The daily gazette., 1876-05-22
FIRST EDITION
A DOUBLE SUICIDE,
A Man and Wife End their Lives
Together.
Poverty the Probable Cause of
the Crime.

MYSTERY.
On Tuesday, April 18th last, the
Black Horse Hotel, 3. w. cor. Front
and Justlson streets, Mrs. Caroline
Cunningham, proprietorcss, was visi-
ted by German and his wife, who
took board there by the day, for an in
definite time.
The man was apparently about co
years OF age, nealiy six feet tall and
well formed, with gray hair, and little
white moustache. The woman ap-
peared TO be between 40 and 45 years
old, of good form and fire appearance.
Both were neatly but plainly dressed.
During their stay at the hotel, the
couple deported themae elves in quiet
and reserved, but unsuspicious man
ner. Being unabld to speak English
with much facility, they held no con-
verse with the other boarders, and re.
maincd In their room (second story
front on the east side) most of the
lime. The man walked cut OCCASION
ally, and both regularly attended the
Sunday services at the Sacred Heart,
(Catholic) Tenth and Madison streets.
Saturday night the couple retired to
their room as usual. but when girl
knocked at their door Sunday morn
ing, no response Was made. Another
summons was sounded on the door at
noon, but 1t was locked on the inside
and still no response was made. The
affair then began to lock suspicious.
and about three o'clock, Mrs. Cunning
ham went out on the porch, and look.
ing into the room through the window
blinds, observed the couple lying upon
the bed, side by side, in q still and
death-like manner. She called to them
but they made no response, when she
went down stairs and despatched the
bar tender, MIR. Mason, after officer
Bouz- arth. The officer soon arrived,
accompanied by undertaken Palmer,
and both, after knocking loudly upon
the door and gazing through the win
dow became convinced that the man
and women were dead.
| Coroner Groves was then sent for,
and on his arrival ordered the door to
be forced open, which was done by
officer Bouzearth. The men entered
the rsom, when their suspicious were
instantly verified, for the man and
woman were both found to be dead -
They were lying side by side, cold and
rigid, their features calm and placid,
and their hands folded across their
breasts. They had evidently sank into
death sleep without struggle.
On a chair by the bed were found
two empty cups and a sharp razor,
showing that the suicidal intent was
very earnest, and that other means OF
death had been provided IN case the
poison failed to do its work.
The Coroner Immediately examined
the room and in bureau drawer found
six ounce bottle about half full OF
laudanum and small paper of arsenic,
The clothing of the deceased was
found ina trunk, neatly put away and
this, together with the orderly con-
dition of the room, gave evidence that
the most careful preparations for death
had been made.
, No money was found about the
clothes, and the only articles discover
ed were an empty wailet,a small scrar
book, n small diary, and fancy book
mark made of paper and ribbon. Or
this book mark was picture, and
: scrap of German poetry.
The books also contained lines writ
ten in German, some Of which were
translated by Mr.. +. Bucher, They
read: 1--WE have lived long together
. but there is no use in living any Longer
! but we can die togetheri" Life to Us
, is all nonsense, hence it is better to
die than live" Neither Of these re
marks were dated. Several poems
were written in .he scrap book, eyi
dently by the man himself, who ap
peared to be intelligent and well edu
Gated. On the third finger OF the mans
right hand was found a double golC
ring, bearing the inscription, "a. G.,
13-4 4-1S63," evidently meaning the
18th of April 1868. The woman alss
wore plain gold ring on the second
. finger Of her left hand, but it containec
ne inscription. On her underclothinl
however, was found the initials "E
i G.. IMPRESSED with indelible ink.
DIR Ogle, who had been Immediately
? sent for by the Coroner, examined thu
! bodies, and stated that death had re
q llted from some narcotic poison, pro
badly laudanum. This was made ap
parent by the easy and natural condl
lion of the bodies, and the dilated. con
ditisn of The pupils of the eyes.
Coroner Groves summoned a jury
!, during the evening, and held an in
quest, The circumstances, as above
related were testified to, but nothing
was elected, to prove the name o
identity of the two bodies. When th'
man and woman first came to th'
!. hotal they gave their names to Mrs
y Cunningham, but the name belnt
r German she easily forgot 1t.
VIVA. II. Glenn, druggist at From
= and West streets, testified that thu
man came to his store on several oc
casiens and purchased small quantitit
of laudanumn which he claimed to us'
, for the purpose of inducing sleep. Ol
\ Friday the man purchased some ar
senic, which he said he was going Il
experiment with on some dogs. Mr.
Glenn obtained the mans name but a
he failed to record it. He said uh
> man conversed with him, on severa
occasions in very intelligent manne
'' and he was recently from New York
-, or;o;nallv from Hungary.