REVENGE BY PRIVATE SECRETARY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10406, 20 July 1912, Page 3

REVENGE BY PRIVATE SECRETARY.

New York, May 27. The bodies of Mr Charles Toliver and his wife, wealthy, residents of San Diego, were discovered last night on the threshold of their suburban house riddled with bullets. They had been shot as they were alighting from their motor-car on returning home from a Sunday evening ride by a man who had previously taken the precaution of tying the watchdog to a distant tree. The man, who was arrested late last night and confessed the crime, is named Lewis, and was formerly private secretary to Mr Toliver, Lewis recently brought an action for damages against his employer, alleging that Mr Toliver had alienated the affections of bis wife, a strikingly, handsome woman’, aged 85. Lewis lost his suit. ‘Yea,” he said when arrested,, “I killed him because he ruined my home.” fLewis explained that he bad not intended to harm Mrs Toliver He opened fire while the couple were still iu the motor car, and the first shots struck Mrs Toliver, who was over 60 years of age, in the month and head. She staggered into the house and fell dead at the telephone while vainly endeavouring to summon the police. Meanwhile Lewie, who was armed with two pistols and a dagger, poured shot after shot into his former employer. Though dreadfully wounded. Mr Tolivei succeeded in reaching the house, where with arm stretched out and facing the murderer be fell, Lewis then, according to his own statement, knelt down and plunged his dagger into the old man’s body. Lewis left the house unmolested, jumped into a tramway car and rode home, where he was subsequently arrested.