New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-08
HUSBAND AND WIFE DEAD.
SUICIDE OF A wRETCHED COUPLE.
TWO POOR HEBREWS TAKE RAT POISON TO ESCAPE

TWO POOR HEBREWS TAKE RAT POISON TO ESCAPE
sTARvATIoS-THEIR LONELY MISERY.
A poverty-stricken Russian Hebrew and his wife
took poison in their wretchcd attic room at No 81
Crosby-st- early yesterday morning and died in ST.
vincents Hospital leaving their infant to be cared
for by the police. They moved into their room a
month ago. paying S5 in advance, and promising to
pay that sum every month for the shelter afforded
by the boxike space beneath the roof The house
IS crowded, with Italians, and, as each room holds
family, the owner, Massachusetts woman, secures
q large rental from the old rookery. None of the
italians in the house knew the Hebrew family or
could talk with the wretohcd couple.
The man told the agents that he was a tailor
named Goldstein. His furniture consisted of a
catered lounge, which served for bed, a
broken stove, a table, a chair and an old
sewing machine. Whom he had paid the eX-
orbitant rent for the he had scarcely
any money left for the support of his wife and
baby He able and willing to work, but he could
no. find any employment Mrs. Deering poor Ger
man woman, who also occupied attic room, was
tho only In the house able to converse with the
struggle for existence and she learned nothing Of their
Every morning the Hebrew went ont to look for
work, while his sckly wife held the baby at the slit
In the roof which served for a window and through
which the sun shone into the room for half an hour
each day. He returned every evening with the same
story OF failure His face became pnched with
hunger and dissppointnen as day after day passed
baby cried FOR lack of proper nours hment, and us
mother wept helpessy In her husbands absence.
On Thursday the tailor carried his sewing machine
out OF the house to a pawn-shop ana ne DrouehI
back some food to his wife and child. The door
Of his room, which usually had been left open TO
admit the air was closed that evening and there
was a long and earnest talk in the ICON. ON Friday
the agent collect the rert, and Godstein sad
he would pay Monday.
That evening whe1 the tailor had returned nome
after a final unsuccessful search for employment,
I'm the close room. Soon after midnight Mrs. Deenng
heard the wretched walking about the room and
groaning. little later he went into the hal and
hnocked at the door of Mrs behring's room She ala
not reply. anr he went away An hour passed
and then the tailor knocked again al Mrs. behring's
door and said In German that he had taken poison
Mrs Deering got up and looked into the room OF hcr
neighbors The tailor pacing the moor, al-
parently IN great agony. while his wife lay on the
lounge and moaned with pain. In her arms the
mother stu held her sleeping child Mrs Deerihs
the tailor said his name was not
Goldstein. but Haus StacRrica, and that
his wfe's name Fanny. He was twenty eight
years OF age and she was two years younger. They
had taken rat poison together because there was no
other way escape starvation, but the DaDy was ai
right. The dying woman was unable 10 SPEAK, puV
She made a motion to Mrs. Deering 10 take the DaOy
After The tailor and his wife removed to the h3S
pital the child placed in the care OF Maroh McoD
az Police Headquarters. It's parents ded al tne nus
pital before daybreak Yesterday their bodies wore
Sent TO the Morgue and they probably Will be bueu Ia
potter's field Tuesday. The police were not ape
to find out whether the couple had any reiauNte vi
friends I'm this city.