Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-11-15
TRAGIC DEATH
Of Gussie 0erteI, Who Formerly
Lived in this City.
AFTER HAVING BEEN BRUTALLY
BEATEN BY HER PARAMOUR
The Poor Girl Expires on the Steps
of the Four Courts Building
i'm Saint Louis.

in Saint Louis.
Wednesdays Globe Democrat con-
tanned the following article relating to
the sad death of a woman ut one
time weil-known in this city. Gussie,
or isis" as she was more familiarly
known, lived here about twelve years
ago with her father, Gus. Oertel, who
kept a restaurant, billiard hall and
gambling house on the North side of
the square. The girl, then about Is
years of age, and strikingly hand
some, commenced her downward ca
reer in this city, %whereupon her faith
er, in hopes of reformation, sent her
to st. Joseph's Academy, Carondelet,
from which institution sne escaped,
and become a noted courtezan of st.
Louis. Her untimely death tells the
sad story of the life she lived in the
metropolis and her subsequent burial
as an outcast, the result of her way
wardness.
Her father, too, was not altogether
unknown here, and the influences he
brought to bear upon the girl were of
the most shocking character. Gus.
Oertel, besides being a gambler, kept
a mistress who, it was said, treated
his daughter very unkindly. One OF
his women (Mrs. VIM. Bright, wife
of the secretary Of the St. Louis
Type Foundry Co.. died and was
buried here, but before the clods on
her grave become cold, he imported
another, a Mrs. Honser, who lived
with him until he gave up his business
here and returned to the city.
Gussie's own mother, she said, was
confined in a private mad-house in
st. Louis at the instance of her faith.
er to further his amours with other
women. With these associations, was
it a wonder that the daughter went to
the bad =?
Gus. Oertel is now a we'll known
macadam contractor of St. Louis.
1t was in 1868, we believe, he figured
in the Bright scandal, and while he
was being prosecuted for adultery,
the injured husband, in the old Chest.
nut Street Police Court, became Sc
exasperated that he drew his pistol
and shot Oertel in the court room
the bullet entering his face, and near.
ly proving fatal.
ACCOUNT OF THE TRAGEDY.
A death which very probably will
be traced to injuries received at the
hands Of man with whom she had
been ~quarrelling occurred at the ives,
entrance of the Four Courts building
yesterday morning.
At 8 O'Clock Emma Belle Oertel,
or Gussie Oertel, as she was also call
ed, a young woman lacking virtue,
made her appearance in the Office Of
the Clerk of the Court of CriminaI
Correction and desired that a warran,
be made out against a man named
William F. Dunn for assault and bat.
terry. She stated that she was living
with him in a room at No. All Nortf
Eighth street, and that he had beer
whipping her all night. She was
bleeding about the face rather freely
and complained of feeling weak, re.
questing Mr.. Fitzgerald to make on,
the warrant as soon as possible, al
she desired to get over to the Dispen'
sary to have her injuries attended to,
About 5 O'Clock yesterday morning
she SAID, Dunn had broken a cup oyel
her nose, and, from the appearance
Of her face at that time, the blow
must have been a pretty severe one,
The blood was running in a stream
down her throat, she said, and flowed
so fast that, as she expressed it., she
was ''eating it."
The woman appeared faint, as il
from loss of sleep and blood, ant
both eyes were black from the effects
of the blow upon the nose. Aftel
the warrant had been sworn out shs
left the Clerks Office and proceeded
rather unsteadily through the court
room, where she fell as she nearet
the door, whether from faintness OF
the effects Of tripping upon the un
even mating could not be ascertained
She arose and went down the steps Il
the first corridor and through that tt
The west door of he building. Al
she reached the last stone of the cut.
side fight of steps she was seen t.
fall and lie motionless. Several par
ties at once rushed to her aid, ant
Sergeant Johnson called out the pa,
troll wagon, in which she was taken t.
the Dispensary. When picked up a
the foot Of the steps she was all bu,
pulseless, and when she arrived at thu
Dispensary DR.. Dorset
PRONOUNCED HER DEAD.
1t was very apparent that the force O
the fall in the room of the Court Of
Criminal Correction and the one a
the foot Of the steps was not sufficient
to cause death, and that the latter
was the effect of previous injuries
received. The body of the dead wo.
man was at once senk tn tho MorDur