An extraordinary tragedy is reported from Chelsea. Two young Berliners,
named May and Nagel, came over recently to England to avoid the conscription. They formed the acquaint- ance of a German girl named Burgess, living in a disreputable house in Langton Street, Chelsea, and on Friday went to stay with her there. They appear to have lived there, going about with Burgess and an English girl named Gordon to different places of amusement till Wednesday night at 8.30, when shots were heard, and Nagel was found dead, and May terribly wounded by shots from a revolver. May declares that he and his cousin had spent all their money and disgraced themselves, and consequently resolved to commit suicide together. As they had only one weapon, Nagel fired at May, and thought he had killed him, and then killed himself. This account is partly confirmed by the appearance of Nagel's body, and by a letter written before the catastrophe and posted to the address of the girl Burgess, but a good deal of suspicion seems to exist in the neighbourhood. It is said, but not proved, that on Friday the young men had £200, which on Wednesday had disappeared, and that they could not have spent it in the time ; but if they were attacked by any one, why should May conceal the facts ? And who wrote the letter ? The first story, wild as it seems to English imagina- tions, is probably the true one. The lads went out for a "spree," got half drunk, spent money like water, repented, and in Conti- nental fashion thought they put everything straight by inflicting capital punishment on themselves.
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