Evening star., 1946-10-07
Staying Of Wife
|AsNight ProW|eI
Ruled Accident
Arlington Ex-ModeI
Shot by, Mistoke in
Dark by Husband

SNsN ~ Hs0S00sl0
With the issuance Of a certificate
of accidental death, Arlington police
today closed their investigation into
the tragic death of Mrs. Marguerite
Bressler, %, who was fatally shot by
her husband when he mistook her
for an intruder early yesterday In
their newly rented home at Bill
Pershing drive.
Mrs. Bressler, attractive mother of
q 17-month-old son, died at sos I'm.
in the emergency room of Arlington
Hospital about 80 minutes after she
was shot in the chest. Army 1t.
Dean M. Bressler, 26, told Arlington
police he thought his wife was still
in bed and that the object dimly
Outlined by the reflection from a
street light was that of some one
who had broken into their second
floor bedroom.
The young couple had moved into
the neat brick home less than two
weeks ago, after renting it from an
nIuly wiz Woo O1aS3SA w
Japan, police said.
The Bresslers, who were expect
ing another child, had heard rumors
Of a prowler in the neighborhood,
police said. -.
Awakened by Wife.
Seconds before the tragedy, police
related, 1t. Bressler had been awak-
ened from a sound sleep by his wife
who said: Honey, there's somebody
In here"
He got out Of bed, still only half
awake and went to a bureau, where
he got German pistol. Turning
around, he saw the object framed
In the front window of the master
bedroom.
It was not until he fired and heard
q scream that 1t. Bressler fully
awakened and realized his wife was
not still in her twin bed, he told
police.
He telepnoned for aid and then
ran next door to a neighbor, j. H.
Miller, who lives at 3715 Pershing
drive. The Clarendon Rescue Squad
took Mrs. Bressler to the Arlington
Hospital, where she died without
regaining consciousness. Mr.. and
Mrs. Miller took the Bressler's son
Michael to their home. The boy had
been in another room during the
shooting.
Last Rites Administered.
Last rites of the Roman Catholic
Church were administered to the
dying woman at the hospital by
Father Joseph Wingler of st. Thom-
as More Church, and the priest also
informed the distraught husband
that his wife had died.
Grief stricken, the lieutenant re-
mained at the hospital for more than
an hour afterward and then re-
turned home, where he met his
father, Alban Bressler, who had
flown down from New York imme-
diately after being notified of the
tragedy.
Mrs. Bressler, the former Mar
guerite Gentle, was the daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. Ernest Edwards Gen.
tile. Mr.. Gentle, New York con-
cert musician who once played with
Leopold Stokowski, arrived in Ar
lington from New York by plane
soon after the accident.
Wife Was Actress and Model.
Mr.. Gentle said that his daughter
was born in Philadelphia and at
tended private schools and Hunter
College in New York City. She and
1t. Bressler were married June 6,
1914, at West Point, N. Y, which was
the day the young officer was gradu-
ated from the Military Academy,
Mr.. Gentle said.
An only daughter, Mrs. Bressler
prior to her marriage was an actress
and model and for several years was
famous as the "Old Gold Girl" he
said. She also made several movie
shorts for Warner Brothers at their
New York City studios, he said.
The body will be sent from
Arlington at pm. today to West
Point, N Y, where funeral services
are scheduled for II am. Wednes-
day at the chapel of the Military
Academy.
1t. Bressler Served in Europe.
Police described the gun used
in the accident as 'P-38." It was
believed that 1t. Bressler acquired
the weapon while serving in Europe
during the war.
1t. Bressler, who was awarded
the Purple Heart for wounds re-
ceived in 1945, was assigned to the
Civil Affairs Division of the War
Department General Staff at the
Pentagon on September %, a Wal
Department spokesman said yes
terday.
Prior to coming here, 1t. Bres-
sler had completed an infantry
officers course at Fort Benning
Ga, from January to June. the
spokesman said. His father-in-law
said that he also had served at
Fort Bragg, N. c., since returning
from overseas.
The War Department listed his
home address as 265' West Seventy
second street, New York City.
DR.. w. C. Welburn, Arlington cor
oner, issued the certificate of acci-
! dental death.