Attempted Murder And Then Kills Himself

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND THEN KILLS HIMSELF

A Lover Crazed By Unrequited Love Shoots the Girl and Himself

Veteran of the Boer War and Sunday School Teacher Tries to kill the Girl He Can't Get and Instantly Suicides.

An attempted murder and suicide startled Ann Arbor Friday morning. Crazed by unrequited love, George A. Darlington, a veteran of the Boer war, a teacher in the M. E. Sunday school, a student in the School of Music, shot and wounded Miss Bertha Sheldon and then took his own life.

A one-sided love affair of not more than a month's duration culminated in a tragedy shortly before 9 o'clock Friday morning. About a month ago Darlington met Miss Sheldon who is a stenographer for Mack & Co. and lives with her parents at 602 Monroe street, at the home of her sister, Mrs. Curtis, on Lawrence street. From that time he began paying her marked attentions. About a week ago she told him that she would not receive his attentions and her mother says that he has forced himself past her brother into the sitting room where she was.

Friday morning Darlington bought a new 32-calibre revolver at a hardware store and also cartridges for it. He met Miss Sheldon while she was on her was to work. They walked up to Mack & Co.'s and evidently he persuaded her to listen farther to his appeals, for the tragedy occured in the yard of Anton Teufel on the corner of Main and Hill streets. A number of people saw them walking together, Miss Sheldon bearing a dejected look and Darlington talking rapidly and in an excited manner. They stood talking at the corner opposite the Teufel house for some time. Chris. Teufel was chopping wood in the yard. Suddenly Miss Sheldon ran into the yard with Darlington close after her. Miss Sheldon called for help to Teufel and when he turned around he was between Darlington and Miss Sheldon. "I don't want any trouble here," said Teufel. Darlington didn't say anything. "There's a constable there," said Teufel pointing to Peter Hines, who was approaching. He will settle your troubles." Miss Sheldon started to run again and at that moment Darlington shot. Teufel says he did not know that Darlington had a revolver until he fired. Miss Sheldon did not fall or cry out when she was shot. "Are you shot?" asked Teufel. "Yes," said the girl. "Run into the house," said Teufel, and they both ran.

Darlington started to walk around the house and just as Miss Sheldon and Teufel were going in the back door a second revolver shot was fired and this is the shot with which Darlington ended his own life.

Charles Stoup was the first man to reach Darlington after he had suicided, and he was dead when he reached him. Death was instantaneous for the bullet, which entered Darlingtons throat in front, passed directly through , breaking the spinal cord. Darlington's body was taken to Martin's undertaking rooms.

Miss Sheldon was taken to Dr. Belser's office and it was found that her wound was simply a flesh wound, the bullet passing through the fleshy part of her arm below the elbow, traveling some distance. Unless blood poisoning should set in, it will quickly heal.

That Darlington's act was premeditated is shown not only by the purchase of his revolver that morning but by the finding of an unsealed and unaddressed envelope within a rod of his body containing the following unsigned note but in his handwriting:

"Nov. 21, 1902.

Notice

Please do not send my body home, give it to the doctors of the University hospital. My musical instruments are to go to G. L. Gordon. My books are to be given to the Y. M. C. A. My clothing and other belongings are to be taken by Edward Kleinschmidt and my gold locket and watch and photos home. I am insane if ever a man was and eternally lost. I am going to take the life that dragged me down to this. Good bye to all friends and dear ones with love to my darling mother."

When seen by an Argus reported on Friday, after the shooting, Miss Sheldon said: "I declined as I have done many times before."

"Then he asked you yo marry him this morning and threatened you?" she was asked.

"Doesn't that imply as much? I saw that he was desperate and I tried to escape. I asked a man chopping wood in that yard to help, but he didn't"

Peter Hines, the constable, when seen by the Argus gave his version of the shooting as follows: "I was about twenty feet away when the shooting occurred. I saw the parties in the Teufel yard and thought they were visitors. The girl started to run when the man attempted to grab hold of her. I thought they were fooling. When he didn't catch her he fired. Teufel called to her to run into the house. The man walked around to the front of the house and after about five minutes I heard the revolved shot and found him lying on the ground. I was the first one there. He mad a movement or two of the lips, but could not speak, and was dead. I think he had waited in front of the house thinking that the girl would come out of the front door, before shooting himself."

Miss Sheldon is said to be a very lovely girl and not to have reciprocated Darlington's attentions. He was very much in love with her, talked of her to his associates and praised her highly. He was much adverse to her dancing, a fact which seemed to trouble him.

Coroner Watts called a coroner's jury consisting of James R. Bach, M. C. Perterson, John R. Miner, J. W. Robinson, Harry Benham and George Haviland and the inquest was adjourned until last Tuesday. In the meantime he has communicated with Strathcona, Ontario, where Darlington is said to have a father and mother, brother and sister living.

George A. Darlington had been in Ann Arbor a little over a year, coming here from Ohio. He was about 34 year of age and was a Canadian by birth. He was a widower, his wife having lived only six months after he married her. He had been employed for several months at the Ann Arbor Organ Co. That he was considerable of a hustler is shown by the fact that he was also a student at the University School of Music, an active member of the Y. M. C. A., a regular attendant at the night school, where he was said to be a brilliant student, a member of the Y. M. C. A. band, and a teacher in the Methodist Sunday school. he was a member of Golden Rule lodge, taking his demit from an Ohio lodge and bringing strong letters of recommendation as to his character.

He fought with Roberts in the Boer was with a Canadian regiment, and had 160 acres of land in Canada as a bounty for his services.

Notwithstanding the note left by the deceased, the Organ Co., the Y. M. C. A., and other friends of the unfortunate young man will see that the remains are shipped to his former home at Strathcona, Ontario.