grave import

Obituary

At nine o'clock yesterday morning work was suspended in the shops of Funck and Hertzler wagon manufacturers, and all the neighborhood round, by a horrible double tragedy, which came as a thunderboldt out of a clear sky.
At the hour named Wm. A. Portlock entered the wood-working shop on the Washington street side of the institution and without giving any evidence by his looks or manner that vengeance was in his heart or that he meditated a bloody crime, he walked down the length of the shop nodding or saying good mornng to the men engaged at the machines on either side. In the west half of the shop he stopped beside one of the wood-work-ing machines and, drawing a revolver from his pocket-without saying a word, so far as anyone knows-fired thre shots inrapid succession at James Andrews, who stood, with his back turned, at a machine called the "sticker," about eight feet distant.
The first shot took effect in the back of the head of the victim. He put his hand to the wound and, uttering a piercing and frantic cry, which was heard above the din of the machinery, he staggered away from his assailant, who remained in his original position and fired a second time at the staggering man and again as he lay upon the floor, where he fell in a pool of blood. The second and third shots took effect in the right arm, which was broken, and in the head, but in what order cannot be determined. Before anyone could interfere Portlock had pointed the revolver at his own head behind the ear and fired. He staggered backwards and fell. As he lay upon the floor he reached into the inside pocket of his coat and drew out a letter, which he gave to a workman who ran to his side, saying it would explain all. The letter, avowing the motive for the crime, is given, in full below.
While the whole bloody affair was not seen in full by any one man, from the combined stories of different persons present the fearful tale is made complete.
The revolver with which the murderous shooting was done was picked up when Portlock fell. It is a five chambered, self-cocking weapon, 38 calibre and made by the Harrington & Richardson Arms company. Three bullets were found. Two were picked up in the shop flattened from the impact with the walls or machinery. The third was taken by Dr. mcKitterick from Potlock's own skull. The bullets were not removed either from Andrew's arm or head. This gives rise to a doubt as to the number of shots fired. The men believe there were but four reports while all of the five cartridge shells remaining in the revolver are empty and the surgeons are of opinion that two balls entered Andres's skull. Counting two for that and one for his arm and the last reserved for Portlock himself would make four and would allow for one of the bullets pickd up which appears to have missed the mark entirely and flattened against the brick wall.
By the shot or shots in the back of his head Andrews' skull was crushed in so that the brain exuded and he was entirely unconscious all the time that he lingered after the shooting. His right arm was broken near the shoulder by a ball which struck squarely upon the bone.
Portlock's wound is a serious one and possibly, but not necessarily fatal. His skull is fractured and inflammation of the brain may ensue, in which case he will die.
Some of the employes ran out in search of surgeons as soon as they heard of the tragedy and Drs. McKitterick, Burtch and Hunt were found. Both wounded men were removed to the hospital, where Dr. McKitterick and other surgeons attended them during the day.
The motive impelling Portlock to the commission of the bloody crime was jealousy, a belief in his wife's infidelity and the proof, as he believed, that the man whom he had considered his most trusted friend was the one who had brought dishonor on his home. Filled with this idea he deliberately planned the murder of his quondam friend and determined to make expiation for his crime by self-destruction. The man's horrible misgivings, the plan he took to satisfy himself and his determination to kill Andrews are set forth in the letter subjoined, which is published verbatim-just as he wrote it with nothing changed except the insertion of punctuation marks to make the meaning clearer:

Wednesday Morning, Oct. 21, 1891
I am going gunning after James Andrews, the Fiend, the Dog and Hound. Last summer, or in the spring, I had bought, or my wife had, a Florence battery of Price & Wiese and gave my watch as collateral and when the time came for payment we didn't have the money and as Andrews had always been a good friend to me, and I told her to ask him if he wooddent let us have the money. She came back and said he woold let us have it if we would say nothing abought it and my wife cried; the hound! poore Woman wanted to get my watch back & had to submit to his fiendish desire to get the money. It seems like 2 wimmon woold be sufficient for him. But no, he had to rob me of all that was presious in this world and since she had to submit to the villian to keep things and Sundays he would come to see me and as I can't hear, he woold make her promise to come to his rooms and after he woold leave she woold take a big cry and Monday evening I thought would satisfy myself as to what this meant and I shadowed myself. He came and staid in his room and then I saw her go an go in. Oh God! The villain that would pretend to be a friends and force a poor helpless woman to submit to his fiendish crime is to mutch. I am going to kill him if he was the mast man on earth and I think I am justified in the eyes of my God in doing this. She was all in the world I had and for him to treat her that way! I will make him pay for it dearly if I can. my prayers are, God bless my poor wife and forgive me.
I will kill him if I can. This i all. Good-bye, Maud and Arthur.
Hawk Eye and Gazette please publish this my last letter. W. A. Portlock
Good-bye, Hazel.

