The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-08-14
|SPURNED LOVER
SHOOTS WOMAN
Then Kills Himself
After Wounding
State Officer

SMITHT0WN, \. Y. A
rejected lover. who sped on
his deadly mission to this
society colony so fast he got
traffic ticket, today shot
and critically wounded So
cialite Mrs. Elizabeth Greve
Caldwell Carolin, wounded a
state trooper, then committed
suicide.
The sutton was Laurence
sprague. 20, wilful stepson of a
society doctor, who picked up a
gun and raced here at 65 miles an
hour to the house where Mrs.
Carolin told him by telephone their
romance was at an end.
Only a few moments before he
rushed into the home OF Mrs. Tracy
Higgins, estranged wife Of the
millionaire ink manufacturer, he
was stopped by police at West
bury. and given summons.
Mrs. Carolin was taken to
Southside hospital in Bayshore with
three bullets in her body. State
Trooper John Busch was hit in the
left arm, as he lesped across a
bedroom in an effort to keep
Sprague from killing Mrs. Carolin.
Mother Is Bitter
Mrs. Wilhelmina Sprague. wife
of Dr. Shirley Sprague and mother
of the suicide. said bitterly that
she saw it coming" when she
was informed of the shootings in a
five-story mansion in New York
City.
This sort of thing could not go
on" she said. II was up at 6
q. m. this morning, and went to
Lollys bedroom. There l found
he hadn't slept in his bed. looked
at the bed and said, Please God,
end it one or the other But why
wasn't he a man about it? To kill
himself and not anybody else. 1t
was ungodly of him."
Called Police
Mrs. Higgins called state police
at a m. and said drunken man
was running around in her home"
STrooper Busch went there. Mrs.
NHiggins met him at the front door
with the news that Sprague had
Booked himself in an upstairs bed
Room with Mrs. Carolin.
He found the door open. Sprague
was sitting on the bed. He fired
zone shot at the trooper, which
ggrazed his right arm, then fired
vt Mrs. Carolin, and, as Busch was
j drawing his own revolver, shot
. himself.
Mrs. Carolin was estranged from
her second husband. She and
Sprague had been seen at many
Functions of the Long Island So
ciety set to which they belonged.
Friends understood she had reject
Aed Sprague's suit.
Comes and Waits
Smithtown is one of the exclusive
communities of the wealthy Sec
Htion of Long Island and Mrs. Hig-
gins is one of its best known
shostesses. Mrs. Carolin was one
of her weekend guests. Last
night, she told police, Sprague
Atelephoned and wanted to talk to
her.
knowing they had quarreled, she
+ eaid she wasn't there. He tele-
4 phoned later, and this time Mrs.
#Carolin went to the phone.
a Then they took some guests to
neighbours home and when they
Returned at 2 a. m. Sprague was
waiting.
8 He asked Elizabeth II 1t was
ell off with him." Mrs. Higgins
told police. land she said it was.
bic brought out a gun and / told
Dim TO put it away. Elizabeth ran
upstairs and he ran after her."
Woman Tells Story
Then Mrs. Higgins called police
and the tragedy followed
At the hospital Mrs. Carolin was
able to make a brief statement to
police.
Larry came upstairs furious, ="
E she said. II saw he had gun in
4 his hand. I was so afraid / didn't
4 know what to do. We sat down
on the bed and he said, either we
make up, or I'll kin you
AZ told him we just couldn't
make up. He said: I know you've
called police. II anyone enters
! that door. I'm going to Kill you
and get him and shoot myself"
III