Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-24
THE xRAEnrR SUICIDE.

The sad krsemer suicide on Capitol Hill in
september. 1891, was another case where the
DEAD womans papers revealed the crushing
blow, which came suddenly at the termination
or a six years unlawful connection The coro-
ners inyesugatsons. IL viii be remembered
csnscd considerable OF . sensation at the time
owing 10 the TACT that they not only involved
several previous marriages ana one Siyor~s
out more than uaique later bond OF s9rss-
ment between the suicide and TIE supposed
husband, although no marriage service hsd
ever been performed II was he uaa's sbrups
uepar'urs 70 accept positien in the west and
the mysterious d1ssppsarancs Of a written
promise from the nrst wife not 10 interfere
with the latest matrimonial ventures Of her
husband which finally convinced h,ss KrSsms-
OF her lovers perhdity. and in q moment ef
dependency she took the opium which caused
death The eorpper had TO call in an fnssr-
prefer Tor the translation OF papers found In
the suicides effects. and il was not until the
whole story became untangled that the motive
was apparent DIR. Patterson look. upon the
hraemer case As one of the ssddest in his or
cial career, but from one standpoint the most
humorous was Al instance OF mistaken identity
The police at least will recall q house witch
existed near the Baltimore and Ohio depot In
the late seven ties before . sudden raid closed
the disreputable place for good One night
some time previous to the raid the coroner Vas
called to investigate the death OF a man. which
the "crib's precincts. Apople1y and congss-
tion OF the lungs we're found TO have been the
causes, but there Was not the slightest clue TO
the man. identity. big roll of money and
some valuable jewslry were found in his
Clothes. but not garment bore even much
hailed IL so happened that day or two pre-
viously the police had received scircular asking
them to be on the lookout for q middle-Aeed
man. whose home was at York. Pa. and who
was reported missing for three week. The
dead man seemed TO tally with the description
OF the circular and pending arrival Of his wife,
who was notified by telegraph the body was
taken to the morgue.
A day or two later the wife put In an appear
ance. 1t IL ordinarily Discus TO identify feat
ures when apoplexy is the cause Of death but the
dead mans alleged spouse recognized him, she
said, by the gold Ia his teeth and the peculiar
twist Of a toe on his left foot. She swore an
oath, all wool and yard wide. that the man
was her husband, and had the several hundred
dollars IN money and iewelry transferred to her
possession. The woman sobbed as IL consola-
ton was impossible and had to be removed 10
her hotel in a carriage. But the humorous side
of the situation turned up that same CAV when
the real husband in the flesh appeared at police
headquarters and asked for assistance in finding
his wife. He bad been on big spree in New \ ork,
he admitted, for several weeks. and arrived
home few hours after his wifes start for
washington 10 identity the supposed dead body
of her husband. All this he learned from neigh
bors and FASTENED after the better half 20 con-
vince her that the whole case Was nothing worse
than piece Of three weeks dissipation.
OF course there was no difficulty in finding
the woman and the yaluables taken from the
dead mans pockets were returned 20 the police
department property clerk. The couple from
York went home in forgiveness. but Il left the
other affair a mystery still. The corpse was
decently buried and ii was not until year
later that a woman from u town in Illinois LAID
her statement before the coroner and claimed
that the dead man of twelve months previous
was her husband, who deserted her two wears
further back. As far as could be determined
all descriptions by the woman Tailed with the
records this time down to the minutest details.
The valuabes we're turned over to the widow
and the case was closed