New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-07
Wife Refuses
10 Kill Him, So
He Shoots Her
B. r.. T. Guard Then Turns
Revolver ON Himself, but
Finds Chambers Empty:
Five Witness the Assault
Came to Beg Forgiveness
Brooklyn Woman in Criti-
cal Condition and Frank
DE Santes Is Arrested

Angered by his wifes refusal tc
shoot him, Frank de Santes thrust his
revolver into her face yesterday and
pulled the trigger three times. Then
he turned the weapon on himself. only
to discover that he had used nm all
his cartridges on his wife. She was
taken to the Methodist Episcopal Hos.
pitai, Brooklyn. Her wounds are seri.
Gus.
De Santes is employed as a guard by
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
He and his wife quarreled and she
went to her mothers home on the
floor below theirs, at 255 Twentieth
Street, Brooklyn. taking their two.
year-old son. Salvatore.
Her husband entered the apartment
yesterday seeking forgiveness. His
wife's mother, her brother, two women
neighbors and little Salvatore were
there. De Santes, not daunted by the
audience, flung himself on his knees
BESIDE his wife and begged her to
pardon him.
The others in the room could no,
hear his words, but his attitude and
lmpassioned speech made his desire
clear to them. Occasionally Mrs. de
nantes put in brief, cool word. Now
and then she shook her head in the
negative. 1t was plain that she was
repulsing the man.
Pressed Revolver on Wife
eff you don't take me back 7 don't
want to live!" cried De Santes. his voice
reaching all those in the room.
He drew something from his pocket
and tried to force it into his wifes
grasp. She thrust his hand away
and clasped her own in her lap. De
oantes sought in vain to clasp one of
them about the object he had drawn
from his pocket.
Shoot mel" he exclaimed. eff you
don't want me, shoot mel"
Mrs. De Santes shook her head again
her eyes averted. Her husband raised
his hand. Not until then did the Others
IN II, the room see that it held a revolver
The muzzle was pressed against Mrs
Santes's face. Before any one could
intervene. De Santes pressed the trig-
ger. AS his wife toppled over at the
shot he fred twice more,
SO quickly was it done that no one in
the room had moved. Salvatore sat
with the topmost block of some childish
structure still poised in his hand. The
women sat transfxed over their sewing
At the third shot Louis Imperialc. Mrs,
De Santes's brother, rushed upon De
Santes.
The latter hurled him aside and
raised the revolver to his temple. He
pulled the trigger twice, and twice the
hammer snapped on empty chambers.
Apparently puzzled, he broke the
weapon and was withdrawing the three
discharged cartridges it contained when
lmperiale sprang again.
Priest Enters Room
This time he bore De Santes to the
floor and held him there. A moment
later the door opened and a priest en-
tered. He was the Rev. Owen Ouipley
rector Of the Roman Catholic Church of
St. John the Evangelist He had been
passing the house. when he heard the
shots, and without hesitation had run
up the stairs to the Imperiale apart
ment
He knelt beside the wounded woman
and administered the last rites of the
Church. Mrs. Imperiale, her mother,
neighbors. Patrolmen and detectives
entered and relieved Imperiale of his
prisoner.
The police, who were leading De
Santes away, informed him that It was
out of the question for his infant son
to accompany him to his cell.
De Santes flung himself on the floor.
screaming and weeping. He would not
go, he said, unless he had Salvatore.
They picked him up and carried him
to the Fifth Avenue police station. A
few minutes later Mrs. De Santes was
carried out to an ambulance. Salvatore
re+urnad +o HE hIonLc