Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-26
A GIRLS DESPERATE SUICIDE.
Temporarily Insane on Religious Subjects,
She Ends Her Life by Hanging,
Leaving Peculiar Letter.
STRANGE NEGLECT OF A BURNED MAN.
Several Met Death on the Railways, and There Were
Many Minor Crimes and Casualties

experienced such dav as this one. Thlr-
teen cases were reported and partially in
vestigated to-day. Just come with me and
viii show you a sad sight" and leading
the way TO the little back room in the
NTorgue he said: There are six victims,
five of whom were killed on the
railroads the other by mine explosion. OF
the other five. four have been sent TO their
homes. and the fifth is at Smiths establish
ment in Allegheny The first on the list is
suicide, and a young girl at that. Early
this morning We were notified that Bertha
Progner, a servant of H. p Boyd, 14S
Buena Vista street, was found hanging dead
in the cellar 1t was very evident from the
evidence that her suicide was premeditated. ="
Details of the Suicide.
The children were up bright and.early,
anxious to investigate what was in their
stockings. They came to their father S
room and complained of a strong smell of
gas. Upon investigation it was discovered
that bracket had been broken of close to
the wall in the kitchen and the full volume
of gas was pouring into the room. Bertha
could not be found in her room and a
further search revealed her body hang
ing dead in the cellar 1t was cut
down Immediately, but life was extinct,
She had also slashe1 herself across the
wrists with knife, evidently with the in
tention Of bleeding TO death. The follow
ing letter was found in her pocket 1t was
written in German, and she intended to
send it to her uncle, Gustave Gabos. $50
jackson street, but for some unknown
reason failed to do so. 1t reads:
Dear Parents. Sister and Friends and all Nv Dear
Beloved Ones. and Uncle and Aunt Gabos:
Nou must excuse me that l make such
dreaIy Christmas as have brought you. L
was determined TO suicide. l have not vet
paid the messenger, so please pay him. Let
Mary tell him what have. DO with it what
you will. Forgive me my dears. if have
wronged You. Do not accuse anyone
ON my account. because it is my own
fault. l have thrown away the mercy
of God IN despair and without it l cannot
live. That is the verdict of the Bible, and
so / see destruction ahead. Rather than
tall burden to tine world place myself be-
fore the eternal Judge. My entire Hfe has
been desert. The dear, good parents-let
them not grieve. 1t happens once that
person must die, therefore farewell. kiss
you all a thousand times Excuse me, 1
cannot do otherwise Farewell. BERTHA.
Insane on Religions subjects.
Mr.. BOYD advanced the theory that the
girl was evidently insane on religious sub
iects. For the past week or two she had
been PRAYING almost continually and saying
that she was a poor sinner. She was %
years old and single. Her body was removed
To her uncie's residence at 130 jackson
street, Allegheny.
James Corrigan was the next case re-
ported 10 the Coroner. Corrigan was 81
years old and single and lived in the rear of
1921 Penn avenue. He had evidently been
out celebrating, for he was heard going up
The stairs by members of the family in an
erratic manner, and in the morning his
body was found at the foot of the stairs
dead No one had heard him falling and
when found his head was doubled under the
body with his neck broken.
Joseph Miller, aged 80. and Peter
Schmidt, aged S2, two Slav miners. in COM
p8nv with two others. left their boarding
house at Willow Grove to come TO the citv
The entire party were run down bv train
on the Panhandle Miller and Schmidt
were instantly killed. and the other two in
iured. The injured men were sent to the
Mercy Hospital, and the bodies of the other
two taken TO the Morgue
John Dougherty. aged a.. of Camp Cope-
land, and Peter McAnnallv, aged 40, of
DuqGeSne. were killed BY train on the
Pennsylvania road near Swissvale about
midnight The two men were at the resi-
deHce of a cattle dealer named McKeever
about $50 O'Clock making part payment
on a COW that each had bought. They
started for home together. The body of
DouChertv was found about midnight and
-l,1- oE So Ann liz Oh
were both removed to the Morgue where they
were identified by Mrs. Dougherty yesterday.
a Most Affecting Scene.
The scene was very affecting. Dougherty
was literally cut in pieces and had been
sewn up in oil cloth. Mrs. Dougherty i'm
mediatelv upon seeing him fell across the
body in Mysteries and had to be removed to
the adj djoininG room. An effort was made by
the Coroner to notify Mrs McAnnaIy at
DPquesne. but there was no telegraph Office
open and other communication was cut off
by reason of it being holiday. Dougherty
leaves a widow and three children and Nc
Annually widow and eight children.
John McCiraw, aged 20 wears, a watchmau
at the Twentv-third street station of the
Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston Rail
road, was struck by a train and instantly
killed about midnight The body was re-
moved 10 his late residence, No. 2214 Carey
alley. He leaves a widow and grown up
family.
Patrick Kelly, aged 60, who resided on
Fifteenth street, Homestead left home YES
terday morning about 9 o'clock to get
shaved. In attempting to cross in front of
train on the Pittsburg, Virginia and
Charleston road he was struck bv the train
and injured 50 severely that he died about
noon at the West Penn Hospital, where he
had been removed. The body was taken to
his late residence yesterday afternoon. He
leave wife and grown up family
The next case was George Moffaur. who
died at the Mercy Hospital yesterday after
noon from the effects of burns received in
an explosion of gas in the mines of the
Rainbow Coal and Coke Company on We'd
nesday.
a fragrant Case of Neglect.
"This," said the Coroner, sis the most
fragrant case of neglect / ever encountered.
Here is the record from the Hospital, re-
ceived from the Central police station.
Upon inquiry OF the police officials
I was told that the man had
walked into the Central station COM
pletely wrapped up in blanket. He
was accompanied by a countryman of his
own, and the only thing the man could saw
in English was Hospital Superintendent
Wier at once telephoned to the Mercy
Hospital for the ambulance, aud the man
was removed TO that institution. That a
man in the condition Moffaur was should be
sent here without medical attendant. or
even notifying anv of the different institu-
tions that he was on the road, and to be
ready to receive him, Is and outrage and
] propose to make thorough