Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-20
Sad Suicide.

Reinhsrdt Pfeiff, a stout, jolly German,
kept beer garden IN New York. He made
money, bought snug brick house, and
piled up bank account. Pfeif had no
children, so twenty -four years ago he adop
ted sweet, black eyed girl baby, whom he
named Olga. Pfeif was close-fsted man, j,
but he dotted on little Olga. She was the
prettiest child in the neighborhood.
Olga was sent TO Mount ST. Vincen t's
Convent at the age of -, and although not
Catholic, she became a general favorite
with the sisters. She studied hard, was po-
lite, bright and pretty, aud had a fondness
for music which was carefully cultivated.
She was an expert pianist At the end of five
years, when she was graduated and returned
home.
Soon after Olga's return from school, Mrs.
Pfeif died. Mr.. Pleil1 sold out his beer
garden and retired with q competence. Olga
was his housekeeper, and they lived happily
until about three years ago, when the neigh
bors noticed that something was wrong.
Olga never went out, except rarely to a
theater with her adopted father. She began
to assume preoccupied look, and at times
became moody and despondent. 1t was
gossiped about the eighborhood that Pfeitf
was practicing his well-known miserly
habits, and that the girls life was wretched.
Pfeiff's house has three stories and base
ment. He occupies ths two upper floors.
letting the first floor and basement. Emil
Gruberi, a stout, good-lookiDg German,
rented the front parlor for q bedroom and
office. Grubert is bachelor, As years old,
and says he makes plenty of money as gen.
eral broker and agent. He had an Office
down town, and kept safe in his bedroom.
Grubert made love to Olga. He usually
spent his evenings a home, and passed
good deal of time in Oga's company. Mr..
Pfeitf did not oppose the lovers. He be-
lieved Grubert would make good husband,
because he appeared TO be wealthy. Still
Pfeiff never spoke to Olga about the match.
He says he supposed matters of that kind
would right themselves. Olga gradually
grew brighter and more cheerful, and the
neighbors noticed the change.
On Saturday last Grubert suddenly left
Mr. Pfeiff's house without laying where he
went. He took all his things with him but
the safe. Olga became downheared, but as
her adopted father did not know that she
and Grubert were engaged to be married, he
said nothing. On Monday Olga washed the
dishes and attended to her househould du
ties as usual. AZ noon she told Mr.. Pfeiff
had not taken bis safe.
About an hour later the men took the
safe away. They refused to tell Olga where
its owner was or where they were taking it.
She begged and wept, but the men were OBJ
stinate.
Mr. Pfetf arrived home at 5 o'clock that
afternoon. Olga did not greet him, and he
raped at her bedroom door. She was in
bed, with glass stained green, beside her.
She told him she had taken paris green be.
cause Emil Grubert had refused to marry
her. She said they had been engaged for
months, and that her lover had deserted
her just when they were to be married. The
wedding was arranged for next Friday,
which would be Olga's 24th birthday.
Mr.. Pfeiff ran to a drug store and procur-
ed a bottle Of magnesia, which Olga drank
just 10 please her father, she said, although
she did not want to live. A doctor soon ar
rived aud administered antidotes and an
emetic. but it was 100 late. Olga suffered
intense agony until o'clock next morning,
when she died. Her face was beautiful in
death, giving no evidence of her suffering.
The deputy coroner Scholer made an au-
topsy of the body, and found that the stom-
ach contained enough poison to kill twenty
persons.