Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-02-21
A DOUBLE SUICIDE.
An Aged Couple Take Poison He.
esuse They were Poor and Had
Deen DispossssseA,

7
BALTIMORE, February 2O.--Georg
Golinghorst, residing at 28O West Prat
street, rented lodgings toan old couple
named Flatau, who were apparently
quite poor. They did not get up thil
morning, and Golinghorst knocked OF
their bedroom door. He received Nc
response except the barking Of a smaI
Spitz dog, which the couple owned
Becoming alarmed, a lockslnith was
sent for, who opened the door. On a
bed near the floor were stretched the
bodies Of Flatau and his wife, cold in
death, and on the foot of the bed was
the dog, which had kept up an inces-
SAINT barking all the time. The officers
were endeavoring to force the door and
were greeted then, upon their entrance.
with the most furious barking.
The furniture of the room consisted
Of one chair, an old fashioned mahoga.
ny bedstead, on which the couple were
lying; a large Saratoga trunk, twt
smaller trunks, sewing machine and
"A small deal table, covered with an old
gray shawl. A number ofarticles were
ying upon the table, among them a
Bible and prayer book, small die.
tionary, Photographic album, contain.
ing a number Of pictures, including
those Of Flatau and his wife when
younger; a silver watch, IA purse, and a
large wallet, beside which was lying a
letter addressed, in neat hand, "To
the Coroner Of the City of Baltimore,
Md" On chair beside the bed was a
bottle labeled, "Prussic Acid, Poison, p"
with the name, of Powers & Weightman
Philadelphia, below. At the inquest
Golinghorst testified that the old couple,
having failed to pay their rent, he had
notified them on Saturday to move out
The letter left by the suicides was az
follows:
22O WEST PRATT STREET,
BALTIMORE, Md, Feb. lS, 1883.
To the Coroner Of the City of Baltimore:
DEAR SIR: 7 consider it my duty to
notify yon that I and my wife were
to commit suicide by taking
laudanum. arrived here from Rich
mond, Va, two months ago. Could not
find employment and my means are all
exhausted. Mr. Gilinghorst, my land
lord, and his wife, whom l owe one
months rent (eight dollars), treated me
last Saturday night in such shameful
manner as could be expected only from
the very lowest class of Dutchmen, to
whom they belong, having been shipped
as paupers to this country. | begged
both to give me another weeks time
and offered security, but they acted az
brutcs and would not listen to my most
earnest requests. hope the few effects
! leave will pay for our funeral expen-
ses and we wish to he buried togcthes.
On the table in my he'd room I leave a
watch, four pawnbrokers' tickets, etc.
Yours,
lSIDoR FERDINAND FLATAU,
OTTILIE FLATAU, his wife.
George GofnghOrst, cousin of the
proprietor OF the house, testified that
Flatau and his wife stopped at his
house, No. H6 Light street, about three
days. He raid they had been keeping
a small store in Accomac County, Va
and were on their way to Richmond.
The jury rendered verlict of suicide
by taking laudanum.
"A mnst affecting incident WIS the
manner in which the dog clung to tile
bodies ct his dead master and mistress
before the inquest. He would not leave
the bed, but kept up a most furious
They found that an invest-
gation was impossible with the dog in
the room, and ordered it to be elected.
A gold headed ebony cane, which was
broken in the fracas with the dog, was
foupi in the room, on the top of which,
was the inscription "Presentcd to i.
Flarau, by his friends, 1867" and
,rund the head We're the following
names: Captain W. H. Stark, Cap
ain Il. Mason, Captain J. H. Mason,
CaPtain +. Close, Captain H. Brant. v
The suicide was evidently committed
yesterday morning. The couple were
about sixty-six years Of a,se