The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-07-22
QUICK WORK!
Attempted Assassination !!
SUICIDE OF THE WOULD-BE
ASSASSIN.

Last Monday evening at about half
past six O'Clock, the usual quiet Of our
town was disturbed by the most ex-
traerdinary and exciting affair that
has occurred here for many years.
A little over two years ago young
man of German birth by the name OF
Gottfred Wagner, was employed in
the Carriage works of Messrs. Merits
& Riddle. He became enamored of a
young lady, then about fifteen years
of age, named Amelia Buren,, and
finally, on the 29th of April, 1878,
the two were united in marriage, much
against the wishes of the yonng lady's
relatives and friends. Soon after
their marriage, taking 'Greeley's ad-
vice, they went West, and settled in
the town of Boone, Iowa, where he
went into the business of keeping a
hotel or saloon, but he kept such a
disorderly place that the proprietors
of the premises turned him out of
possession, and he went to the town
of Bonneville, in the same vicinity,
and went to work at his trade. In
the mean time his wife gave birth to a
daughter, which in few weeks after
its birth was taken with inflammation
of tLe eyes, and from bad treatment
and the neglect Of the father, became
blind. During their residence in
Boone and after their removal to
Bonneville, his treatment of his wife
was cruel and intolerable, he fire.
quently threatening to shost her and
her relatives. and declaring that she
sud the child should all fill one grave.
i'or nearly two years she endured this
brutality, until in April last. when an
uncle was about coming to Ohio, she
left her husband, and with her child
accompanied him, arriving at her un-
cle's, M. Gretzinger's in the early part
of May last, where she has since made
her home. Wagner soon after left for
California, and his whereabouts were
not known to his family till last Mon
day evening, when he came to town
on the evening train on the G. &. p.
railroad from Pittsburgh. AT .abont
half. past six o'clock he made his ap-
pearance upon the premises of Mr..
Martin Gretzinger, On Chestnut street.
first mesiin2 Mrs. G.,. in the back
yard hanging out clothes. He told
her that he wanted to ask her forgive
ness. She replied that he had lied so
much and so often that she could not
forgive him. The wife, seeing him
in the yard ran and secreted herself
in another room, fearing that he had
come to execute his oft repeated
threats. He then proceeded to the
house and was about to enter by way
Of tho back door from the porch when
the women of the house called Mr..
Gretzinger. who came TO the rescue
just as Wagner was about stepping
into the dsor. Mr.. Gretzinger asked
him what he wanted, and he replied
that he wanted to see his "stolen wife
/ and sweet, dear baby" Mr.. G. told
him they were well provided for and
did not wish to see him, and ordered
him to leave the premises, which he
refused to do, when Mr.. Gretzinger
led him off the porch. He had no
sooner reached the ground than he
turned and made q motion as if to
draw a revolver from his pocket. Mr..
e.. saw the movement and sprang for
him, seizing both his hands, but he
had cooked the deadly weapon, and
iu an instant the contents Of one Of
its chambers was discharged, the ball
bar .ly escaping Mr.. G.'s leg and bury
log half its depth in solid oak board
in the steps. In an instant help waf
at hand and the revolver was takeu
from the desperate man and he wai
on his way to the Jail. The Sheriff
received him in the Court House yard
and he was soon inside the walls o.
1the county safe. After Sheriff Risdon
had got him inside the walls he was
so very noisy that he was compelled
10 place him in close confinement, aud
lie accordingly placed hin' In cell No
3, on the lower floor on the west side
Of the prison, aud after relieving his
pockets-of their contents, turned The
key. upon l. him and left him at hit
i prayers.
t., Before leaving him the sheriff
searched his pockets anding therein ,
small wallet containing Sl.75 in scriI
and nickel, paper containing abou
Fan ounce of white powder, which DR.
Hugus pronounced to be arsenic, ant
a few papers of little or no account
He strongly protested against th'
sheriff"s taking from him the wallet
and it is generally believed that it wa
his intentien to have killed his VIII,
and child iflshe should refuse To- =,
and live with him, and then by mean
of the poison to destroy his own life,
TUE SUICIDE.
/ Shortly after the sheriff had gone
out, Fred Henig, = prisoner confined
q in the Jail, heard noise as of the tear
ling of cloth and soon after chokin,
Tor gurgling sound, but he was in tn
corridor on the other side of the cell
and paid little attention to it. Upol
1.-THE noise being several times repsate'
Hsnig passed around tho cells AM
.. rcoming opposite the one in whic
Wagner was confined he saw hir
standing with his back to the door
!, but did not then hear the noise re
peated and passed around to the othe
: side Of the cells again. Upon hearin
, the ehoaking sound he again won
around 10 the cell in which Wagne
was confined and found him standing