Joshua Chamberlain shoots Lizzie Booz
Morning Sun, Norwich, NY, July 9, 1895
At 7:25 last evening Joshua W. Chamberlain fatally shot his paramour, Lizzie Booz in the neck and abdomen. He then turned his weapon upon himself The crime occurred in front of the residence of Mrs. julia Casey, a house located upon the street which runs south from Piano street ot Hickory street.
William Sweenburg, an employee of H.G. Parsons, lives at No. 18 Hickory street, about ten rods distant from the residence of Mrs. Casey. After tea, Sweenburg and his son, John, were in front of their house for some three quarters of an hour and during that time noticed Chamberlain and Lizzie Booz talking in front of Mrs. Casey's, where she boarded, Suddenly they saw Chamberlain seize the woman by the shoulder, draw a revolver and fire directly at her; she screamed, staggered away and as she fell he fired again. Instantly Chamberlain turned the weapon toward his head and shot himself in the mouth. When Sweenburg arrived, Lizzie Booz lay writhing on her face while the murderer was already stark in death. Timothy Galvin who was in Mrs. Casey's house at the time rushed up town and notified the police.
Judge Albert F. Gladding and William Merrifield were the first to arrive and at once took measures to assist Miss Booz. After partly staunching the blood which flowed from a wound in her neck, they procured a couch and carried the victim into the house. Meanwhile the coroner, T.B. Fernalld and Dr. W.H. Stuart had come and by their orders, Chamberlain's body was brought into a front room in the same house. Outside a great crowd had gathered and with the exception of the physicians, three or four prominent citizens and a Sun reporter, admittance was refused to all. The first care of course was directed to Miss Booz. She was muttering faintly and her limbs twitched convulsively. Her clothes were partly removed and two bullet wounds were discovered; the first and most dangerous was in the left side of the neck and extended up and backward. The bullet lodged in the skull and evidently cut a vein or artery. The other wound was on the right side of the lower abdomen and extended downward toward the leg. The woman's vitality was wonderful and though the physicians thought she would die almost instantly, their skillful work and liberal use of stimulants revived her so that she could be carried to a bed. There after half an hour she recovered consciousness and hope was entertained of her recovery. Btu she soon sank again.
Meantime in the front room in a thin stream of blood trickling on the floor lay Chamberlin the murderer. A short investigation proved him dead and apparently the shot had taken effect in the right eye, but it turned out, however, when a more thorough examination was made, that he had shot himself in the mouth and the blood had oozed out from the eye socket. Coroner Fernalld then removed from the person of the murderer his belongings. They consisted of the revolver, a five-shot, bull dog, 32-calibre, with two chambers full and three empty; two half pint bottles, one empty, the other nearly full of brandy, four dollars and thirty-five cents in change and a note book. The body was then removed to Breese's undertaking rooms, where a coroner's jury was summoned, consisting of the following men: Silas Berry, foreman, Whitman Stratton, Fred Weiler, George Aldrich, S.A. Jones, Ira Wightman, Joseph Winsor, E.A. Lally and Edward Steele. After viewing the body the inquest was adjourned until 10 o'clock in the forenoon of today at the American hotel.
So few persons were eye witnesses of the tragedy and those who did were so shocked and alarmed that it was difficult to learn the exact details. Mrs. Casey said that the woman came to board with her about two weeks ago and that she was in evident fear of Chamberlain. Sunday night, she said Chamberlain met Lizzie at the house and had a long talk with her in an attempt to induce her to come back to live with him. That last night supper was a little late, about half past six, and just before it was served Chamberlain called Lizzie out to the front door, where they talked so long that she called out to Miss Booz to call Chamberlain inside as supper was ready. Almost immediately afterwards she heard a shot and saw Lizzie trying to crawl into the door. Jerome B. Lewis told a reporter that Sunday night Chamberlain spoke to him in the National hotel, told him he was toing to leave town and tried to hire Lewis to shadow her during his absence. It is known that Chamberlain and his mistress lived on bad terms much of the time. She hated and feared him and often deserted him for other lovers. Mad jealousy, is undoubtedly the impulse which prompted him to his double crime.
Lizzie Booz first came to Norwich about two years ago as a cigar maker and worked in different manufactories at her trade. She was a good worker and made plenty of money. Shortly after, Chamberlain appeared and the woman often told her friends that he followed her first from Philadelphia to Oneonta and then from there to here. She also often said that she hated her "husband" because they quarreled and fought continually, and only lived with him through fear. Later, in a law suit, both of them swore that they were married to one another, but this is false unless a common law marriage could be assumed. She did most of the work and earned most of the money, and even when not living with Chamberlain, is said to have given him much of her earnings. It is said that Miss Booz has cousins in Oneonta in the cigar business who are persons of worth and respectability. In appearance Lizzie Booz is a fine looking, well formed blonde, apparently about 25 to 30 years of age. She dresses stylishly but quietly and is of modest demeanor and is popular with her fellow workmen.
J.W. Chamberlain came to Norwich from Oneonta about two years ago for a time worked as bartender for George H. Smith in the Central hotel. Later he was employed in the same capacity in the Eagle and National, and part of the time he did not work at all. The Booz woman Alias Mrs. Chamberlain worked at the cigar maker's trade, and the two during last summer boarded at the National and later at the Eagle, she paying the hotel bills when he was out of work or had not sufficient funds to meet them. During this time it is said a quarrel ensued about once in a fortnight between the two, after which they would appear upon the street apparently as loving as ever, sometimes one, sometimes the other wearing an eye shaded in deep mourning as a result of the fracas.
