The morning call., 1894-08-26

commercial world as an accountant of
rare ability. and held for fifteen years a.
high position 10 one of the Oldest banking
institutions in the city. Yet among those
who enjoyed his friendship he was chiefly
known as one to whom his household was
the most sacred place on earth.
The dead man and woman are Mr.. and
Mrs. a. II. Breckenfeld OF 1921 Washing
ton street. Mrs. BreckenfeId died at 80
o'clock yesterday afternoon, after suffer-
ing many months with cancer Half al
hour later her husband lay down on the
bed by her side and blew out his brains.
They will be buried in one grave to-day.
The suicide was not the act of a man
craZed by the first excess of grief. 1t was
contemplated before his wife died and
executed after he had set his house in
order. He had an office or study in the
house in which he kept books and papers
and instruments for microscopical re-
search. The books were carefully ar
ranged and the documents tied into bun
dies when he knew that his wife's case
had passed beyond the surgeons skill.
The canceTous growth was removed some
time ago by Mrs. DIR. Lane of TOO Suffer
street and the patient rallied and was ap-
parently on the road to health when it
Ieappeared. Her decline was rapid and
yesterday the end came.
The bereaved husband went to his room
a few moments after life had left the
body, and in a firm hand wrote letter to
the Coroner. When be descended to the
room in which the body lay he found there
the physician who had attended Mrs
Breckenfeld and a nurse. He asked then
TO withdraw for few moments, saying
that he wanted to be alone with his wife
He was apparently calm and they with
drew to an adjoining room, leaving him
with his dead.
A few moments passed and the silence
that reigned in the house of sorrow was
broken by the report of a pistol. The
doctor and the nurse were startled by the
sound. and knowing instinctively what it
portended FASTENED into the apartment
where they had left Breekenfeld. The
nurse hao bed in the room at the side of
the couch on which Mrs. Breckenfsld had
suffered and died.
On that bed the accountant lay with his
arms extended. A revolver was cGtched
in his right hand, and blood was pouring
from wound in his head. The bullet
had passed through the brain and crushed
the skull. He died instantly.
Things Of the tragedy were quickly
. sent to the near relatives and friends of
dead couple, message was sent to the
COrOners Office. Deputy Jones went TO
the house and decided that it was not
necessary TO remove the body. He sum-
moned jury of residents in the neighbor.
hood. and after they had viewed the re-
mains permission was given to prepare it
for burial.
The letter written to the Coroner 10 the
frm. bold hand of the accountant read:
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 20, 1894.
TO the Coroner of the City and County of
San FrdnctScO-DEAR SIR: In order to avoid
Tue possibility OF wrong being done any one
througn misrepresentation l desire hereby to
state that my death has been caused by nv
own hand. L wish to be with my dear wife.
Yours truly, All. BRECKENrFrD
Mr.. Breckenfeld was born in Germany
about forty-hve years ago. His father
came TO California early in the sixties and
settled near San Jose. A few years later
be obtained employment as janitor of the
public schools in this town and gave his
boy the best education the place afforded.
When young Breckenfeld graduated he
was at once taken into a San Jose bank.
for he had already established good repu-
tation as an accountant He married in
San Jose and came to this city with his
family fifteen yeSrs ago. lie was en-
pIoyed here as chief bookkeeper of the
London, Paris aud American Bank and
held the position until his death.
Mrs. Breckenfeld was sister of Austin
Thompson, once we'll known civil
engineer and surveyor frequently en-
ployed by the Probate Court to divide