The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-12-13
HIS OWN EXECUTIONER.
A Man Attempts to Kill His Wife alt
then Suicides.

1t is almost invariably the case that when man
or woman takes their own life the verdict is "Oh
he was under the influence of liduor" When
sober he or she were kind and 50 forth, but when
| in liquor they were ungovernabe and, then il in
a pet theory that suicide must be temporarily
insane, but careful diagnosis of the ase befHe
| us has in il not mitigating circumstance and the
symptoms dicate neither temporary il sanity nor
whisky insani y, but pure helishness which has
been a gradual growth OF eight years.
| Peter Morhheuser is German living at Cum
mlnsville, which has been his home for the great
er part OF his life of thirty-fve years
He has not the appearance OF vicious man;
| is about five feet eight inches in height, and
very stoutiy built; has black hair ana
| goatee.
Some thirteen years ago he married German
| girl and for a few years their lives ran quietly
and the husband worked and supported his fam
| lily; only once in great while would he get on
spree" and would be dsagreeable and abusive to
his family at such times
About eight years ago he began to grow more
| and more habituated to drink until finally he
| quit work and could scarcely ever be found in
| sober condition. was constantly quarresome and
| abusive to his family. going TO the Work houe
| frequently for intemperance and abusing family
| and only week since was liberated from that in.
Stitution.
| For the last five or six yean his wife has SUD
| ported the family BY washing and dhousecleaning.
xroviding him and their four children with food
and shelter and only asking of him that he behave
| himself.
Yesterday Peter got a little job OF wheeling
| slOp for which he did not get his pay.
| Coming home in the evening and finding his
| wife there he demanded money saying it would
| be all right when he got paid for his work
| The poor wife knew what such demand meart
| 1t signiied getting drunk. coming home to beai
her and the children, and TO destroy their scanty
stock of furniture. So she refused t., give him
money, and the immediate result was a domestie
| war of words, which only ended by bedtime
| The family occupy two rooms OF a frame house
| the wife and two younger children occupying one
room, aud the father and two sons the other
About O'Clock this murning he got up and tax
ing u heavy smoothing-iron went into his wiFe's
apartment, and Gragging her from the bed, struck
her eight bl lws, inflictng four fright'ul wounds
on the head, which may prove fatal, and four
Others on her body.
His son of thirteen then came to the rescue, and
succeeded in dragging him away. He then ran
| into the back yard, and was found this morning
suspended from the back of the pig pen, dead
What picture of woe! In one room lies the
disfgured mother groaning with pain,
and around her bed four hornH-
stricken children. In the back rO<Hn
| lie The mortal remains of a man who has met his
| just dues, with dark ring around his neck, an
his hands and clothing covered with the innocent
blood of the wife he thought he had murdered.
and the mystery is that she lives.