Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-03
A PITIFUL TRAGEDY.
Five People Butchered by a Man
Driven Insane by Poverty,
WHO THEN ENDS HIS EXISTENCE.
Wife. Children, Nephew and Hother-in-
Law Killed by Him,
PROTEST AGAINST OUTRAGE OF FATE
rsx puNLAP's CABLE coMPANY.l

IBY pUNLAP's CABLE CoMPANY.l
BuDA PEsTH, May 2.-While the minds
of the working classes in Europe were yester-
day exclusively engaged with the labor
problem, and the question Of how their
position in life might be improved, q tragedy,
most pitiful in all its details, was being
enacted in an immense tenement in this city,
located at No. 8 Schiffgasse.
Some 80 years ago one of the most pros
| porous manufacturers in Buda Pesth was
Theodore Orthesky, whose cloths were
widely known and esteemed. He was in
the prime of life, of commanding presence
and liberal as Prince with his money. His
family consisted of only his wife and
daughter, both lovely specimens of Hun
garian womanhood, who, to a strong re-
Gemblance to each other. added depth Of
| affection that was exceptional. The only
being whom Paulis Orthesky really loved
besides her mother was Oscar Oosaky, the
youth to whom sne had, after many scruples,
promised her hand.
An Unfortunate Wedding Day.
Oscar was. the eldest son of a fourishing
iron founder, and, from a worldly point OF
view, the match seemed in every way de-
sirable one, as Oscar would one day succeed
to his fathers business. His daughters
wedding day, however, proved an unfor-
tunate epoch for Herr Orthesky, who from
that time on, whether from grief at the loss
of his only child or for other reasons, began
a course of dissipation and neglect OF busi-
ness that could have but one result
In strong contrast to the character and
! habits Of the too-festive cloth manufacturer
were those OF his son-in-law. Strictly
| brought up, Oscar had been taught that in
dustry and integrity were the only beacons
that could lead to success, and that stead
| fast obedience to duty was imperative to
Whatever goal it might lead. Thus taught,
| it may be imagined with what anxiety he
watched Herr Orthesky's downward oourse,
and how he used all his influence to post
calamity; but in vain.
Laid Him in the Grave.
Three years from the day when the joy
bells sounded in his ears at his wedding
Oscar was attending the funeral Of the once
prosperous man of business, with the know
ledge that his father-in-law had died phys
ical wreck; that his fortune had been wasted
| and his factory passed into other hands.
From that time 1t naturally became Oscars
pleasure to provide for Frau 0rthesky, who
became member of his household, which
was soon increased by the birth of daugh-
ter. He also assumed the charge and edu-
cation of q nephew, the son Of dead
brother.
If poetical justice were meted out impair
TALLY in this strange world, Oscar should
certainly have met with good fortunei but
the reverse was the case. Not long after the
death OF Herr Orthesky his own father was
suddenly stricken with apoplexY, and, after
I-;a I'D
quickly followed by the discovery that poor
Josipopy had been inveigled into certain
land speculatiens that had seriously crippled
his capital and made 1t almost impossible
for his son to successfully conduct the hAsi.
mesa
A Struggle Against Odds.
Oscar struggled along, but the odds were
against him. He could not compete with
his rivals in trade. and he gradually did
less and less business, until he was COM
PEELED to sell his plant for what it would
bring. Settling his family in less ex-
pensive locality, Herr CosakY went to re-
pair his fortune in Vienna, and for time
it seemed that he would succeed in again
providing q suitable home for his dear ones,
but it appears that the continued strain had
been too much for Oscars mind. He lost
his capacity for the intricate calculations
required in his work, and was compelled to
resign his position.
Returning to Buda Pesth, he was forced
to accept such humble employment as
served to keep the wolf from the door, but
even such work was scarce, owing to the
supply being greater than the demand.
However, rents are low in the ancient town
of Buds, across the Danube, and the
Cosakys managed during the last few years,
in some sort of fashion, to keep their heads
above water. Finally about q year ago
Oscar had the great good luck, as he con-
sidered it, of being appointed janitor of
one Of the largest tenement houses In the
city, which was owned by landlord who
proposed to get the utmost rate of interest
for his money.
Terrible Act Of Butchery.
All went well with these victims of i'll.
fortune until a few days ago, when notice
was received from the landlord that he
could not afford to give his janitor apart
ments sufficiently large for family of six
This was the edict that deprived Oscar of
what little ffmness and brains he had left.
Taking advantage Of the absence of many
of the tenants on May Day and the quiet
ness of the house, he proceeded to make his
final protest against the outrages of fate.
He crushed in the skulls of his wife and
DaDy, smotnereu MS daugnte anQ chopped
of the heads of his mother-in-law and
nephew with an az that he left lying on
Frau Orthesky's breast.
Oscar then mechanically performed GER
tain duties about the house, and, these ended
for the day. he wended his way to the
Danube, where his body was found Before
committing this butchery. Oscar, who, sew
eral years before had taken the name of
Sinks to conceal himself from his old
friends, wrote letters to the press and
to the police. To the press, he told his
sad story. adding that 'leaying this, his
only home, meant ruin for all of u.s." In
that to the police he described in detail
what he had done, saying that his victims
had given him no trouble, only the old
woman resisting. He begged that the
bodies of his victims might have decent
burial, but that with his own corpse they
might do whatever they pleased,