On the upper margin o' one sheet is written, "Bury me at Pleasant Grove. Send my body to Geo. Zion, at Yarmouth, he will take care of it. Bury me in the clothes I have on." On the back of the same sheet is written. "Wesley Snelson and Verdon Portlock will you keep my grave filled up" Upon the envelope he has written, "The cause, I must have justice."

Andrews, the murdered man, came from Ohio, where he was married ninteen years ago. He was foreman in the wood-working shop of Funck & Hertzler, and was considered a first-clss work-man. He was a man of fine appearance and genial manners. He lived in rooms over the Vienna bakery on Fifth street. He had had some domestic troubles of his own, but his wife was lenient and a reconciliation had almost been consumated by mutal friends. He contributed regularly to the support of his wife and son, the latter a boy of fifteen, attending the business college.
Portlock is well connected with some of the country families, being a nephew of ex-Supervisor Portlock. His first wife was a Miss Orchard, who resides with her daughter and son (the Maud and Arthur to whom he bids good-bye in his letter) at Yarmouth. In March, 1890, Lucinda Portlockm his wife, applied to the district court for divorce on the plea of adultery. The suit was withdrawn in April, but recommenced in July of the same year. A decree of divorce was granted on September 12, 1890, and on the 25th of the same month he was married to Hazel Earley, whom report connected, whether wrongfully or not, with the trouble between Portlock and his first wife. They were married by Rev. F.B. Lowery and the certificate appears on record in the clerks office. Portlock for several years traveled as a salesman for Funck & Hertzler. In July, 1890, while away from home, he suffered a stroke of paralysis and has ever since been as invalid, unable to work and supported by his wife and by the money given him by Andrews. The physician who treated Portlock says that Andrews paid his medical bills and men at the factory say their foreman gave him money every pay day. The intimacy between the two seemed unusual and when together they had always appeared the closest friends.
The present Mrs. Portlock was seen by a reporter at her home over 620 Jefferson street. She is a good looking young woman of twenty-ight. She had just returned from the hospital where her husband lay. She said she had been out at her work of dressmaking all morning and had heard nothing of the tragedy until noon. As to her husband's motive in killing Andrews she said his suspicions were entirely groundless, but that he had always since their marriage been morbidly jealous, not only of Andrews but of everyone who came to their rooms. Portlock, she said, since his paralysis, had been of a gloomy, morbid disposition and had frequently threatened and attempted to kill her and himself. For a year she has thought his mind deranged and feels sure the crime was sthe result entirely of a disordered brain. Upon no other hypothesis can she account for his demoniac deed.

At half=past six last night the word came from the hospital that Andrews had breather his last. he never rallied in the least and gradually he grew weaker and his breathing mor labored until the end came at the close of day. The body was placed in charge of I. Prugh & Sons and by them removed to his residence, No 206 Garfield avenue.

In the light of Portlock's probably recovery the letter above takes ona sort of grim humor in spite of its terrible import. At a late hour last evening the attending surgeons informed the police that Portlock was a fit subject for custody, that the bullet had fractured only the outer shell of the skull and that unless watched he might conclude to walk off. Accordingly Chief Smyth detailed an officer to guard the wounded man. An information, charging him with murder in the first degree, will be lodged this morning, and if his condition warrants it, he will be removed from the hospital to the county jail. Parties who saw him last night and heard him talk were convinved that he is insane. He is so deaf that he cannot hear the loudest conversation, and communication for some time had been held with him by signs and writing. This doubtless tended to increases his morbidness and gloom and bring on the mental derangement which it is said exists. The tragedy is a most deploralbe one, as all are but this seems peculiarly so if, as seems from all accounts to be the case, the victim was one who had been the true and helpful friend of his slayer.