The evening world., 1891-07-10
STAB WOUNDS, BUT NO KNIFE.
II Was Karl Gross Who Was Found
Killed In NaSpelh Woods.
Police Think lie Stabbed Himself,
but No Weapon Is Found,

The mystery surrounding the dead body "
man that was found In lonely spo; south
NJ MaSpcth, l. l.. by two boys yesterday nj
tcrnoon was only partially cleared up this
morning.
Tho body was identified at the RidgcwoCd
Morguc by Mrs. Marie Gross as that ut her
husband, Karl Gross, who had been mi sing
from his home at 16l Naret street. Williams
burg, since o'clock Monday morning.
coroner Homeyer, OF RidgcwOod, impan-
cllrd jury. which viewed the body.
Coroner Homcycr believes tha' It is q case
of suicide, but is at a loss to account Tor the
disappearance OF the knife that Killed the
man. The body lay In a ClumpOf bushes, II
surt " arhOr, and was seen early Yesterday
morning by a farmer who, however, sup
posed nat drunken man had crawlrd under
the bushes to sleep and did nor disturb him.
TWO boys discovered the body In the after
noon. They found blood on the mans shirt =
front and lost no time In informing Constable
Gerken.
An apparently deep and ugly stab wound
was found just below the breast bone, and
! another slight cut Just TO It's right. The
former wound evidently caused death.
There was nothing whatever upon the mans
person by which he could be recognized.
Undertaken RuOn, OF 100 BuShWick avenue,
Brooklyn knew OF Gross's diSa DpCaranrc, and
, thought his description tailed with that ~
the dead man. This morning RuOf took Mrs.
Gross TO the RidgewOou MOrgue. and In the
presence of an EvESING WORLD reporter she
Identified the body as that of her husband.
81 am positive II Is my husband" she
soobed. 81 know his handkerchief, clothes
and his stockings"
After shn had become calmcr She told the
reporter that her husband left home Monday
morning 10 look for work. lie was In good
s0lrits apparently md had between 81 and
| ~ with him.
lie was II shoemaker by trade. but lately
had been night wrtchman n n cigar factory
AT Kent avenue and North Third street, but
had lost his position.
"I don't believe he killed himself" sh" con-
/ tinued, " iOr he had no reason to do so. We
had been married two years ard always
were happy. He had been SICK good deal
and sometimes would be desnOndent, bur such
! tcellags would soon pass away. lie had no
hni q except littlc peuknite.'
Coroner HOmeyeT'S theory Oi suicide Is, TO q
| cert ain CN,eHt, borne uu hy the fac; that no
| cats are visible In the mans clothing.
| The deadly stab wound comes exactly at
the bottom OF the openings in the front OF his
| undcrShlrt and the cheap uuilpg shirt that
| he wore, but no knife, not even the little pen
| knife he carried, was found anywhere near
the spot where the body was discovered.
| An EVENING WORLD reporter learned that
| the sixth Precinct Brooklyn police had been
! looking for an iceman named John Keller,
who had been quarreling with Gross Monday
| night at George Wagles'S saloon, Graham
avenue and Debevoise street.
! The sergeant at the desk in the Bushwick
| avenue station said to the reporter that II
was true Keller had been looked for, but the
! police were satisfied that lie had nothing 10
! do with GroSS's neath.
This man Gross" said the Sergeant, has
! been decelving his wife and telling her he
was working when he was hanging around
! Wagner's saloon, day and night. He lost his
/ job through drunk cnness, bCCHm" despOndeat
and wandered OF to that place and killed
| himself. That's plain"
Wagner, the salOon-keeper, says that last
Monday evening Keller was drunE and began
Quarrellng with Gross. who was PLAYING
| pinOChle with some Uthe. men. Gross was a
| LITTLE drunk but made no trouble.
| keller kept up his abuse until sam Wolf,
! Keller and his gang stood outside ard yelled
send him out here and we'll send him to I'LL
| undertaken
"That was about ll.30 o'clock. called a
| policeman and he went part way home with
Gross. haven't seen him or Keller since.
| think Keller lives somewhere near MaSpeth,
| on Flushing avenue"
| This locality Is where Gross's body was
| found, but Is nearly six miles from Wagners
| saloon. Gross had been dead about two days
! when his body was discovered.
Gross was thirty-one years old. He be-
| longed TO Gottfried Klnkel Ledge, No. 3,
! Brothers OF Honor, and from this and the John
| Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company his
| wife Will receive considerable insurance.
| Coroner Homeyer will hold an inquest next
| Wednesday at MaSpeth. The funeral VIII
| take place from Ruoff's undertaking rooms at
9 O'Clock tomorrow.