The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-10
FELL AMONG Thieves.
Chester Griesemer Robbed and
Poisoned in Philadelphia.
a TAooMAN's STRANGE DEATH.
Lured to . DEN Of Mas Hunters and
Given Whisky ana Opium.
4 TAooMAN's sTRArcE DEATH.
His Wife Scouts the Idsa OF Suicide
Griesemer's Life Waa Insured for
o35. .0O0-He Had Gone East to Raise
Money.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 9.-Ss,hester Griese.
mer, a real estate broker of Tacoma,
Wash., died today in Philadelphia hos
pital from the supposed effects of opium
poisoning, believed to have been ADMIN
istered to him in low logging house at
425 Spruce street yesterday. Griesemer
was stopping at one of the Aodging hotels
here for the past eight or :nine months.
He told them at the hotel that he was a
real estate broker in Tacoma, and his
visit here was upon buSness matters.
Griesemer seemed always = have plenty
OF money. and made frequ.at trips to adj
jacent cities.
According to the story ted by himself
at the hospital before he5died. he came
back here on Friday morning. from one Of
his trips, and landed at eae Arch street
wharf He says he was mes by two men
and induced to enter scab. and was taken
to the house, No. t25 spruce street,
where he was feuld : dying last
night by the police. Tsat he was
not taken directly there. however, is
shown by the docket Of the police
magistrate before whom hs was fined on
Friday for refusing to pay his cab fare.
At tho time of his arrestIo refusing to
pay his cabman he had as a. companion q
well-known thief named Hagh McDevitt.
As Griesemer had no money; at the time of
his arrest he had to pawn his watch to pay
his fine. He left the station house accom-
panied by McDevitt and tIran was prob
ably taken to the lodging house Griese-
mer had no recollection of what took place
there until Saturday tmorl1lng. He took
breakfast that morning with McDevitt
and his mistress. woman named Kate
Ebert, and another woman. After break
fast, he says, they gaze hinE something to
drink. and he lost cdnscioasness almost
Immediately Afterwards and remembered
nothing more until jew minutes before
II o'clock last night, shortly before the
police came to the pla4e.
He was taken to hospital, where he
exhibited strong SYMPTOMS 81 opium pois-
oning, complicated by indications of de-
lirium tremens. After telEng his story
Griesemer became delirious, IN which con-
dition ne remained until he 9ied this after
noon. When taken to the hospital Griese-
mer's overcoat was missing. He had no
money, although he says he mad consider.
able when he arrived here. Two hand
bags he had with him had disappeared,
and the only thing he had lefs was a reYol.
yer. McDevitt and sahe Es,ert woman
have been held to await the coroner's in.
quest.
TACOMA, Oct. 5.-[Special. Mrs. Ches-
ter +. Griesmer received q telegram this
afternoon saying her husband was ill. She
at once began preparing to go to Philadel-
phia, and while making arrangements for
departure another telegram announced
his death. She has brotheg and siste. at
Philadelphia, Mr.. and Miss McCutcheon.
and before coming here Mr.. and Mrs.
Griesmer buried two children in Laurel
Hill cemetery. They also have a lot in
the cemetery here. but Mr.. Gsiesmer's re-
mains will be inferred in the Philadelphia
cemetery.
When seen tonight at her home, No. 1920
South NJ street, by a correspondent of
the PosT-INTELLIGEYCER, Mfs. Greismer
evinced intense grief of very quiet ma
ture. Pictures of Griesmer xere scattered
about in chairs, and the reception room
was in considerable disorder Mrs. Greis.
mer said she had not learned the particu-
lars of her husbands death, and had not
the means of knowing if lie had taken
poison Intentionally. Whesl depressed
and worried she said he frequently against
her wishes took strong doses Eof medicine
at drug stores and rarely ever con-
suited doctor. One of Mrs. Greis-
mer's five children spoke up and
said: Papa has always been given to
dosing himself with medicine" Mrs.
Griesmer thought he took esough medi.
cine at times 10 kill horse, put having
robust constitution it had 30 effect on
him, he said. She says he- never took
morphine, but that certain cough medi-
cine was one of his favorites, and that.
she said, contained much mof.hine, Mrs.
Griesmer says they used to. joke about
dying. and Griesmer alwass said he
wanted to live to be an ed man. no
matter what his circumstances in life
might be. She, on the ether hand.
did not want to live to an cd age. and
Griesmer could not understaed that. He
went six m. .nths ago to sell resi estate and
raise funds. Regarding this Mrs. Cries.
says: HE had partially succeeded in his
affairs and teIegraphed me Wednesday
thas he would start on Thursday for home.
He was financially embarrassed. like manv
Others. owing to the depression in real
estate values. He was always hopeful. I
do not know the exact 'condStion of his
business affairs"
Griesmer's life was insu.esS until last
Friday for $35, 600. On Fridsy one of his
policies expired, but Mrs. GSsesrner does
not know the amount of it, AT the time
of death his life was probably INSURED for
20,0Vo. He came to Tacoma about three
years ago and entered into general real
estate business. He plated o5e addition
TO Tacoma north of the Sresiryation
in King county. but dig not sue.
ceed in disposing of mucs property.
He was great fancier of Newfoundland
dogs and of horses. For over "a year he
has been short of funds. He sas origin-
ally attracted to Tacoma by tha apparent
business success of the late Thomas +,
Nixon. Nixon. before his seath. lost
nearly all his property and it X eoincident
that Mrs. Nixon few weeks ago realized
$4,000 on Nixon's life insurance. policy
Mrs. Griesmer expects to go Est to live
and will leave her property in charge of