Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-14

| New YORK, September 13.-F. W. Cess
vein, the well-known millionaire importer
and manufacturer of jewelers. tools and
supplies, was ruthlessly shot down and
killed by Christian Deyhle this morning.
The shooting took place about 10:45 o'clock
in Mr.. Gesswein's private Office.
1t was the result of business quarrel
over reflector, which Deyhle claimed he
had patented. The two men had been at law
about the patent, and Deyhle had been
been beaten in his suit. He mad been ac-
customed to call upon Mr.. Gesswein fire.
quently at his store, in John street, but
after his defeat in the courts he discon-
tinued his visits.
A FATAL VISIT.
Nothing had been seen of him for the past
six months until o'clock this morning,
when Devhle walked into Gesswein's store
and inquired for the proprietor. He was in
formed that Mr.. Gesswein had not arrived,
but was expected shortly. When, half an
hour later, Mr.. Gesswein entered the store
Deyhle gave nod of recognition, arose, and
approaching him, said that he came on pri-
vate business.
into my Office" Thereupon the two men
went up stairs into the little private Office
on the second floor, where the tragedy oc-
Cured. They were alone, with the door
closed. No one knows exactly what oc-
CURED. Mr.. Charles f. Koester, one of the
clerks in the store, has his desk right next
the thin board partition which separates
Mr.. Gesswein's office from the remainder of
the room, and olthough he could not see
what was done, he could hear almost every.
thing that was said.
DEMANDED MONEY.
He heard loud talking between the two
men. but did not think it necessary to in
terfere, He heard Mr.. Deyhle demand
money from his employer, and when the
latter refused there was loud report. He
then rushed into the room Gesswein stag
gered toward the lounge, but before he could
reach it fell to the floor and expired imme-
diately, uttering only a groan.
Deyhle was standing in the middle of the
floor with smoking revolver in his hand.
Koester seized him, at the same time snatch
ing the revolver, and calling for help. In
an instant there were half dozen clerks
from down stairs at his side. Someone went
for an officer while Koester held Deyhle,
who uttered not a word, but appeared as
cool and collected as when he entered the
store two hours earlier.
Coroner Schultze was summoned and took
charge of the remains. The prisoner is an
old German of SO years. He was shabbily
dressed in gray, and had a small, dirty |
looking valise in which were several small |
tin boxes containing substances which the
police said looked like poisonous matter. |
He had only few cents in his pocket
HIS REASON FOR THE DEED.
"why did you kill Mr.. Gesswein?" he
was asked.
."He has ruined me. invented and had |
patented reflector for jewellers, made SAM |
Piles myself and sold them to Gesswein at 81 |
apiece. I lived pretty well on that for a
time, but he soon copied my refectors him
self and was unable to get along. Sol
sued him in the United States Court be-
fore Judge Brown, who decided against me.
Three weeks ago wrote letter in German
to Mr.. Gesswein, asking him for money.
He answered me in the same language that
would never get any from him, the Court
having decided in his favor.
"Then decided to leave Philadelphia,
where L was living with two of my sisters,
and come to New York and speak myself to
that man. 1 had no money to go into bust
ness again, no money to enter the Home for
Aged People of Philadelphia, and could
remain a burden to my sisters no longer.
When I entered Gesswein's store this morn
ing he had not arrived. 1 waited for him.
He arrived at last and bid me come upstairs
in his office. When Mr.. Gesswein refused
my request for $500 drew nv re-
Volver and quickly fired at him without
leaving the chair. was occupying by his
eft side.'