Death of Melvin C. GARLITZ (1889), Allegany Co., MD File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Wendy Mammoliti http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.html ****************************************************************** Printed in the 3/30/1889 edition of the Republican "A Horrible Tragedy" "Last evening about 7:30 o'clock Melvin C. Garlitz shot and instantly killed his wife, Leah Garlitz, on Williams street. About four years ago Melvin C. Garlitz married Miss Leah White, a well-known citizen of Cumberland, now clerking in Samuel Sonneborn's clothing store, and formerly engaged in the livery business. The fruit of this marriage was one child, a little girl aged about three years. Garlitz and his wife did not live happily together, and a great deal of the time since their marriage he has spent away from Cumberland. For several years past there has been a practical seperation and Garlitz has been denied access to his daughter by Mr. White, with whom she and her child have been living. Last week Garlitz returned from Baltimore, where he is said to have been engaged in various jobs, and is reportedto have made several efforts ot see his wife. He is stated to have felt very bitterly toward her and to have uttered certain threats. "Last night about 7 o'clock, Mrs. Garlitz, and a younger sister, Miss Myrtle, started from their home, corner of Maryland avenue and Spring street, to buy some bread and to do other errands. The two passed up the avenue to Williams street and down that to the store of Thomas Morris. Myrtle entered this and Mrs. Garlitz went down Williams street until a point nearly opposite the bottling house of M. J. Malamphy, corner of Park and Williams streets, where she was met by Melvin and shot three times with a revolver, one ball entering the left breast, one the right breast and one the left side of the throat. Whether any words passed between the man and his wife is unknown, for Mrs. Garlitz died in three or four minutes after the shooting, and Garlitz was seen running off through the commons in the rear of the Queen City Hotel yard as soon as the shots were fired. "The interval between the parting of the sisters and the shooting was very brief, for Miss Myrtle had hardly gotten into the store and seen about her purchases when the reports were heard. She rushed to the spot distant 200 yards, and found her sister lying dead on a wooden bridge over a gully, in rear of Malamphy's place, and the supposition is that she had run over to that side after the firing had begun. Five distinct reports were heard, and it is possible that several of the first shots may have missed. Any of the three taking effect would have been fatal. "Melvin C. Garlitz is about 30 years of age, and is the son of ex-Sheriff Basil T. Garlitz, recently proprieter of the Tremont House. - Cumb. News, Wednesday."