The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-13
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
a Lady. Commits Suicide Because Hen Daughter
IN Sent to the Lunatio Asylum-ssd Details Of
Her Death-A Room Covered with Blood
Singular Conduct Previous to Her
Decease-The Daughter Knows
Nothing Of Her Death

Singular Conduct Previous to Her
Decease-The Daughter Knows
Nothing Of Her Death.
A terrible tragedy took. place yesterday at All
Fourth avenue and adds one more to the volumi-
nous list which has been added up during the past
few weeks. This was the suicide OF Mrs. Anestinea
Lewenheim. Jewish widow living with her
brother, Mr.. Alexander Kahn, an artist.
The crime was accompanied by peculiarly har-
rowing circumstances, which have thrown hith-
erto happy family into misery and distress. Mrs.
Lewenheim was the mother of one daughter, aged
eighteen, who Is described as being possessed Of
great personal attractions. Some two weeks ago
the daughter fell III II ON complication Of female
disorders. The lnaiady, In spite OF al efforts, IN
creased rapidly in its phases and suddenly turned
to insanity. At first 1t was hoped this might be
but temporary instead OF which the girl grew
worse daily and even ut times became q raving
maniac. 1t was then determined to take her
TO THE INSANE ASYLUM.
and application was made for her incarceration in
the Bloomngdale Lunatic Asylum. The mother
during her daughters illness was of course greatly
affected by this sudden calamity and grew despond-
ent particularly when she heard that 1t was
necessary to remove her only daughter to the In
of removal and she tacitly consented to the thing,
though OF course the daughter was Kept in CON-
plete ignorance Of what was intended. She en-
joyed lucid intervals, during which her mother still
hoped that she might return to her proper reason;
but when this hope would prove abortive then the
mother grew more and more Respondent Her
brother endeav0red to cheer her up by saying the
absence would be only temporary one and that
the daughter would probably be well in the course
Of four weeks This did not satisfy the mother.
During the last three nights she sat at her daugh-
ter's bedside and could not be induced to take
wink Of sleep. At length the morning
arrived for the departure Of the daughter, and
some lady friends called ostensibly to take her for
RIDE IN THE PARK,
but In reality to convey her to the Asylum It was
about halfpast tcn and Mrs. Lewenheim was as
sisting her daughter to dress Suddenly she disap-
peared, and the ladies' and Mr.. Kahn went on as
sisting the young lady to get ready She asked for
pair Of low shoes, and Mr.. Kahn searched for
them. 1t was then only he noticed the disappear
ance OF his sister. He looked for her through the
house, and not finding her, went TO the bathroom
to see If she was there. The glass door in the
han was locked from the inside. Mr.. Kahn knocked
repeatedly ana called his sister, but received no
answer He thought something must be the mat
ter, though he was far from suspecting the truth
He rushed to the door of the bathroom opening on
the bedroom and again knocked there. Again re-
ceiving no answer he smashed omen the door and
went in. There an appalling sight met his eyes.
His sister lay on the floor, gaspng
HER LAST BREATH,
the blood running In huge spurts from her neck,
which was open In one huge cash from ear TO cor.
The brother Immediately applied handkerchief to
the Wound and to stancht The hand
by main force took up the body In his arms and
carried it to the bed In the next room. His bro
stitute had by this time arrived, and DR.. Paine, Of
East Thirty;arst street, was sent for. He soon
at DEATH He that % tb be
carotid artery had been severed and that Mrs.
Lewenhein had bed to death. The most dlnlcult
daughters ears. When she was dressed and ready
to 60 to the asylum she asked to see her mother,
her to leave without doing Dr. PAINE succeeaed
in doing this, however, and she was put In the
coach with her lady friends, who did not either
81 tine terrible Tracey %Se hs4 been zen hap
room adjoining them Had the daughter learned Of
HER MOTHERS TERRIBLE DEATH
1t might possibly have killed her. The carriage
wheeled rapidly away to Bloomngdale, and the
brothers remained alone with the corpse
The HERALD reporter called In the afternoon at
the house, IN company with Coroner Young and
his deputy, DR., Ma Marsh They held an inquest on
stretched out OH sofa In the front ooh. II was
that OF apparently middie-aged woman, Of small
stature, with Jet black hair and somewhat sharp
the sofa was basin flil 81 Clothes, which were
soaking in blood. The HERALD reporter visited
the bathroom where the suicide took place. 1t was
q CHASTITY sight. The basin close by the bathtub
was discoOred with blood. 1t existed in spots all
over. 1t was evident from the look Of things that
Mrs. Lewenhein had cut her throat directly over
the marble basin and that the blood first spurted
over 1t. Unable to remain In standing position,
she had fallen backward with her head in a corner
between the door and the WALL for here existed
largo pool of cotted blood, Offering the
MOST sICKLY AND REPuLsIvE SIGHT,
During her diving moments Mrs. LeWenheln mpst
have lost fearful quantity Of blood. She had COM
mitted the crime with the carving knife, silver
handled blade, which appeared to have peen sharp
ened for the occasion. The bed whereOn the dead
lady had lain also saturated with blood, which
had dribbied on the floor in spots. N
At the inquest the only person examined was DR..
Alexander Kahn He testified to the facts above
two years OF age; that she had been widow seven
years, and that she only had one daughter. During
the last few days she had been Respondent, but not
to such degree as to make him believe that
SHE CONTEMPLATED SUICIDE.
She appeared to bitterly regret the necessity OF
been away about ten minutes when he missed her,
and he Immediately went in search of her. He did
not at the moment suppose that her absence meant
anything serious but he suspected 1t when he had
knocked at the bathroom. He had then made
exertions to save her life, as detailed above, and
utterly failed to do anything. The principal artery
having been severed all exertiOns were useless
He lived with his sister and his brother, and her
daughter lived with them.
On this testimony alone Coroner Young adj
dressed the jury, and directed 1t to bring In
dict Of ''Suicide under momentary alteration of
mind" The jury found In accordance with the
prfa