The Evening Telegraph

CRIME.

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN NEW YORK—MURDER AND SUICIDE IN A FASHIONABLE BOARDING-HOUSE.

ETC. ETC.

The inmates of the fashionable boarding-house of Mrs. Blanchard, No. 30 East Nineteenth street, near Broadway, were thrown into a fearful state of excitement last evening by the discovery of a terrible tragedy which had occurred in their midst, and which, until it was accidentally discovered, was not in the least suspected by those who were in the immediate vicinity of the scene. The victims of this tragedy are Alfred M. King, a native of Massachusetts, aged 24, and his wife, Mattie R. King, who is said to be a native of Virginia, of about the same age as her husband.

These parties have been living at the boarding-house of Mrs. Blanchard for over a year. Mrs. King had full board in the house, but King only slept there, but took his meals out of the house. They appeared very affectionate together, and lived happily. King had been in the gas-fitting business in Grand street, but for several months past had been out of business and considerably straitened in circumstances, so much so that he was considerably in arrears to Mrs. Blanchard for board, to the amount, perhaps, of $50. This fact appeared to make King somewhat moody, but did not alter his manner towards his wife, whom he treated with invariable fondness.

On Sunday Mrs. King was at home all day, and so was her husband, until it was ascertained that there was no coffee in the house; whereupon King volunteered to go out and obtain some. This he did, and in a short time he returned, bringing with him a can full of coffee. He went out soon after and remained out nearly all the afternoon, returning between 5 and 6 o'clock, while his wife was at dinner. The couple went into the parlor, and in the meantime Mr. W. C. Brandon, a friend of King's who resides at the Revere House, called on them. They remained chatting together for some minutes, and then all three went to King's room. Mr. Brandon remained until about 9 o'clock that night, and as he was about to leave King gave him a sealed letter addressed to "C. H. Macy, Esq., Sherman House, No. 413 Broome street, city," which he requested him to send through the post office to his cousin, Mr. Macy. This was the last seen either of King or of his wife alive. After Brandon had departed, King returned to his room and was not again seen alive. This is all that is known of what occurred in that small rear bed-room on the fourth floor of the boarding-house, which constituted the temporary tomb of Mr. King and his wife. It was remarked yesterday morning that Mrs. King did not come down to breakfast as usual. Mrs. Blanchard supposed that she was probably indisposed, and would lie down during the day. In the multifarious duties devolving upon Mrs. Blanchard the absence of Mrs. King from the breakfast table passed from her mind, and nothing more was thought about the Kings until 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the usual dinner-hour, when Sarah Taylor, a servant-girl, employed in the house, was sent up to the room occupied by the Kings to summon Mrs. King to the repast.

The girl found the door locked. She knocked repeatedly and could not obtain any response. This somewhat alarmed the domestic, who stooped down and looked through the key-hole. The key was in the lock on the inside of the door. The girl, by means of the pass-key which she had left in her possession, forced out the key on the inside of the door, and then unlocked it. As she partially opened the door, a sight met her affrighted gaze which must have almost frozen the blood in her veins, and the almost distracted girl ran shrieking down stairs and out into the street. Mrs. Blanchard and the inmates of the house, alarmed by the cries of the affrighted servant girl, rushed up stairs to the room, but paused on the threshold, almost petrified with horror at the sad spectacle. None had the courage to enter the chamber of horror, until Officer Gerardus P. Beekman, of the Twenty-ninth Precinct, who had been summoned by the girl, and who came up stairs and entered the room with the usual nonchalance of a blue-coated and shielded guardian of the peace; but the stout heart of the policeman, hardened by contact with many scenes of suffering and woe, quailed with affright at the fearful spectacle which presented itself to his view.

On the bed, in as natural position as though asleep, Mrs. King was lying. A pistol-shot wound in the left temple at once displayed the mode of her death. Her beautiful raven hair was matted with her blood, which had stained the snowy pillow on which she reposed in the arms of death. She must have been fast asleep when shot, and died without a struggle. She was in her robe de nuit, and lying on her side, with her face to the wall, and was probably in a sweet slumber when visited by the dread Angel of Death. Lying partially across the bed, his head resting on the pillow, beside that of his wife, King was found, a pistol-shot wound in his right temple, denoting the manner of his death. In his right hand was grasped a small four-barrelled Sharp's repeater, with which he had terminated the existence of his wife and then destroyed himself. His death must have been instantaneous, and almost without a struggle, as from his position it would appear that he had not moved from the position in which he had first fallen. He was also undressed, and seemed as though he had been on the point of going to bed when the insane idea to destroy both his wife and himself seized possession of him. It is not believed that his wife was aware of the intention of her husband, as the clothing which she had divested herself of was all placed in remarkable order on a chair near the bed, while on the dressing table were placed in order several articles of clean under clothing, which she doubtless intended to put on yesterday morning. When the officer entered the room he noticed a strong odor of chloroform, and, on making partial examination of Mrs. King's corpse, a bunch of cotton, which had evidently been saturated with chloroform, was found pressed close under her nostrils and over her mouth. It is therefore presumed that Mr. King placed the chloroform to his wife's mouth while she slept, and shot her while she was steeped in unconsciousness. In strange contrast to this scene of horror, a beautiful canary-bird, suspended in a cage in the room, sang merrily as soon as the room door was opened, and sent forth its glorious melody while the examination was being made.

Officer Beekman, as soon as he had learned sufficient of the case, reported to Captain Speight, of the Twenty-ninth precinct, who proceeded to the house and placed his officers in charge. During the evening, Mr. Macy, alluded to above as the cousin of King, called at the house and stated that he had just received a letter which had led him to conjecture the worst, and he was horror struck on learning the truth. The following is a copy of the letter written by King to Macy:-

New York, June 9.

Cousin Howard:—I am tired of life. I have wronged you, but forgive me. I stole your pistol and sold it and bought another one. Brandon knows where it was sold, but he thinks it was mine. He did not know I stole it. Give my love to father and mother and God bless you all.

Yours ever,
A. M. KING.

Bury us both together, Howard. It is the last request I make of you. Do, please.
A. M. KING.

This letter was postmarked New York, June 10, and had evidently been posted by Mr. Brandon yesterday morning. The document was taken possession of by Captain Speight. Coroner Wildey will probably hold an inquest in the case to-day.

Mr. Macy stated that his cousin, the deceased, was just twenty-four years of age, and was a native of Massachusetts, where his parents still reside. He further states that King and the woman he lived with had not been married, but had cohabited together as man and wife for some years, and the inmates of the house have believed they had been married.

But little is known of King's business or antecedents. Of the deceased woman still less is known. She had frequently stated to Mrs. Blanchard that she was a native of Virginia, but the police state that her mother and sister reside in Brooklyn. They further allege that she was at one time a waiter girl at the Louvre Concert Saloon, where King had formed her acquaintance. She was about twenty-four years of age, and was a beautiful brunette, with black eyes and jet black hair.

The room which was made the scene of this fearful tragedy is a small apartment on the fourth floor, in the rear of the house, and is furnished plainly yet neatly, with a stained oak set of cottage furniture. King had preferred it on account of its being the cheapest.

As soon as the details of the tragedy became known in the neighborhood, an intense excitement was occasioned, accompanied by a craving to gaze with morbid curiosity upon the victims of this fearful occurrence. The police, however, refused admittance to all but those whose official duties called them to the scene of the tragedy. The inquest to-day may develop some further facts in respect to the antecedents of King and his wife, or paramour, as the case may be.—N. Y. World.