
said She would 60 20 the hydrant in
the back yard for a glass Of water.
But the husband was suspicious. no
said. and followed her from the
house. There near the hydrant.
Cheres testified be saw his wife and
Leier.
a quarrel followed and Cheres left
his home ON s. Lafayette ST., 10 90
Go his work as painter with the
Charles ROY CO., OF Mishawaks- Il
was Saturday when he left and he
did not return until sunday noon.
In the meantime Mary had gone 20
a iustice OF the peace 20 obtain an
injunction preventing her husband
from coming back 20 the home.
Then came the Sunday noon. the
fourth of July, and Cheres returned
home
They quarreled and ne kicked his
wife. saying that DE Tas driven 10
il bv her actions with Steve Leler.
She had him arrested and be was
fined 80 and costs when found
guilty OF assault and battery.
In retaliation Chcres swore out a
warrant for Steve Leier and fled
suit in city court 20 have Leier
bound over 10 keep the peace. Wien
the trial came up Leier was dis
charged.
Returns 10 Work
Once again Cheres returned 70 lie
work in NlsnaWakL where he had
been employed for the past I'VE
months. But or last Monday morn
ing he cult a. 10 o'clock. saying
that he was going home
He never went back again.
Thursday IN South Bend. Chercs
met Vincent Erick. a fellow en-
pIoye. and offered 10 sell him the
hicvcle ne owned. But EriCk knew
Cheres and suspected that all was
x~ON-TrN-r-ED oN- PACE T-or-F3 =