Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-10
SUICIDE In THE AIR.
An Ex-New York Politician Found
Hanging in a SOuthside Room.
LACK OF WORK AND BAD WEATHER
Thought to Be the Causes for Charles J.
Guntner's Self-Murder.
ONCE INTERNAL RkvENUE COLLECTOR

Yesterdays weather was very aptly de-
scribed as suicide weather, and the first
victim reported was Charles J. Guntner,
whose liieless body was found suspended by
a rope from chisel driven in a wall in his
room in a boarding house at 73 South Nine
teenth street.
1t is not known how long the body may
have been hanging there, but at the Cor
oner's inquest a little girl testified that she
heard pounding in the room at 9 o'clock
Sunday night. The last seen of Guntner
was In the evening when he went to his
room. He was over pleasant, and it was
noticed by those in the sitting room, who
remarked at the 'old mans good humor,"
as they styled it. Yesterday at noon. as he
had not been seen, Mrs. Grimes, the pro-
prietress, sent her son up to the room to see
what was wrong, and he found Guntner
hanging there dead. The Coroner was
notified, and the body was removed to Sem
merock Bros undertaking rooms on Carson
street, where an inquest was held last night,
the jury, after due deliberation, decided that
Guntner committed suicide.
An Internal Revenue Collector.
Very little was known of Guntner. as he
has been very non-communicative. He took
the room in Mrs. Grimes house about three
months ago, and since that time has never
deigned more than "good morning at any
time. He was a glass engraver, and until
very recently was employed at the Eight
eenth street glass house. Since his work
ct at rha oil ha
ding little knick- -knacks about the street. For
the past few days he has been despondent, and
on every cold rainy day he seemed to feel
worse, until Sunday evening, when he ap-
peared unusually cheerful, and for that reason
his landlady was very much surprised at finding
him dead.
GUNNER came to Pittsburg from New York.
He was about So years ola. and during his life
has evidently held numerous political positions
under the Republican party. According to pa
pers found in his possession, he was an internal
revenue collector in New York from 1877 to
to 1881. During the two years following he was
notary public. Further than that no records
of any Importance were found on his person.
Seventeen cents was the full amount OF money
in his possession. He was member of Local
Union No. 81 Of the American Flint Glass
Workers Union, but his receipt book shows no
entries since last December.
His Letters Were in German.
Among other things found in Guntner's
majority were in German. but in one there was
a part written in English, evidently by little
granddaughter, who signed herself LENA"
She said that her mama was in Bellevue Hos
pital under treatment with the lymph for con-
sumption. The Coroner telegraphed last night
to Guntner's New York friends and his body
will be held a couple of days awaiting reply.
The awfulness of the weather Is given as an
ample excuse for the suicide, or any other that
might occur. Physicians say the air yesterday
was permeated with good suicidal intentions
and the wonder was that there were not more
reported. Everybody who is inclined to ''blues"
was Respondent. and dozens of people were met
who remarked that they felt like Jumping in
the river. One young man said that he would
certainly have shuff1ed off were it not for the
fact that it is bad form to 60 where you are not
invited 1t is standing saying among police
officials that on all such days a suicide may be
looked for. and the patrolmen were told to
keep their eyes open in dark places yesterday.
Guntner had quite a number of patents. He
recently applied for patent on a sadiron rest.
a package of them being found in the room. 1t
consists of a small block of wood TO which is at
tached An iron stand to place the sadirOns on,
and to the side of this is small pad containing
wax On the back of the block are directions
telling how to use the rest, and in addition to
this it bears the inscriptions: "Multum in
Parvo"