The morning call., 1894-08-05
THE GAS ROUTE.
Laage Ends His Troubles
by Suicide.
Andrews, Who Had Wrestling
Record, Renounces the Sport to
Please His Friends.

OAKLAND.-William j. F. Laage was
found dead in his bed yesterday morning
In his room above Harris winehouse. on
Twelfth street. He held tightly clutchsd
in his right hand a gas tube, which he
had cut from a small gas stove on q
table by the bed. One end of the tube was
fitted over the gas jet above his bed. while
the other was In his mouth. A strong cur
rent of gas was flowing through the tube,
and the room was filled with the fluid.
Laage had for years lived in a suite of
. rooms in Harris house. and when Mr.. Har-
ris arose yesterday morning at o'clock
he smelled gas in the house and through
the halls. An Investigation was made,
with the result that Laage was seen
through the transom above the door lying
on the bed within. Help was summoned,
and the door was forced. with the result
that Lasge was found as above. Ply
sicians were summoned, but the man was
dead. He was lying on the bed undrsssed
and with the covering drawn up closely
about him. He had walked up in the
morning, apparently. and it was then be
concluded to do away with himself in the
Way he did.
He left no letters or other evidence that
he had contemplated suicide, de lad
gone TO bed early tho night before, SEEM
ingly in good humor. except when he left Mr..
Harris place, where he drank glass OF wine,
he said "I won't worry you any mOre." He
said tIlls in such a way, however, as did not
lead TO the suspicion that he contemplated kill
ing himself.
iaage was well-known man in Oakland
For seventeen years he had kept cOnfec ion
cry store and cecream parlor on Twelfth
street, and In the palmy days OF DletZ' Opera
hn nrroe fNht
was also in demand as caterer among Oak
lands 400 and no reception was complete
without Laage as the furniSher of toothsome
things. In those days he made money rapidly
and his income was enormous. With pros
perity came temptations that he could not
withstand. His accumulation began dwindling
through dissipation. he would leave his busl-
ness for DAYS at a time and bis gilt dge Gus
tom began slipping from him as rapidly as his
gold.
wife OF Charles Beck, and that lady being a
good manager she took hold OF her husband
ano set bim again in the middle of the road. He
got back much of his trade and was doing well
up TO TWO years ago, wneh ne S iost ms vile: she
He was very much attached 10 her and took
her death 10 heart. With her gone he again
lost hope, and ever since has gone backward.
He owed many persons. he was In arrears for
his re M at leasI six months and owed largely
10 those who worked for him.
A week ago Monday h was told 10 move and
Thirteenth street. between Broadway aud
Franklin, and in the midst OF his moving he
disappeared. That was hye days ago. His
Whereabouts was not known, but on Friday he
reappeared about O'Clock. He said he had
been 10 Santa Cruz for rest for a few days.
He seemed u a good state of mind and imme-
diately went to his rooms. he reappeared in
me saloon below later, but in a few hours again
retIred to his quarters. That was the last seen
of lin alive.
Laage was Swiss and between 45 and 80
years of age. He left no relatives so far as
known.
Helping Bennett.
The San Francisco capitalist. Charles Mont
gomery who has taken such lively interest in
The affairs of C. r. Bennett, now lying in JAIL
charged with an assault TO murder George
trav has retained lawyer for Bennett and
papers were prepared yesterday for the tssu-
ance of a writ of habeas corpus. 1t Is expected
that Bennett will be liberated on this writ by
Monday.
A petition is being circulated In San Fran
cis SEQ TO aid Bennett TO regain his old position
as secretary of the Society Tor the Suppression
OF Vice. The petition reads:
1--WE, the assigned citizens of the city and
county of Sal Francisco, having faith In Charles
r.. Bennett, ex-srcretary of the Society for the
Suppression of Vice Of this city. do hereby de-
clare ourselves In favor OF his full renstale-
ment in his former Office. towit: Secretary of
the above-named society, without prejudice,
believing as we do. that be has been grossly
maligned and misrepresented before the com.
munily by his enemies. and has been denied q