Daily globe., 1879-02-10
SUICIDE OR MURDER j?
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY DEVELOPEn
THIS MORNING.
Mysterious Death of Samuel Ievi-Found
DEAD In His Hay Shed With His Throat
Cut-Is It Murder or Suicide,

Alta few minutes before o'clock this morr-
ing messenger in search of Coroner Stein was
encountered by GLOBE reporter, Asked tho
nature of his visit, and the messenger without
any stop in his hurried walk replied a neigh
Dor Of his had
COMMITTED SUICIDE
Walking with the messenger to Coroner
stems residence, that official was
aroused and informed of III.
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 o'clock by Mrs.
Lew, living next door to him, with the start
ling information that her husband had
KILLED HIMSELF.
AS quickly as possible he repaired to Mr..
Lewis residence, from which he was conducted
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 tie lower part Of the left ear to center
OF the larynx. Without disturbing the
body CT stopping to make any examina
tlon the messenger started on his search for the
coroner, in which he was discovered by the
GLOBE reporter as above stated
1t took the coroner but a moment 10 get him.
self in walking condition, and accom- panied hv
the messenger, the reporter, two policemen and
another gentleman who happened to be about,
the line Of march was taken for 1O1 Park ave-
nue., the residence of the reported suicide, AS
the residence was approached
LOUD LAMENTATIONS
were heard from the house. A knock at the
door brought 10 response, and it not being an
occasion for standing ceremony, an en-
trance was made to a room which proved to be
the common sitting room of tie house. Here
gray haired lady. probably IS years of age,
was discovered rocking back and forth in
very
90. PARoxYsM OF GRIEF,
with young lad Of about IA years and lady
friend vainly endeavoring to sooth the dis
tracted woman. Getting 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. 1t was
found nearly full Of hay and straw, the open
ho.rr %lo~,
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, lying on bis
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 exterd-
ing from just underneath the left ear to about
the center of the throat. About six inches
from his right hand lay ar old-fashioned
BUTCHER KNIFE
with a wood handle aud a blade about six inches
In length, the blade covered in blood, The
right hand next the knife showed little if anv
contraction Of the muscles, and had but little
If any blood upon it, while the left hand, living
on the opposite side. was drenched in bloos, ,
An examination of the surroundings gave no
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 the
throat-cutting was done while the victim was
in q standing position.
Having completed thia 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
o'clock Mrs. Levi, who had been reading his
tory OF travels to Charles, their only child.
lad of about Il, spoke to her hus-
band about his retiring, at the
same time turning back the bed for him,
elnstead 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 him
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 about
she took chair behind the stove In a few
minutes the horse was heard movnc abunt
again, and again Mr.. Levi went out to the barn
This time Mr.. Levi remained away only few
minutes. On his return she again urged him
to go to bed, but he would not, and after sittino
by the stove q little while he got up and Went
out to the barn again. This time he did not
return as before, and after some fifteen or
twenty minutes a
DREAD OF SOMETHING HORRIBLE
took possession of her, impelled by which she
started out to the barn. Reaching the door
she found it locked with the keys arranged
as if to attract her attention. Fearing. she
knew not what. but anything but the
terrible SIGHT
that confronted her vision. she turned to the
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
was her husband. Calling him "Father. y
the endearing title with which she was wont to
address him, she asked him why he was
laying there. Receiving no response.
and the dread steadily gatberino
around her heart, she hurried back
to the house and got a lantern, by the aid of
which the horrible realty was discovered. The
alarm, the summons of Coroner Stein, and the
visit of the GLOBE reporter with its results, is
told above. ~
the victim of this tragedy, has lived in St.
Paul about twelve years, coming here from
lowa' Had he lived until the 22d inst he
| would have been 90 years old. He was
a glazier by trade. He had com.
Portable home. was strictly temperate, and
as far as known by Mrs. Levi did not owe a
cent in the world. lie had been married some
nineteen years, in which relations, Mrs Levi
SAID, all had been pleasant. While there is
bus little tc cause doubt of Mr. Lewis
having taken his own life
there is lacking vet any capse