Year: 1876

then Commlts Suicioos


A double murder and suicide occurred
In New York city. A Inan named Mye1
Minister shot his wife and child, and
then, putting the pistol to bis own head,
he fred, causing wound which result
ed in his death. The family Of Minister
occupied two rooms on the second floor.
He was hard working, sober man, in
the employ of the society for the pre-
vention of cruelty to children. A man
named Flynn, who lives with his wife in
the apartment at the rear of Minister'S
bedroom, heard some noises, which he
describes as 'suspicious," and awoke
bis wife, who heard the sound of groans
emanating from Minister'S bedroom.
After trying the door and finding it
locked he called an officer, who assisted
young girl living in the house to enter
the bedroom by q window over the bed.
As the child let herself down on the in.
side of the dark roorn she touched Min
ster, who groaned. This frightened the
girl, who at once ran to the front room
door and unlocked it, letting in the off,
cor and others with light. When they
entered the bedroom a frightful sight
presented itself. Minister lay on the bed
next the wall, with wound on the right
side Of his head. Near his right hand,
two inches from his fingers, Lay a seven
barreled revolver, with five barrels dis
charged. Next to him lay his wife, with
two ugly wounds, one in the left eye and
the other on the right side of the head,
and at the front of the bed their daugh-
ter, little child about three years old,
lay dead from pistol bullet which had
lodged in her right eye. The man and
his wife were unconscious. The bed
was covered with blood, and al the
victims of the awful crime were
bleeding.


The coroner was notified, and, to-
gether with bis deputy, proceeded to the
hospital in the hope Of being able to take
an e-mortem statement. When they
arrived there tho patients were still
in comatose state. Minister could not
be reused, but by slight shaking his
wife was seen to try to make an effort to
speak. One side Of her face was COM
pletely paralyzed, for when she made
an attempt to talk all the movement of
her mouth was on one side of it.


." The coroner afterward went to ascer-
tain some facts connected with the case.
When he reached the house and was
shown the rooms in which the unfortu-
nate family had lived he saw nothing
that indicated else than extreme poverty.
The floors were bare, the chairs were old
and broken, miserable stove was in the
front room, and on q ricketty table stood
the remains of the last nights supper,
which evidently had been of the most
frugal character. While there q man
came in and stated that he was q brother
of the man who had, up to that time, re-
sided in those rooms. He said that his
brother had married, about four years
ago, much against the wishes OF his
parents and relatives, the woman whom
he had that morning tried to assassinate,
and since that marriage had been ostra-
cised from the society of those relatives.
He seemed very much affected BY his
brothers untimely decease. -


One of the occupants OF the house
saws Minister seemed always dissatisfied
with his wife's treatment of him, and
that he complained that she was not
sufficiently afectionate towards him: On
the other hand, other inmates OF the
house are high in their praise OF Mrs.
Minister, saying that she was q devoted
wife and altogether admirable woman.
Minister was considered by those who
knew him as rather eccentric charac.
ter, but always did his duty satisfac-
torily to his employers. On several
occasions he has been heard to soy that
he would shoot himself some day.