The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-10-09
A TRAGIC ROMANCE,
A Tex, for all Kinds of Sermons

NEW YORK. Oct. Sat $50 Ibis evening
Policeman Dougan, OF the Central Park
polio, on duty near Seventy. second street,
heard pistol shot. A second and third in
quick succession gave him the direction, and
hurrying through the shrubbery In the dark
ness be found himself close by The statue OF
the Pilgrim on the East drive, when he heard
another shot, then several deep groans, and
then all was still. A light was struck, and
this was what the officer saw: man and
. woman robed deeply In black, as though
prepared for funeral, lying spon a horse
blanket. The woman was dead aud smile
was upon her face, which in life had been
pretty. The man was dying, aud soon, too,
was still. On the woman's breast, which
she bad barred for the bullet, lay
ALocK OF HER LOVERS hAIR,
And upon his dead leaf and rose. Each
wore on the left hand black glove, and be-
tween them lay bulldog pistol. A drop OF
oil on the woman's hands and the CRIME OF
smoke on her fingers showed there was no
mur'ler, but suicide, and the man having
died last indicated that he w,ited the wo.
mans death before taking his own life.
Two bullet holes were in her breast at the
heart, and her companion had jeen as true.
Between them was box full o. love letters.
The two bodies were placed o, a stretcher
by the officer and Others who had arrived,
and carried to the street, where wagon was
procured in which they were taken to the
morgue. There the
BOX OF LETTERS
Was opened. Part were written by George
BassendoIf, Of No. 10 Liberty street, Union,
Hudson & Co., n. j., 10 Mara. Who Maria
was or is was not disclosed. Among the
papers were ballots of destiny that had been
taken by the tao. They had certainly sat
with each other and deliberated death and
left 1t to the chance of each, at the same
time writing the fat al wish upon piper. The
slips were there, and on them the words
"Shall we die? and "Shall We liv.?" The
die had finally been cast fatally and the two,
1t is reasoned, repaired to the Park together.
He Is a compositor on the Freit Press, of
Jersey City. Each was about 80 years old.
The woman's letters told of welded life
that was perfect hell, and of husband
who TO her was a demon. The letters of
each give the impression that their love had
been without sin and only hopeless.
THEY LOVED EACH OTHER
So much, and could be of so lItte use to
each other, that thew concluded 10 die. The
woman lett letters to her children and 9TH
ers, all In Germany. Bassendoif had board
ed In her family, and thus she had come to
love him more and her husband less.
NEW YORK, Oct. 5.-The bodies Of a man
and a woman, who last night committed sui
eide in Central Park, have lain all day on
the cold slabs at the norgue. Both bodies
have to-day been identified. The man, as
was last night believed, was George Bassen-
dorf, and the woman, "Msria," was Maria
Koch, the wife of DIR. Edward +. Koch, edi-
tor of the Freie Press and Sonatagsgdst.
The bodies tomorrow will be removed to
an undertaker's rooms, and there will be
prepared for interment. The woman was
SO years Of age and resided with her hus-
band and four children on Pavona avenue,
jersey City Heights. Bessendorf was %
years of age, and until recently employed iD
the composing rooms Of the New Jersey
Freie Press. DR.. Koch states tina, Bessen-
dorf came TO him about four months ago
with q letter of introduction from Carl
Zlghoff, P. n. D., of No. 10 Liberty street,
Union Hill, Nj. Bessendorf represented
that he was Ia destitute circnmstauces, and
would work hard If given a chance. DR..
Koch gave him employment and sent him to
bis home TO board. The intimacy which
soon after arose between his wife and the
boarder was discovered, and while they in
sisted 1t was rot criminal, Bessendorf was
compelled TO seek another boarding place.
He visited Koch's house Monday while that
gentleman was absent and persuaded the
woman to leave with him. Thorough search
was made for the wife, but nothing was
learned of her whereabouts until to-day,
when the tragedy In the Park was made
known.