BEAUTIFUL WIFE'S VENGEANCE.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 27 August 1920, Page 4

BEAUTIFUL WIFE'S VENGEANCE.

‘‘Why L murdered iny husband. r was the subject oi’ a eoiilcssion inside to a coroner's jury on May I), when an inquest was held on the body of Mr Ilenry C. Fredericks, one of the richest manufacturers of the town of Elgin* Illinois.

Mrs Fredericks, a beautiful woman whom a doctor described as in the hist stages of tuberculosis, riddled her husband with bullets, and then calmly telephoned for the police. Without the slitfh test emotion she told the following story to the jury:—

••In the latter part of April, "hen J wtts staying with my mother in Indiana, I intercepted a letter to my husband written by another woman. 1 hud long suspected that his affection for me was waning, and t was determined not to give him up, so 1 decided that the only way was to kill ihm. .1 bought an automatic pistol and spent hours in target practice. He used to come home at noun and in the evening, and always kissed me. X would kiss him and smile. He never suspected what was behind'my smile. You may snv l have killed him, but he has beet: killing me for weeks. “To-day’s setting was ideal for killing him. There was nobody at home but myself. lie telephoned about li o'clock saying. ‘1 am coming home, dearie, for dinner.’ ‘All right, sweetheart,’ .1 answered. I had the revolver concealed in my blouse when he entered the front door. I had paced the distance and knew just where to aim. As he entered I emptied the revolver —seven shots. I don’t think he realised what had happened. He dropped with an odd little laugh, and never spoke again. I am glad 1 did it.”