Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-02-28
A SAD TRAGEDY.


A ROMANTIC LOVE STORY, WITH A
FRIGHTFUL SEQUEL.
FATHERS ANGER DRIVES TWO YOUNG
CREATURES TO DESPERATION.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. I9.--The Lindell
Hotel, one of the leading hotels of
this city, was this morning the scene
of terrible tragedy, combining in a
remarkable degree the elements of
mystery romance. At about O'Clock
yesterday afternoon there went to the
hotel a young German couple, who
desiyed to put up there and pass the
night. One of them was handsome
young fellow of apparently the mid
die walks of life, the other remark
ably bright and beautiful girl, about
Is years of age. The young fellow
registered his own name as Jon Gum
binger, and underneath he wrote the
name Maggie Gumbinger.
THE HOTEL CLERK ASKED NO QUESTIONS,
gave the young fellow, who had evil
IDENTIFY been drinking, though he was
not markedly under the influence of
liquor, the change out of the 500 bill
which he hung down to pay for the
entertainment, neither himself nor the
young girl having any baggage with
them. The young couple went up to
their room, No. 276, by the elevator,
and that was about the last seen of
them until at O'Clock this afternoon.
1t was not the last heard of them,
however, as at about ten minutes past
6 o'clock this morning Mr. Louis
Bassard, commercial traveller for a
Cincinnati house, while lying awake
in room No. 277, heard a couple OF
sounds which seemed TO like either
REPORTS OF A PISTOL
or the shaip slamming of door. At
any rate, he took no notice Of the oc-
currence, and did nor mention it to
anybody in the hotel, when he arose,
a couple Of hours later. At 4 O'Clock
in the afternoon, however, one Of the
chsmbermaids of the hotel sought to
gain admission to the room in which
the young couple had passed the night,
but though it was 80 late in the day,
she found the door locked. She sum-
moned assistance, and, in few min
utes, one of .he porters arrived and
climbed up to the door and peeped
into the room through the transom.
ATERRIBLE sIGHT s
met his eye. The room is double
beded ond, and on one of the beds
lay the dead and bloody bodies of the
man aud girl. He shrank back in
horror from the scene, and jumping
back to the passage, told one or two
of the chambermaids who had been
drawn bp curiosity to the spot, of
what he had just Seheld. The rews
travelled rapidly through the big cara
yausery, and in short time rhe pas
sage was crowded with the guests
and help of the place. At the request
of the proprietor, the porter climbed
through the transom and opened the
door, when the crowd which had gath
cred surged into the room and gazed
upon
THE FEARFUL SPECTACLE
which presented itself. There Was
nothing disordcrly 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. THY were
both found lying in the same bed, the
girl on the inside, and both full,
dressed, except that the young fel
low had not got his coat on. In tn.
right hand of the latter was a Ave
barreled Smith & Wesson revolver, o
SO caiibre, two Of the chambers o
which had been emptied.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE BODIES,
the hemorrirage-from which had bee
excessive, deluging the pillows an
bedclothes with gore, showed that tn
i girl had been shot q little back of th
left ear, and the man in the sam
place on the right side Of his head
girl lay on her back, her hands eros
ed upon her chest, with the fingel
intertwining. in fact, her attitud
: was so peaceful that the dednctic
n Was irresistible that her companit
{ had shot her 6rst, and had taken tin
D to arrange her figure and place u
lhands in position before he sent Il
q secold fatal bullet home.
! THE UTMOST MIarERr 81