Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-23
Alefan0r1a QDazette
SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY E3.
Together in Death.

III oI. 1IJ9t,' ""S '"'S tloi''u@ t'' 'e1o1 -
terrible tragedy, combining 10 remarkable de
gree the elements of misery and romance.
At about five o'clock yesterday Afternoon
there went to the hotel a young German cou
ple who desired to put up there and pass tn
night. One of them was handsome young tel
low of apparently the middle walks of life; tht
other reu arkably bright and beautiful girl o
about eighteen years Of age. The young fel
low registered his own name as John GumbD
GER and underneath he wrote the name o
Maggie Gumbingcr. The hotel clerk asked nc
questions, and gave the young fellow (who had
evidently been drinking, though he was not
markedly under the Influence of liquor,) the
change out Of the twenty dollar bill which be
! fuDg down to pay for the entertainment, Meth.
er himself nor the young girl having any bag
gage with them.
The young cuupl then went up to their room,
| No. 276, by the elevator. That was almost
the last seen of them until four o'clock this
afternoon. 1t was not the last heard of
them, however, as at about ten minutes past
six O'Clock this morning Mr.. Louis Bas.
serd, commercial traveller for Cincinnati
house, while lying awake in room No. 277,
heard couple of sounds which seemed to him
like either reports of pistol or the sharp slam.
ming ola door. At any rate, he took no no.
tice Of the occurrence and did not mention it to
anybody in the hotel when he arose couple of
hours later. At four clock in the afternoon.
however, one Of the chambermaids of the hotel
sought to gain admission to the room in which
| the young couple had passed the night, but al
though it was so late in the day she found the
| door locked. She summoned assistance, and
| in few minutes one OF the porters arrived and
climbed up the door and peepcd into the room
| through the transom. A terrible sight met bis
eyes. The room is double. bedded one, and
! on ono of the beds lay the dead and bloody
bodies of the man and girl lie spraDg back in
horror from the scene, and jumping back to the
passage told one or two of the chambcrmaids,
who had been drawn by curiosity to the spot,
of what he had just bcheld. The news travelled
rapidly through the big caravansary, and in
| short time the passage was crowded with guests
and help of the place. At the request of the
proprietors the porter climed through the tran
som and opened the door, when the crowd
which had gathered surged into the room and
gazed upon the fearful spectacle which it pre-
sented.
There was nothing disorderly in the chamber
nothing to indicate that there had been any
struggle on the part of either of the dead people
before the act Of killing occurred. They were
found both Iyiog on the same bed,the girl on the
inside, and both fully dressed, except that the
young fellow had not got on his coat. In tho right
hand of the latter was five barrelled Smith q
Wesson revolver, of thirty eight oallbrc, two
of the chambers Of which had been emptied.-
An examination Of the bodics-thc hemorrhage
from which had been excessive, dcluglng the
pillows and bedclothes with gore, showed that
the girl had been shot little back Of the left
ear, the man on the right side Of his head
The girl lay on her back, her hands crossed up.
on her chest, with tho fogers INTERVIEWING. 10
fact her attitude was so peaceful that the de-
duction was irresistible that her companion had
shot her first and had taken timo to arrange
her figure and place her hands in position be.
fore be sent the second fatal bullet home.
The utmost mystery ensbrouded tho affair
for some hours after the discovery of the bodies,
as DO letter had been lks by either ct them.
and no cIeW could be caught worthy OF follow
ipp up. A search among Gumblnger's 8 pockets,
however, revealed, among other things, tho
business card of Michael Letter, wealthy Ger
man, who keeps beer saloon tor the Uhrlg
Brewery, on tho corner Ct Eighteenth and
Market streets. An Enquirer reporter went to
the place, asked for Dir. Letter, and showed
him the card, which he explained had been
taken from the body + young man who had
committed suicide at the Lindell Hotel The
reporter also mentioned the name of Gumbin-
GER, when Latter at onco announced that that
was tho name cf 9 young man who had been
barkeeper at bis saloon unit! wi,hi0 few days
past. The reporter then mentioned the TACT
that the dead body Of young girl had been
fund beside hir, when the old man threw up
his arms and uttcripg piercing shriek, cried
out, That's my daughter; that's my daughcr
Mageic" The family, who live in the rear
Of the saloon, rushed in and very painful
scene cnsued, during which the story attached
to the case leaked out
1t appeared That Gumbloger, who was
very handsome aud clever youDg fellow, though
quito poor had been for some time paying at.
tentions to Maggie Letter, who had received
his advances with kindness. For some reason.
probably because he was al raid Of rebuff from
the old nan on account Of lis povery, the court.
ship was conducted on the sly, the father of
girl not learning about it uutll on the 1th inst.
When he did so he became very much curagcd.
and discharged Gumbingcr from his employ,
telling him. that he did 50 not because he had
oourted bis daughter, hut because he did so ou
! the sly. The ycu6g man and Maggie both
| tried to soften him, but he was lncxorabc, and
| Gumbiogcr was sent on bis way. Since then
1
is known that the yousg couple met; and last
Saturday Gumbiuger was heard to say that he
intended TO marry Maggie Letter whether hor
father was willing or not, and that the only OBJ
stacle to the match was the dutitul feeling Of
the girl. who opposed taking step which
might ALLEVIATE her from her fathers affections.
| The first suspicion which was aroused in tho
Letter family that Maggie intended to override
their authority was caused by her absence since
Yesterday afternoon. At about Two o clock yes
terday she left home, statiog that she intended
| to pay visit to some friends in another part OF
the city, known as "Erenchtowo," and when
she did not return over night old mau Letter
remarked that it was all rig ht, she had 90
and that while he regretted she had not mar
ried somebody more 10 bis liking he would not
make any fuss about it when they came home.
Hoping against hope that the companion 10
death of young Gumbingcr NIGH not. after all,
prove TO be his daughter, Letter went to the
Iipdell Hotel, where one glance at the remains