Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-09-24
Over the Falls at Nlagara-A Deliberate
Suicide.

The Niagara Falls Telegraph gives
the following account of the recent sui
eide at that place:
George W. Knapp, Of Utica, committed
suicide mere last night by leaping Into the rap.
ids. He made his preparations in the most
careful manner even going so far as to pro-
cure a pistol, with which he evidently iutend-
ed to shoot any one who should interfere with
hHu. Knapp arrived here at o 800 last night on
the train from Buffalo, and after sending q
telegraph message went 10 the international
Hotel, where he had supper What he did
during the remainder of the evening until ne
took his trighttul leap is a mystery. Mr.. e. y
Nusener, OF Drummondsville, Ont, and his
cousin, Miss Florence NJ. Evart, who had boen
viewing the falls from Prospect Park, went 70
Iugbys bazar, Just south of the bridge which
spans the rapids to Goat Island. The young
lady st down on long seat on the balcony
which extends along the side Of the ba1ar
aud over the rapids, and her companion went
inside and entered into conversation with
young attendant. Very soon after this, Knapp
came along, and what followed was told by
Miss EvaGt to your correspondent, as follows;
"Mr. Nusener, with whose family / am at
present visiting across the river, and myseH
came over to the American side Of the river,
and after spending q short time In Prospect
Park we won't 70 Tugby's bazar He and l
sat down ON the seat along the balcony, and
my cousin went into the bazar, and stood in
! the door with his back toward me, engaged in
| conversation with Miss Mary Haney. j sat
! there about three minutes, when the man
came along. II was rather dark at the time
/ aud l didn't take particular notice OF him.
However 1 should say that he was tall and
| rather stout man Of middle age, and wore q
| dark suit Of clothes. He wore a full beard,
| which seemed TO be slightly tinged with gray.
/ He sat down ten feet away from me, and APP
peared 70 be I'm deep thought. He sat there
/ about three minutes, and then went to the
| extreme corner Of the balcony, ten feet fur
| ther away. He sat down. pulled out diary,
hastily scribbled few words, then tore out the
| leaf and pinned the note inside Of his coat, on
| the right side. He then removed the garment
! and took of his vest. He did not seem TO be
] pWnffnn and Il fhpmnFhf that nrnhnblW he had
! becn walking, and, being heated, was trying
] to cool of. However, L continued to watch
! him. He stopped a moment, as though hold
ing communion with himself, and tnen re
| moved his cuffs. He laid his hat on top Of the
! clothes, and, mounting the railing, stood there
| minute. Then, drawing q pistol. he raised
both hands above his head and fired q shot
| with one. Just as he did this he bent his knees
and gave the irightful leap into tho rapids.
| turned Just then, so frightened that knew
not what TO do. / just managed to yell, and
| Charley and others came instantly up"
| Those who ran out ON the balcony say that
the man was drowned before he reached the
awful precplce, eighty rods away, and thtA
the body shot into the darkness aud down the
seething abyss like a ball shot from cannon.
No cry was heard from the suicide who so
deliberately and determinedly ended bis Gu
reer. A crowd soon gathered around. PO-
hCeman Ralph Bailey took possession Of the
dead mans effects, which were found neatly
folded and piled upon the seat. The note
pinned on the coat read:
Please express these to E. F. Emery, ~ John
street, Utica. G.. W; KNAPP,
The signature was IN plain, bold hand. In
avest pocket was found plain gold English
lever watch and elsewhere were memoran-
DUN book, containing bills and $e4.lB in mon
ey, a counterfeit trade dollar, eyeglasses, knife,
and match and tobacco boxes. The cufs were
found I'm a coat pocket. On a bunch Of keys
was plate marked Knapp, residence lC
/ Cooper street, Utica"
The cause Of the suicide is n mystery. just
after the suicide telegraph boy ran down to
deliver the answer to the message Knapp sent
earlier in the evening, and which was about
, business matters.
Knapp was evidently sane, and went about
the business Of ending his life with coolnes'
and dc.iberaton. Nobody knows anything
about the man. The body, for which search Is
now being made along the banks Of the rivcl
below the falls, has not yet been found, ant
probably will never be recovered.
The last suicide here was that OF "Pipus
, Walker, n bOatmUn, who, full OF liquor got II
, q small boat and went over the falls. His bod.
was never recovered.