Tombstone epitaph., 1920-07-04
CLERK SHOOTS AND KILLS LOCAL GIRL
 THEN SUICIDES

HEN SOtSI6cS
 DOUGLAS, June es.--With no ap. paren. motive tha, police or friends could advance. William F. Smith. clerk at the Phelps Dodge store shot and killed Miss Thelma Laura Gutke, T. year old daughter of Carl F. Gutke. foreman boilermaker at the C & A shelter. l060 Fifteenth street last night, and then turned the gun on himself and inflicted wound which later proved fatal. The shoot ing occurred at Fifteenth street and avenue when the couple were oY their way home from friends house. unrequ!:ed love or a fit of tempo rary insanity are possible motives for the tragedy advanced by friends. Be- cause ot :he peculiar actions of Smith previous 10 the shooting, tha police are inclined 70 consider the insanity theory as the most likely mo- tive for the shooting, although il ia known th1. severa. weeks ago he proposed marriage and was refused by Mss Gutae. who said she wanted him as q friend only He did no, appear 70 take the refusal seriously, friends say. and add that since then he has proposed to another girl.
 According to Miss Billie Turvey. ar !atima:e friend Of Miss Gutke. and ;he .as: rersor 70 see her alive, Smith met them after the store clos. ed las. u!sh. and took them 10 iunca Whiie they were seated in the res !. tauraa.. Smith suddenly arose and asked 10 be excused while he went 10 feed the chickens. Knowing that he Has 10: in the poultry business, the girl, considered his actions strang-. but when he returned a few minutes later .he incident was imme. d.a,e.y forgotten
 The ;ar-e ven; to a show anl agl.r Smi,a asked to be excused on some apparently insane pretext As oa his previous excursion. he returned wi:hia few minutes and again the girls overlooked his strange actions.
 smith aut Miss Gutke accompan, ed Mss Turyey 70 her home on Six. teeu'h street. where they left her aai s:ar;ei tcc he home of the for ms- There had been no arguments or luarre.s durag the evening. Miss Turvey sa!i and she could give no reason for the shooting.
 Tt-rs were a3 eye witnesses % :he tragedy. bu. rom the position Of me bodies i; !s believed that the murdered gir. was running away from Sai;A when he fired the first .Ao;A Ta3 more followed. all of them :ak.ns 7.,ec She is believed to have d.=i .p,;Ar.ly smith then turn ai .h= -ur oa h.mseli and fired b1..e: through h,s heart. He died .ew m.ag.e. a:.ef residents at,rae-. .i 5y the sa51.ins arrived on the ,,4ae ii@ t.i ID, regain conscious .aes, sls r, ,;a.emen: was obtained ,-5a @
 N,- E--se aa, attended the local schools hat sea employed as cash. tes .- sas -, .lrn.shiug depar.. uea Q. ;a- p sore for the last e.ga, a.9a;a. anl Mas very popular win .ae otae. clerks.
 ings department Of the Phelps Dodge store. lie Was a qu!e: anc unassum- ing man. h.. brother clerks say. bu: o2 severa. occasions acted queerlr. His parents live ia Virginia. the exact .ocat1n 10. ye. known by the po- Ice. lie was ahou. 9 years of age The body @. Mss Guike will be shipped D S3., Lake City this eve ming. her mother and brother. Clyde, having le.; for that ely about week ago She IS survived by her mother aud father, a sister and five | brothers. (