The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-18

The Suicide club was started in John
| Kinzie's saloon on Main-st. This was a
| favorite resort for playing pinocle. One
| May evening the usual group was seated
| about the tables. 1t was storming out
| side, and they were remaining later than
| usual when George Leavenworth, city
editor of local newspaper. entered and
drank a glass of beer. John Kinzie was
behind the bar and invited him to have
| another drink. Leavenworth refused,
but insisted on treating every man in
| the saloon. lie was a stranger to them,
but they good-naturedly accepted, and he
sat with them Leavenworth was
young man and very popular in Bridge
port, and he was quickly on good terms
with his new acquaintance.
| Something must be the matter with
you gentlemen" said Leavenworth, sud
denly. When 1 came you looked as
glum as If you all contemplated suicide"
Il feel like it. for one" said William
Nickel, a sign painter.
80 do l." said Carl Roberts, clerk in
| a brewery.
The others admitted that they felt con-
| siderably depressed in spirits.
| We'll" said Leavenwortll, this Is
dull time for news. Let's startle the
| town by organizing a suicide club"
| "A good idea said Kinzie.
| you can count me in" said Nickel.
ME too" said Roberts
| Here's likewise" said the others, who
| had stopped their pinocle game, and were
| quaffing stems of beer.
Leavenworth rapidly drafted a consti-
| tuition and bylaws for the new club.
Any ore weary OF life and DESTROYS Of
ending it was declared eligible for mem
bership and everybody present signed It,
| 1t was agreed to meet at least once a
1 month in the saloon and on every ami
| versary Of the first meeting to elect
| victim for self-sacrifice, the choice to be
| determined by shake of poker dice, the
member making the lowest throw bind
/ ing himself to commit suicide within the
| year. Those who subscribed to that con-
| stitution and agreement were: Max
| Heisterhagen, William Nickel, John Kin
! zie, Wendell Baum, Carl Roberts, Otto
| Kemp, Max Pfalgenheim and George
Leavenworth.
Now, gentlemen" said Leavenworth,
merrily, ''steins all around in which to
drink short life and happy exit to the
members OF the Bridgeport suicide club!
And while Kinzie drew the beer Leav-
| enworth sang in rich barry tone:
We meet meath the sounding rafter,
| And the walls around are bare,
| As they echo our peals of laughter
| 1t seems that the dead are there.
Then stand by your glasses steady
| Here's health to the dead already,
Hurrah for the next that dies.
Bring the dice Wen shake now"
shouted one. 81 can't wait year. 'Hur-
rah for the next that diesp"
Each man was allowed three throws.
On the first throw all with the exception
of Heisterhagen and Kinzie secured four
| OF a kind. These two were tied on trays
and shook a second time. Kinzie threw
| three fours and a pair of deuces. Hest
| erhagen threw two skies, two fives md
| four. Heisterhagen's was the lowest
cast. and according to the terms of the
agreement which he had signed he was
| Obliged to commit suicide within twelve
months. He laughed.
I've won!' he exclaimed. I'm the
first"
Don't back out" said Kinzie
Don't fear that" said Heisterhagen
'Tll keep my engagement"
II think the man who wins should
treat" said Leavenworth The sugges-
| ton was favorably received and every
| body drank another stein Of beer at
Heisterhagen's expense. Then the gath
ering broke up and they went home
through the rain.
Don't forget to kill yourself. Holster
hagen" said they as they parted at the
door
Heisterhagen assured them that he
| would not forget, and he did not forget
He went to his saloon, on Gold-st., wrote
a brief note to Kinzie and fellow mem
| bers OF the Suicide club" saying: 81
| have kept my oath. I warn you to keep
| yours" Then he blew out his brains.
Heisterhagen was buried by the surviv-
ing members of the Suicide club, who
erected monument over his grave.
The club held no regular monthly meet
| ings, but on the anniversary Of its organ
ization all the members were present
! at Kinzie's saloon. AS no call for that
meeting had been issued they agreed
that fate had drawn them together again
! on that particular night, and Roberts
suggested that no time be lost in throw
ing the dice. William Nickel lost They
| all drank deeply, and, becoming hilari-
Gus, cracked gastly jokes on Heisterha-
gen, whose ghost they declared was with
them that night During the evening
several more, who CHANGED in, were pre-
vailed upon To join the club
Nickel did not betray unseemly haste
| In obeying the will Of fate. Four months
passed and his fellow-members of the
club accused him Of cowardice. Then
| one night he cut his throat When Carl
| Roberts heard of IL he went mad Nickel
was buried and Roberts sent TO the in
sane asylum at Middletown.
At the next anniversary John Kinzie
cast the fatal throw, and two weeks
| afterward he shot himself in the head
George Leavenworth was the fourth
victim. He was found one morning at
the hotel unconscious, having drank a
vial of laudanum. and died that same
| afternoon.
Wendell Baum, the proprietor of the
hotel, cut his throat in New York the
| year following.
| The next year William Maby a
| Bridgeport letter-carrier cut his throat
William L. Spotton, confectioner.
drowned himself the succeeding year.
| having cast the dice.
The eighth suicide was John Kopp.
who hung himself in his cell in East
| Bridgeport.
The next to kill himself was Max
Phagenheim, who committed suicide a
| year ago by swallowing carbolic acid
Otto Kemp cast the fatal dice at the