Myrtle (Markham) Pointer (1897-1913)

MARKHAM, POINTER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 7/16/2016 at 21:17:37

From Nevada Representative December 26, 1913 (front page)

KILLS HIS WIFE
SHOOTS HIMSELF

WILL POINTER USES BIG REVOLVER

Tragedy at Cambridge Tuesday Evening, Survivor now at Sanitarium

Will Pointer of Cambridge shot and killed his wife Myrtle in their home there shortly after six o'clock last Tuesday evening with a heavy caliber revolver. He then shot himself also; but his shot only blowed through his skull and failed to penetrate the brain. He was rendered unconscious; but his wound has not been regarded as probably fatal. He was brought up to the Sanitarium in Nevada Wednesday afternoon where the necessary operation was performed and here he has since been doing well enough to promise his adequate recovery to stand trial for murder. Pointer is a son of the Daniel Pointer who was an old, if not especially prosperous, resident of the county. Will being one of the younger members of the family. He was well on in his thirties and had married two years ago a girl who had barely entered her teens. With such disparity in their ages inharmony between them is not to be wondered at, and although he had made some property they did not get on well. Quarrels resulted in her leaving him, and it was on the occasion of her returning for her things that he took advantage of the occasion to shoot her and himself. In a case of this order regret arises in the first instance, that the man who felt that he had to do some shooting did not begin on himself, and in the second instance that having begun with his wife he did not avoid further trouble by really making a success of his shot at himself. As the matter stand the best that can be said for him is credit him with meaning to kill when he shot at himself as well as at his wife. The incidents of the shooting are reported by the Cambridge Leader at follows:

"Will Pointer was married to Miss Myrtle Markham about two years ago and they have been living in Cambridge since. Itr was generally understood that they had disagreements at different times and she had left him on one or two occasions and gone back to live with her folks. the last time she left him was Wednesday of last week, and while he had pleaded with her to come back she refused on the grounds that he had at different times threatened to take her life. They had a conversation Tuesday afternoon when he also pleaded for her to come back but she refused, so he told her to take a couple of little sisters along and come up to the house and get her clothes. This she did and in entering the house he again asked her to come back and live with him, but was again refused. She went into the bedroom to get her belongings, he followed he drew revolver from under the mattress of the bed and shot her, one bullet went through her right hand and entered her chest passing through her body, and she fell on the edge of the bed, another bullet entered her thigh. Death was instantaneous. After having completed his murderous design he placed the revolver on his right temple and shot. The bullet however glanced upwards and may have failed to accomplish the purpose. The children who accompanied their sister ran over to the neighbors and told what they had seen, and a hurried call was sent to the Marshall Harrison and Dr. Dickey, who both responded on short notice. In the meantime, some of the neighbors approached the home but did not to in until the marshal arrived. Mrs. Pointer was found dead on the bed while Mr. Pointer was still alive. Coroner Glann of Colo was notified, but was unable to come down til the nect morning, when he came accompanied by sheriff Griffin and county attorney Hanson who held an inquest over the body of Mrs. Pointer. The verdict was sealed but the coroner issued a warrant charging Pointer with murder and he was taken to the Nevada Sanitarium for treatment. If he recovers he will he held for the above charges.

The funeral was held Friday at 10 o'clock from the home. She had been married two years and was only fifteen years old.