The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-07-17
CHAUFFEUR
KILLED WOMAN
AND HIMSELF
Officials Say Murder of
Brokers Wife Was
Premeditated


Cordova, wife OF wealthy New
York broker, and OF Bernard ID.
Geissicr. her chauffeur. In stoning-
ton. late Monday evening. was not
double murder. but was "A murder
and suicide. according TO Prosecuting
Attorney BENJAMIN II. Hewitt OF
Stonlngton and to Governor Franklin
u. Brown, Hewitt and Brown agreed
that the chauffeur did the shooting.
While this essential fact has been
cleared up. mystery still hangs over
the motive for the killing and the
circumstances which led up TO the
death scene.
Dr. Florlzei Meyer. husband OF the
| dead woman's sister, today expressed
his belief that Bernard Geissier was
paranoiac and killed Mrs. Arthur
de Cordova while suffering from a
brain storm auperinduced by drink
ing whisky.
The Investigators at present lean
most strongly to the belief that the
| killing was premeditated by the
chauffeur First among the reaEons
| for this theory In the fact that .ock
OF woman's hair was found In an en-
velope In the mans pocket and the
outside Of the envelope bore these
words in his writing; I'm case Of ac-
] ctoeul or ueotu, ptact TINS uuuer my
! pillow" The hair Is blonde. SO
was Mrs. de Cordova's hair.
Moreover. tio chauffeur is said by
! fellow. chauffeurs at the Hotel Grls-
void. Eastern Point, the fashionable
| resort near here, where tho De Cor
dovas were spending the summer, to
have practiced shooting with a re-
volvcr during the last few days.
Watched Couple In Dining Room.
George Young Bnuchlc also told
reporters OF an occasion when the
chauffeur peerod into the dining
room OF the Hotel Griswold and at
iracted attention by the queer way
In which he watched Mr.. and Mrs.
de Cordova.
II Is reported here that the chauf-
feur and his wife had quarreled be-
cause OF her suspicious OF his friend
ship for Mrs. de Cordova, and that
she had gone TO Mrs de Cordova
about the affair somo time before the
family came here for the summer.
De Cordova gave Geissler a clean
hill as far as his five years service
ns chauffeur for his family were con-
ccrned
"Geissler never drank to my
knowledge and at times when l In
vltcd him to take a drink he de-
clined because. he said, he touched
nothing but beer" DE Cordova said
"iIe always showed devotion to the
whole family. but never exhibited the
slightest familiarity toward any OF
us.
~ am positive Goissler was men
tally unbalanced. Three weeks ago
ordered him 40 bring the car at
o'clock Sunday morning, and he was
late. He excused this on the ground
that he had to go TO mass and would
not miss his devotlons.
Says Chauffeur Was Concclted.
Il did not take these things scri-
ously. nor his opinion that he could
do better than anyone else. He
thought no mechanic could do 50
much with an automobile, no chauf-
fcur drive 80 well as he. and showed
many signs OF exaggerated ego"
The De Cordovas had summered
at the Griswold for five years and
Geissler had been their chauffeur for
the same length OF time.
Mrs. DE cordova was ~ years old
and an unusually attractive woman,
with all the social graces natural to
her position in life. She seemed ia
b1 extremely fond OF her husband
and her two children. The chauf-
. feur was 32 and was not particularly
good looking.
The DE Cordovas and their chauf-
fcur arrived at the Grlswold this
year July /. Mr.. DE Cordova, who
is "A member of n brokerage firm In
New York. was accustomed to spend
, the wcek-ends here, returning "a
New York Mondays. They used Their
J car Il great deal and Mrs. DE Cor
doVa was fond OF driving about this
! pretty country roads In this section
at all times.
,, The De Cordova family occupied 9
suite OF four rooms at the Grlswolt
and the husband was known as a mar
: who provided most generously for thu
I maintenance of his wife and children
Mother and daughter were Away
3 gowned IN the best OF fashion an'
!; the mother usually wore expensive
: icwelry.
spent Sunday With Family.
DE Cordova came here last week
end. as usual. and spent sunday witt
: his FANNY. As far as could be learn
!, cd there was no quarrel aud the da'
: was spent quietly and pleasantly, mo
!, toring being the chief diversion.
4 The husband took his customar.
train TO New York Monday morninl
and presumably, was In the cit
when his wife and the chauheu
started from the Griswold In the ca
\ at ? O'Clock Monday afternoon.
- Mrs De Cordova took with he
some soilcd linen to be left with
a Stohington washerwoman. Althoug
n they were absent for three hours an
e a half before the killing took plac
& and could easily have gone direct 1
e the Stonlngton woman's house an
n left the washing. the solied ciothe
were still in the car when the tr red
e was discovered.
o The discovery OF the shooting an
!, subsequent inquiry also disclosed tn
h fact that when thoy left the Grlswol