During the present summer Chamberlain has been working for C.H. Beasley upon the farm of J.D. Reed, just north of the village and the woman has taken her meals and roomed there, driving back and forth at morning, noon and night in a carriage. About two weeks ago the two had another serious brawl and she left him again, never to return, so she said, and since then has been boarding at the home of Mrs. Casey, where the tragedy occurred. Chamberlain gave up his job on the Beasley farm last week and sold his horse to J. Wiley Case, saying that he proposed to go to Philadelphia, where had has a wealthy brother, a doctor at 825 Columbia avenue, and remain. He went away but returned again and has since stopped at the National. Landlord Case thought he acted strangely yesterday. He appeared nervous and did not eat any supper, but said he would return to the hotel to room. During the afternoon he borrowed the revolver with which the crime was committed of Lysander Brooks, the gunsmith. Chamberlain was a man of good appearance and always well dressed, but unpopular. He never drank to any extent except when undergoing one of these fights with his mistress. He was about 35 years of age.
Later: 2:30 A.M.: Lizzie Booz has recovered consciousness and rallied wonderfully. She showed good pluck and asked her nurses if she could recover. She also inquired after Chamberlain and seemed relieved to hear he was dead. The physicians now say the neck wound is not fatal and if the lower shot did not pierce the abdominal cavity, she many survive.
Morning Sun, Norwich, NY, July 10, 1895
The terrible double crime of Monday evening was the absorbing topic of conversation in Norwich yesterday. Public opinion ran strongly in favor of Miss Booz and the universal expression was voiced in the hope that she would recover. A singular feature of the case was that not a word was uttered in favor of Chamberlain, the suicide. His bullying methods and ugly temper seems to have left him with few friends in Norwich.
Miss Booz was resting quietly last evening and, as The Sun prophesied yesterday, unless the bullet which struck her in the body, pierced the abdominal cavity she has a good chance of recovery. Her vitality is remarkable and her courage will go far in helping her to recover.
At 10 a.m. yesterday the coroner's jury met at the American hotel. Mr. Sweenburg was first sworn and detailed his version of the shooting, substantially as detailed in The Sun of yesterday. Timothy Galvin testified that he was in Mrs. Casey's house, repairing a stove grate just before the shooting. He heard a shot fired and ran to the door; then he heard the second report and as he looked out he saw Lizzie Booz on the ground. he ran up town and notified the recorder. Miss Booz had previously told him she was in fear of her life from Chamberlain and had gone down to Mrs. Casey's to escape from him.
Mrs. Emma Taylor, who lives opposite the Casey house, saw Chamberlain and Miss Booz talking in front of the house for about half an hour. She detailed the shooting as told by the previous witnesses.
Lysander Brooks swore that he knew Chamberlin by sight and on the 8th of July let a revolver to him. He said he was going to travel on the road and would have need of one.
John Sweenburg testified to about the same state of facts as his father, William Sweenburg.
Maggie Casey swore that she lived in the same house at which Lizzie Booz boarded. That last Sunday Chamberlain came to the house and tried to induce Lizzie to come and live with him, but she refused. She next saw Chamberlain Monday night, when he called Lizzie out during supper. She noticed no loud talk until the shots were fired. This happened shortly before 8 p.m. She ran out and found Miss Booz on the ground, then Miss Booz walked towards the kitchen door and fell. Miss Booz had often told her about her family troubles and said Chamberlain had threatened her life on several occasions.
Charles Ford saw Miss Booz lying on the ground and then ran for a doctor.
Lena Sweenburg also saw Miss Booz fall and heard her cry out.
The jury decided that J.W. Chamberlain came to his death by a pistol shot wound inflicted by his own hand on the 8th of July, 1895.
In response to a telegram from the coroner, Dr. Chamberlain of Philadelphia telegraphed yesterday morning; "Are you sure of what you dispatch me? Please answer giving particulars and I will come at once." Later he wired to have the undertaker embalm the body. At 8:55 p.m. last evening, Dr. Chamberlain telegraph: "I will be there early in the morning."
At a late hour last night Dr. W.H. Stuart, the attending physician, told a Sun reporter that the wounded woman was resting comfortably and her chances of recovery becoming more favorable. She has a mother, Mrs. Kate Booz, and a married brother, Jacob Booz, living at Trumbanersville, Pa. She does not wish them notified of the tragedy unless she dies, as her mother is aged and an invalid and Miss Booz fears the shock would be too great.
It is evident that both parties to the tragedy were of respectable families and this but adds to the horror of the affair. Truly a life of sin cannot prosper.
Chenango American, Greene, NY, September 5, 1895
Lizzie Booz died at the residence of Mrs. Julia Casey on Pill street at 10 a.m. yesterday, aged 24 years. Death was caused by pistol wounds inflicted by Joshua W. Chamberlain on the evening of July 8.
Everyone in Norwich remembers the excitement of the evening of July 8, when Chamberlain went to the boarding place of Miss Booz, his paramour, and after shooting her twice with a 32 calibre revolver, ended his own life by sending a bullet form the same weapon into his brain. Chamberlain died instantly, and Miss Booz's injuries were of such an alarming nature that it was surmised that she could live but a few hours. One of the bullets had lodged in the neck and another in the thigh, having entered the lower part of the abdomen and taking a downward course.
Since the day of the tragedy Miss Booz has been confined to her former boarding place and has received the best of attention from Mrs. Casey and Cigarmaker's Union no. 125 of this village, of which she was a member, and under the medical care of W.H. Stuart, who has had wide experience in treating such injuries had constantly improved until about a month ago, when by overexerting herself, an artery in the upper part of the thigh gave way and she has since been unable to leave her bed. The bursting of the artery caused an internal hemorrhage. Death was due to exhaustion, probably induced by blood poisoning. An autopsy will be held this morning at Breese's undertaking establishment.
The relatives of Miss Booz in Lancaster county, Pa., have been informed of her death and the remains will probably be removed there for interment.
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