Daily globe., 1879-02-10
SUICIDE OR MURDER /?
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY DEYELOpEn
THIS MORNING.
NAys'erious Death of Samuel Levf-Found
Dead In His Hay Shed With His Throat
Cut-Is 1t Murder or Suicide,

Doau IN Ills Hay Shed With His Throat
Cut-Is 1t Murder or Suicide,
Alta few minutes before o'clock this morr-
ing messenger in search of Coroner Stein ws.
encountered by GLOBE reporter. Asked tho
nature of his visit, and the messenger without
any stop in his hurried walk, replied neigh.
Dor of his had
COMMITTED SUICIDE.
Walking with the messenger to Coroner
stems residence, that official was
aroused and informed of tho
tragedy for which his services were needed
While the coroner was donning his wearing an
parel the reporter learned from the almost
breathless messenger that he had been sud-
denly awakened little after l o'clock bv Mrs.
Levi, living next door to him, with the start
ling information that her husband had
KILLED HIMSELF.
AS quickly as possible he repaired to MIR.
Lewis residence, from which he was condncted
to hay shed, some fifty feet to the rear of the
house, where, lying upon his back and in a
STOPPING position, he discovered Mr. Levi with
his
THROAT CUT
from the lower part of the left ear to center
OF the larynx. Without disturbing the
BODY or stopping to make any examina-
ton, the messenger started on his search for tho
coroner, in which he was discovered bv the
GLOBE reporter as above stated
lttook the coroner but moment to get him.
self in walking condition, and accompanied nv
the messenger, the reporter, two policemen and
another gentleman who happened to be about.
the line of march was taken for 101 Park ave-
nue., the residence of the reported suicide, As
the residence was approached
LOUD LAMENTATIONS
were heard from the house. knock at the
door brought no response, and it not being an
occasion for standing on ceremony, an en-
trance was made to a room which proved to be
the common sitting room of the house. Here
gray haired lady, probably IS years of age,
was discovered rocking back and forth in
very
PARoxYsM OF GRIEF,
with young lad of about IA years and a lady
friend vainly endeavoring to sooth the dis
tracted woman. Getting a lantern, Coroner
Stein and party at once repaired to the hay
shed in the rear, where the body of the reported
suicide was lying. This hay shed is a low, board
| structure running from another shed in which
his horse was stabbed the two being about 25
feet in length and entered by separate doors,
each provided with heavy padlocks. The
door to the hay shed is about four feet broad.
and swings outward and to the right. It was
found nearly full of hay and straw, the open
space being not more than three feet SQUARE.
The door was closed. As it was opened, the
first object that met the gaze of the party was
Mr..
SAMUEL LEVI
dressed in his ordinary clothing, living on his
back, his feet almost touching the foot
of the door, his hands lying by his
side, and the upper part of his body leaning
against the straw. His head was inclined a
little to the left, showing a savage cash extend
ing from just underneath the left ear to about
the center of the throat. About six inches
from his right hand lay an old-fashioned
BUTCHER KNIFE
| with a wood handle aud blade about six inches
in length the blade covered in blood The
| right hand next the knife showed little if any
contraction of the muscles and had but little
1t any blood upon it, while the left hand, lyine
on the opposite side, was drenched in bloot
An examination of the surroundings gave NJ
evidence of any struggle whatever but blood
stains were found on the side wall of the stall
and the inside of the door, indicating that tn.
throat-cutting was done while the victim was
in standing position.
Having completed this examination. a re.
turn was made to the house, when, after con.
siderable trouble, the following was CLEANED
from Mrs. Levi of the
INCIDENTS OF THE NIGHT.
Mr. Levi, who had been suffering with his
throat for several days past, appeared nervous
| and unsettled all the evening. Alittle after 9
o'clock Mrs. Levi who had been reading a his.
| tory of travels to Charles, their only child
lad of about IA, spoke to her hus-
| band about his retiring, at the
same time turning back the bed for. him
Instead of going to bed Mr.. Levi took pillow
and lay down on the lounge While living there
the horse was heard stamping in the stable
and Mr.. Levi got up and went out, returning in
few minutes. Mrs. Levi again advised hin
to go to bed, but he again offered some excuse
and urging her to return, but saying he knew
she could not sleep with him; moving abou,
she took chair behind the stove. In a few
minutes the horse was heard moving abou,
again, and again MIR. Levi went out to the harm
This time MIR. Levi remained away only a few
minutes. On his return she again urged him
to go to bed, but he would not, and after sittino
by the stove little while, he got up and ven
out to the barn again. This time he did MOI
return as before, and after some fifteen O,
| twenty minutes
| DREAD OF SOMETHING HORRIBLE
took possession of her, impelled by which sh,
started out to the barn. Reaching the doo
she found it locked with the KEYS arranged
as IT to attract her attention. Fearing, sh,
knew not what, but anything but the
Terrible SIGHT
that confronted her vision, she turned To III.
door leading to the hay she'd This she found
unlocked: Opening the door, there, immedi
ately IN front OF her, lying as above described
vnS was he her husband. Calling him 'sFather,
ADDRESS him, she asked him why he wa
laying there; Receiving no response
and the dread steadily eatberint
around her heart, she hurried bacI
to the house and got lantern, by the aid n
which the horrible realty was discovered. nh,
alarm, the summons of Coroner Stein. and til,
visit of the GLOBE reporter with it's result. !;
told above. t''' i
SAMUEL LEVI,
the victim of this tragedy, has lived in 81
Paul about twelve years. coming here from
Iowa. Had he lived until the 22d inst h.
would have been 80 wears old. Ho no,
a glazier by trade. He had com
Portable home, was strictly temperate. an6
as far as known by Mrs. Levi. did not owe
cent IN the world. He had been married some
nineteen years, in which relations, Mrs. lev
said, all had been pleasant. While there Is
hut little to cause doubt of Mr.. Lewis
| having taken his or,,, l:r.