The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-18
SU|TOR SHOOTS
WOMAN, THEN
ENDS HIS LIFE
Young Widow Found in
Chair With Bullet Wound
in Head.
WEDDING PLEA SPURNED
Tragedy Ciimaxed Years of
CourtShip, Friends of
Pair Say.
WEDDING PLEA SPURNE[
BY TIEZE CLARK

AS she clasped a Bible in her
hands, Mrs. Bernice Owens, pretty
22-year- old widow, was shot in the
head early today by her sweetheart,
thirty-three years her senior, who
killed himself after the murder at
tempt.
The woman was found by police
slumped in her chair in the living
room of her residence at 968 En-
glish avenue. The body of the man,
Arthur S. Long, SIS North Delaware
street, was on the other side of the
room.
Long had shot himself in the
mouth and was clutching a 25 auto
matte pistol.
When police arrived, Long had
been dead nearly four hours. Mrs.
Owens, at city hospital, is not ex-
pected to live.
Climaxes Long COurtship
The tragedy was the climax of
several years courtship by Long,
who met Mrs. Owens after her
marriage to Kenneth Owens.
Throughout her marriage, which
ended when her husband choked
to death on chicken bone in
September, Long had continued
his friendship with Mrs. Owens, it
is said.
After her husbands death, Long
became a regular visitor at the
Owens residence. She lived with
distant relatives, Mr.. and Mrs.
Frank Perkins.
Mrs. Owens, a SpiritualiSt, had
been reading the Sixth chapter of
Luke when Long shot her. The
place in the Bible was marked with
slip of paper on which the woman
had written, Il am the I am
Persistent in WoOing
AS she was lifted from the chair,
after the tragedy was discovered by
Perkins and his wife the Bible fell
to the floor.
"She is the little angel of our
home" Mrs. Perkins cried. "She is
good, sweet, pure girl"
Perkins and his wife said Mrs.
Owens considered Long a good
friend, and there was nothing seri-
Gus as far as she was concerned.
They told Sergeant Harry Schlcw
and police that Long had persisted
in his wooing and that they be-
lieved he wanted to marry Mrs.
Owens and became enraged at her
constant refusalS.
Mr.. and Mrs. Perkins said that
when they retired, shortly after IL
Thursday night, Long and Mrs.
Owens were conversing in the liv-
ing room of the house.
Neither Hears Shots
Neither Perkins nor his wife
heard the shots, and the murder
attempt and suicide was not dis
covered until Perkins arose today.
Longs body lay between the liv-
ing room and the adjoining room,
in which the young woman lived.
Although he was we'll dressed,
only penny was found in his pos
session.
L. Guy Long, 1885 Central avenue,
brother of the suicide victim, said
he had not seen Arthur Long for
several years.
Survivors, in addition to the
brother, are a son, Clarence Long,
3426 East Twenty-fifth street;
daughter, Mrs. Jeanette Osborn of
Dayton, and Mrs. Bertha Troxell,
Lagrange. Ill.
Mrs. Owens was native of Con-
nerSville, Ind.
Long was divorced from his wife
nine years ago and she now lives
in Dayton with her second husband.
HE tried to commit suicide
eight years ago and then tried TO
kill his wife after she was remar-
ried," Mrs. Clarence Long said to-
day. He's been running around
with young girls ever since his wife
divorced him."