New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-31
sHoT WITH TWO PISTOLS
ruc1pE OF G. HENRY wITTHAus'
- MARCHED IN THE PARADE AND "A'
pr.p AT i ocLocK-cAUsE FOR 1HA
ACT UNKNOWN.


ACT UNKNOWN.
o....+,, q Henry Witthaus shot ana kIileu
,.Sssatt IN b;s room at his home, NO. - i,'''V
s....n,v- efth. at some time between IL anu
s,.,ooL vesterdav. The cause OF the shoo"ne -
sL~anasS in mystery. Captain WitthauS gov up
.a,,s.r than usual Yesterday morning 10 geS Io"1'
g. ,ha raraas He is member Of the sUn I"e
-. "a n.nor,ea at the armory about cioCA'
-. ~. hor,. and the armory he appeared 70 V1
sv,ehtsr and more cheerful than usual anu
and ioked with his family ana irie"uo' s,r.oa
a+,sr ,hs narade Captain Witthans EXCUSED
,.sr, - HE friends and said that DC D"u "N
u. that REQUIRED bis immediate "'Ueh-
- T. Is not known where he wen'' OuO NC
wv ~hor,Iv before IL o'clock lie meo MS
s. gov rd,,,;r I Wittbaus and spoke 70 MN
=, .,.asan, vay about the parade ana uhe
- =, the troops. He sad thae
~. 4aasued and his brother sugSeSteo
hath and nap before luncheon 70
tr tnsV ~ h;nssn Captain Witthaus went 70 DIS
-, ,svnoved part Of his clothing, end startco
.voA- .S. rrunipe in the bath-tub. Il is not De-
80. ,ss, be got into the tub, althoush the "a'ci
80 sS ~ His room is on the third hoor, ana
.ss h.,broou is on the hoor below cne Oh Inc
sar,ants saw him walking In his room snor.s
60 "a o'clock. The door was parity
xnr.n ard he appeared 70 DC eAoi'e~
DISCOVERING THE BODY.
49,. /, 40 o'clock Edwin J. WitthauS called
a. s,,fher from the dining-room, and not reoeiV-
- .ny reply, went upto his room. The door was
49, hut not locked, and Mr.. Witthaus knocked
c.t,jne NO answer, he opened the door and was
sa,y8ea 70 sec his brother lying on the bed, with
~. Zee. resting ON the door and his face and cloth
-, covered with blood There were two wounds
n tbs skull One Of them was in the forehead,
And the other was in the right side OF the head
Cantain Wftthaus had revolver in each haod
Ia h,s yicht hand was a 32-calibre pistol and In
HE l.ft hand was one Of 22-cahbre. He had evi-
drut1v shot himself in tho forehead with the
sualler weapon, the ball from which had not pene-
,rsted the skull bat had ploughed its way through
the ssaio around the side OF the head. When the
first shot failed to do It's work, the suicide brought
thu large revolver into play, and sent bullet into
his brain. which, it is believed, caused instant
deatb. As soon as Mr.. Witthaus recovered from
the shock be hastened the Office Of Dr. White, In
Mad;scr- ave. and returned home with him. Dr.
White aid thar his services were Gseie AZ re
thing that no one in the house heard the sno's
fired, as there were halfdozen persons there.
THE MOTIVE NOT KNOWN.
The motive for the suicide is not
known. Captain Witthaus's brother lid
that there was no reason for it that he knew
Captain Witthsus was wealthy, and had nc
trouble Of any kind so far as Is known. de
did not leavs any letters explaining his act. and
nr. Witthaus said that 1t was probably due u
a Temporary alteration Of mind.
Captain Witthaus was born in this city N
1s44 He was educated III private
school. - and became "a clerk IN cary
lie, in his fathers store, under the trm
name of G.. II. Witthaus d Co.. importers OF
SIX. After FIVE years he became RaTtner in
the house His fathcr died In 1872, and Captain
Wftthaus carried on the business with his brother
until 1877, when the business was closed out
and Captain Witthaus retired He had large
income and owned q great deal of real estate
He had an Office at No. 200 Broadway, but only
attended to the management OF MS
own estate. He was formerly On inspector
Of rfe practice in the 9th Regiment
from which he obtained the rank OF captain
He wss o member of large number OF clubs and
societies among them being the LiederkrgnZ
New-York Press Club. New-York Athletic Club
the Old Guard. Hoboken Turtle Club. Thirteen
Club and the Young Mems Democratic Glqo
He was well known rs an entertainer. ana hls
dinners win long be remembered by hls trlends
He had been married, but his wife died about
ten years ago. He left no children An uncle
of the dead man committed suicide some years