The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-23
A SICKENING SIGHT
JOHN HAAS FOUND HANGING TO A
RAFTER IN HIS SHOP.
Young Shoemaker. Crossed in Love.
Kills HimseIf-Dead Nearly Three
Days Before Discovered.

George Leukhardt, the saloonkeeper at
NO. IOO North Noble street, and a friend,
detected horrible stencil coming from the
small shoe shop of John p Haas No 1O2
Noble street, yesterday afternoon, between
and O'Clock. They examined the prem
ises, and on the front door glass was seen
card reading: Have gone TO visit one
OF my cousins. VIII be back Friday MORN
ing" The front door was locked, but the
window on the north side of the shop was
not. They pushed il open and were nearly
overcome by the foul air. They soon knew
the cause, as they saw Haas suspended
from rafter in the roof by a small hemp
rope. The body was swinging to and fro,
the feet scraping the ground The place
swarmed with flies, and the insects covered
the hanging mans face and clothing
Haas's face was distorted and discolored
Leukhardt telephoned the police station
superintendent Powell. Captain Quigley and
detectives Kaehn and Wilson went to the
shoe shop, examined the body and took the
testimony of those who said they saw him
alive last. AS no marks were found on
the body, 1t at once decided that it
was case of suicide Blood had dripped
from the cash in the neck made by the
rope and stained the floor at the dead
VI.
Grinsteiner, the undertaken was informed
ana the body was cut down and removed
to his morgue, on East Market street.
The police decided that Haas stood on a
chair, tied the rope around his neck having
first fastened the other end TO the rafter,
and then jumped to his death. Death must
Which he inmned wss not TOR n rne p, or
1t could not be definitely learned when Haas
committed suicide, but from the statements
OF several who said they saw him Wednes-
hn
hung himself on Thursday night Mat.
Paulus, a shoemaker at No. 1877 North No
bic street, told the officers that he talked
with Haas in the latter's shop Thursday
night. There seems to be no one who saw
him alive after that.
Haas was twenty-seven years old. He
was born in Hesperange, Luxembourg, and
came to this country three years ago. He
has a cousin, Mrs. Weber residing at No.
know of his death until told by Journal
reporter. She said Haas was queer char
acter and a sort of recluse. He was friend
ly only at intervals. The only other rela-
tives he had in this country beside her
Self, she said, were two cousins in St. Louis
and one in Chicago.
Coroner Beck examined the store and the
dead mans person. Seventy cents was the
only money found. but a letter which Haas
had written to his brother in March. but
which he had not mailed, stated that he
had 500 in building and loan association.
The letter was written i'm humorous style.
Haas slept at the store, but boarded at a
| that he would send money to Luxembourg
| to get a suit of clothes made there and
have it sent to him, as he could do this
cheaper than to buy II in this country. He
| spoke of his loneliness in tnis country.
Haas spoke a mixture of French and Ger
man. and he was not very we'll understood
by Germans he e.
Detective Kaehn told story by a
man who was intimate with Haas that
tends to show that the man killed himself
through dependency caused by reverses i'm
love. The man said that when Haas left
Luxembourg he was engaged TO be married
He promised to send for his sweetheart
soon as he earned enough money to do
so, and the two were then TO be married
Some months ago Haas sent the money.
but received reply. He wrote several
times, but still got no answer. Not long
| ago Haas received letter from a man
stating tsat he was tired of receiving such
letters. The letter stated that Haas's be
| trothed had proved false to him and had
| married the sender of the letter. Haas
never said much about his troubles; but a
| picture of woman supposed TO be his lost
| love- was found carefully wrapped in some
paper. Several men stated that they had
| seen a woman in his shop several times
| during the day. and after she left Haas
| would act in a peculiar manner. As the
! body is so badly decomposed it will be
| buried to-day.