The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-04-19
Tragedy Occurs During Of
fertory and Thrilling
Scenes Follow.
OTHERS NEAR DEATH
DR.. Brewer Hurt While
Disarming Murderer
After a Chase.
CONGREGATION IN A PANIC
Well Known Men Help Capture
Maniac-Victim Dies ON
Way to Hospital.
CONGREGATION IN A PANIC

DR.. James Wright Markoe. one OF the
most useful and eminent surgeons OF
America, was shot to death by a de-
generate lunatic in st. Georges Epis-
copal Church, in Stuyvesant square,
toward the end of the morning Ser
vice yesterday. Ten minutes later the
laughing murderer was disarmed and
captured outside OF the church, In
Stuyvesant Park, by DR.. George Emer-
son Brewer, friend and fellow vestry-
man Of DR.. Markoe, after narrowly es-
Gaping death himself from the revoiver
of the crazy man.
The slayer is Thomas W. Simp,Sin, an
Englishman and an iunerant printer.
who came to this country from Lon
don eight years ago. whose brain went
into wild disorder over religion and
who escaped from an insane asylum at
Fergus Falls, Mimi, nearly two years
ago. He Lad never even heard OF DR..
Markoe. The great surgeons identity
meant nothing whatever to him.
As he sat in the softly lighted, beau
tiful church, with the deep tones Of the
offertory anthem swelling in his ears,
the impulse came to him to kill. He
gripped the butt Of the cheap revolver
he had been carrying for two years.
Two men came toward him in the
south aisle, one offering a collection
plate to the right. the other proffertrg
1t to the left. One was Herbert l..
satterlee, the brother-in-law OF J. P.
Morgan The other was DR.. Markoe.
1t happened to be DR.. Markoe who ap-
preached the pew whose south end was
occupied by this man Simpkin, whose
brain seethed with madness.
shoots mt Close Range.
The doctor proffered the plate, exJ
tending it with the courteous, graceful
and impersonal manner characteristic
vi lhO LoAi|blOit Abo(iL' LlV DNdANCty
glanced at Simpkin as he bent slightly
toward the pew. Simpkin half raised
in his seat, swiftly drew the revolver.
held 1t within foot and half Of DR..
Markoe's head and pulled the trigger.
The bullet passed through DIR. Mar
koe's left eye and into his brain. He
sank to the floor and was lifeless with
in q few minutes.
Hundreds of the coDiIrunicants and
visitors saw the murder, and the entire
was startled by the re-
volver report which interrupted th3
music Of the organ and the chanting OF
the choir. Mrs. Markoe was there.
Fellowes Morgan, president OF
the Merchants Association; Robert
Fulton Cutting. Henry Monroe. Charles
G. Birmingham. II. II. Flke. George W.
formerly Attorney-General
Of the United States; Dr. Il. Livingston
Hunt, Montgomery Jones and Theodore
II. Price were among the congregation.
DR.. Brewer as one Of the vestrymen.
was assisting at the offertory. bearing
The salver down the central aisle.
For few seconds the rhythm Of choir
and organ was broken and stayed, al
oragnist and singers. startled and
shocked, gazed into tho body of the
church where men and women were
rising from pews, and where, at the
back. in the south aisle, Il group of meu
wero lifting DIR. Ma-koe body from the
'loor. They saw an understood. thin,
almost emaciated. man making toward
he door, waving his revolver eccentri-
,ally as he faced first one way, then
mother.
DR.. Brewer Leads Chase.
The sexton Of st. Georges, ]. C. Tiede-
nan, and Montgomery jones, a vestry-
man. tried to block Slmpkin's way. and
lie fired at them, the bullet almost
yrazing Mr.. Jones's right cheek. Then,
Is Tiederhan dropped to the floor to.
escape a second shot, Simpkin sprang
,ut of the doorway giving on Stuyvesant
uuare, ran down the steps and across
rutherford place, and entered the park.
tself.
Dr. Brewer. knowing then that his
riend. pr. Markoe. was dead, and beside
limself with grief and anger. followed
,impkin at the head Of perhaps dozen
men. who ran out Of the church. II was
IS voluntarily brave an act as can bo
magined, for II was obvious even then
mat DR.. Markoe's slayer was utterly
insane. fired with homicidal passion and
hat he had means still In his hand to
nuff out other lives. Yet DIR. Brewer
ever hesitated. He dashed Into the
ark Yards In the lead OF other MEM
ers Of the congregations and Of Tiede-
nan. the sexton.
Simpkln turned his head occasionally
3 he ran, as II measuring the distance
O. his pursuers and tempted 20 shoot at
hem. lie was making for the park en-
rance at Second avenue and Fifteenth
treet and was nearing the gate when
ompany OF young men who saw that
impkln was fugitive blocked his way.
r would have blocked It K he had hell
Ia course But he saw them filling the
ate and turned back toward DR.. Brewer
nd the others from the church. and IN
he lunatcs momentary hesitation DR..
'rewer had chance to sprint forward
nd seize him before he could escape
gain.
Dr. Brewers reaching fingers caught
impkin's night arm ard closed around
like wise Simpxin struggled, but
'r. Brewer gradually forced his right