Stewart, Viola

Charles Stewart, age 57, a former miner, shot and killed his wife, Mrs. Viola Stewart, age 42 and then killed himself with the same gun in their home in the north part of Treece Kansas on Friday afternoon. Both bodies with the tops of their heads blown off were found about eight feet apart by their son John Steward, 11 years old . Near Stewart's body was a 12-gauge shotgun. Two discharged shells were found nearby and several unexploded shells were on a bed. No one witnessed the double shooting. An officers reconstructed the tragedy, Mrs. Stewart was sitting on a chair in the living room and near the kitchen door, preparing to go to work, and Stewart was sitting on a bed. Stewart had been in ill health for several months and his despondency was blamed for the tragedy. He had been employed in the mines in the vicinity, but had not worked in several months. He was a veteran in World War I. ...