Louisa finds her suitor, slayer in the city
Louisa finds her suitor, slayer in the city
Written by Karen R. Thompson Saturday, 07 July 2007
One hundred and five years ago this month, the communities of Pond Springs and Rutledge were shocked to learn that the talented young Louisa Antoinette Petri had been murdered in Houston. Her body was being sent home by train, and she was buried in the Pond Springs Cemetery.
The July 1, 1902, front page headline of the Houston Daily Post read: MURDER AND SUICIDE ON MAIN STREET LAST NIGHT. The story opened with “Miss Louisa Petri was shot dead. W. A. King, her suitor and slayer, then sent two bullets crashing through his own head.”
By age 24, Louisa Petri, a handsome blonde, had set her heart on a career in music.
Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, she was the first child of Charles and Clara Petri. Charles was formally educated and served in the German military. In 1881 the Petri’s, including 4-year-old Louisa immigrated to Texas. In Texas, Clara gave birth to three sons, Arthur Otto, Charles, and Edward Emil.
Charles built a store at the newly laid railroad track and station of Rutledge. He operated the store where his German sword was mounted on the wall. Clara Petri was postmistress of the Rutledge Post Office from September 21, 1900 until her death on May 14, 1908.
Louisa attended the best girls school in Austin, where she studied music and piano. At home, across the railroad tracks, passersby could hear her practicing the piano.
Louisa moved to Houston in the late 1890s, even though the town was known to be “wild.” She became the proprietress of a lodging house at 608 Main Street.
According to the newspaper, “She was highly recommended by prominent citizens of Houston who knew the family to which she belonged. She was very particular of persons who obtained lodging in her house.”
W.A. King, a 32-year-old salesman, roomed at Louisa’s boarding house, and had fallen desperately in love with her. He was noted as a quarrelsome person given to threats of killing himself or others.
The Daily Post story continues, “A tragedy occurred last night about 11:15 o’ clock in a hallway of the lodging house at 608 Main Street. Miss Louisa Antoinette Petri.....was shot and instantly killed by W. A. King….the man was insanely jealous and being enraged by some action or remark…he drew a 38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver and fired point blank at Miss Petri, the bullet entering the neck just below the left jaw and causing instant death. As the woman fell dead, the murderer took a step backward and placing the revolver to his own head fired two shots in quick succession. Both bullets entered the head just above the right ear, ranged upward and passed out near the top of the head.”
Clara had taken out a $2,000 life insurance policy on Louisa when she moved to the “wild” city of Houston. As it turned out, unhappily, she spent the insurance money to buy a tombstone for her only daughter.
Clara died six years later, never getting over the death of Louisa. She left her room just as it was when Louisa was home playing the piano.
The wooden Petri home was abandoned after Charles death. When I first visited the site 40 years ago, the rats had eaten all the ivory off the piano keys and the roof had fallen in on much of the house.
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