The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-06
HE FEARED INSANITY.
A Lifelong Sufferer Seeks Re-
pose in Death.
FAREWELL LETTER TO HIS WIFE.
August vahlbuseh. Desperate With
Pain, Deliberately ComDsits Suicide
"A Kind HushaaA-
FAREWELL LETTER TO HIS WIFE

August Vahihzsch, who formerly kent
saloon in TINS CRY and IL vel known
among the German societies. committed
suicide yesterday morning 81 his residence.
22l3 Seventh street., BIZ shooting himselfin
/ the head TIE reason assigned for the
deed Is temporary insanity. He leaves =
wife and seven children. ali b,ys. :ne ODD
esq eeiag - ysars and the youngest year
old
For the past FIVE months Tahltrseh has
been unwesl. and tour months sgs be re-
signed his position Is bartender At Wegert
& knast's saloon. corner Of Fourth street
and Tesier ssenue. and submitted 70
dift r1ar surgical operation Mrs vshg-
busch says tn2r. though the operation vas
successful. he never entirely recovered, for
he suffered loss Of memory and acted
queer" For three days past be had SUI
tered from . severe headache, 5of ~ hen be
aEoke yesterday morning he said ihar MS
headache xas better and BE TAXED and
! saugh~s and apparel q4Its sIght-nearted.
Al . o'ceocx lars. EanlBGscn tsss nfnl n
nis room p aging xitn sheir younzes,
child, q boT gear old. zad went do@n-
stairs 10 Put breakfast on tie "a be- il it
tie later she called 10 him:
Breakfast Is ready"
'.I'lI he doEn In = minute" came the
reply, and almost Immediately there was
the mufiief report o. two pistol shots.
Mrs. Vanlnusch dlc not pay much a.
tension 10 the reports, thinking they were
occasionsd by the other children AZ play
in the yard, bat her oldest son. LouiS
whose room adioined his fathers upstairs,
sprsng from his bed and rushed 70 where
the sound came from
Lying On the bed sith his feet On the
floor lay his father. the blood squirting
from hole in his right temple In his
right hand he Vas spasmodicalsy clutch
ing 44-caliber Smith * Wesson revolver
of an old-fsshioned make The boy.
thinking that his father n gh: not be dead
and might make another attempt on his
ii.e. took the weapoa away. But this pre-
caution vas useless, for " niie ne watched
his father gasped, blood came TO his lips
and ne ceased TO move. 0nly one shot
took effect. although there were two bull
! let holes IN the ceiling. liz Is supposed
that the first shot took effect. piercing the
head, and in spasm Of pain he convul-
sively ciusched the trigger, and the revolt
yer was thus discharged q second time.
On table in the room lay a note written
in pencil and much crumpied- IL vas
dated December and had probably been
carried IN the pocket after beng written.
II was as follows;
SEATTLE, Dec. ., 1s93.
my Dear Wife: When you get these
| lines Will be goue were none ever re-
| turns IL is best for me--this dreadful
disease, insanity. has taken hold of me
| cannot live any longer. Dear Maria. you
| have been o true wife 20 me and good
/ mother TO the boys and you will vcrgive
/ me for any wrongs have done you. Ii you
| see Dir. j. Wegert he will see that am
/ buried by the Sons of Hermann. and Mr..
| c. $. Jones viii see that you get the s. oo0
from the A. o. e. w. Of which am
member in good standing. Goodbye.
| "A VAHLBUscH.
please pay to Mr.. Almonds ore dollar
| for me. Yours, a. V"
| The date and condition of the letter
| would indicate that the writer had con-
/ templated suicide for some days He ha.
| a pleasan. home at 22i3 Seventh street and
/ il Is unencumbered- IL is said that he
| possessed other property and was in COM
| Portable circumstances, 50 that poverty or
losses could not have had any influence in
/ Geranging his mind or in causing him to
/ take his own lie. For some years past.
however, Yah busch has been subject TO fits
/ of temporary insanity. Two years ago he
went away without notifying his wife and
| was gone eight weeks. Mrs. yahlbusch
was almost distracted by his continued
absence, and hi. friends were inclined TO
believe that he had been fously dealt with.
| He came back finally and explained that
| he had been taken silt" and had gone 20
the Green River Hot Springs for his health.
| few days ago Vahlbusch met u. r.
/ Metz, sexton of Lake View cemetery. in
| Charles Dietz' saloon, and accos,ed him
Metz, won't you set 'em up7"
Metz besitated. thinking he was Josh
ing" be. Yahibusch said, with . CHASTITY
laugh:
Come, treat / will give you Job in
about = week, and then you won't have a
I chance 10 treat me.
Metz did not appreciate the joke and, in
fact. did not know what he meant. Bat
| thinking he vas trying 70 be funny. he
obligingy laughed and set em up"
Vanlouseh has lived in Seattle tor twelve
years He was married iu New YORK and
came West. goir. TO san Francisco, and
after living there four years moved TO
Portland. After residence there OF four
years he moved to Seattle and has lived
here ever since. Before the great fire he
! kept n secondhand store ons Cherry be-
/ tween Front ana second streets. aud alter
tie fire for time kept saloon on Front
street, near CoIumo.s He was in his 42d
year al the iifne o. his death.
The funeral viii take place Sunday AZ .
q. O'Clock in the afternoon from the sons o.
. Hermann lodge room under the auspices
oil that order and the A. O. L. W. The in
terment will De made in Lake Vies GEN.
etery.
Keep 10 or hard tor emsfgencies g. & :
+ H0asoe spats.e C3Gga and Group syrua. sod