The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-13
MINNIE'S SAD DIRE Am.
In 1t Her Pretty Green Dress
Became Mourning Gown.
To-Day She Came from School aud
Found Her Father Dead.
Won Finthel Shot himself without
ApparentCause.

Minnie Won Finthel dreamed last night
that she took the pretty green dress,
which she wears, to her old teacher in
Fifth street, and had 1t changed to back.
and when she got back from school at
noon to-day to her home at 504 East
Eighty-sixth street, she found that her
father had shot and killed himself.
OF ali the sad pictures that public off,
GERS. newspaper reporters and the curious
are called upon to view, the scene in that
ruined home to-day was one of the most
distressing.
Without warning or apparent cause,
Philip Won Finthel went into the cellar
of the flat-house which he occupied at
the number given and killed himself
Won Finthel was born in Hamburg
of aristocratic origin about forty-three
years ago. He came to America in his
youth. In 1876 he married the woman
who is now his widow when she was u
mere girl. He took up the trade of
machinist and established place of
business on Fifth street. Last year. in
the reversals of the times. he lost his
shop and was employed by others at
piece-work.
ne tHtn removed 10 lne nat IN ElBnly-
sixth street, where he died. He had one
child, who is almost a young lady, and
attends the public school in the same
street
The appearance of the fiat would in
dictate that Won Finthel, II not rich,
was at least In receipt of a comfortable
income. The fiat is the picture of com
fort, filled with pictures. books and
bric-a-brac that reveal education and
discriminating taste.
Latterly Won Finthel has gone about
repairing machinery on contract. Bus
mess has not been good, but he has been
able to pay his rent and keep the table
well supplied. He never made any ex-
preston of encouragement.
Yesterday, when off on some contract,
he suddenly came home saying that he
had ringing, or death bell" in his
pened at some Ths at
breakfast table Minnie told Of her dream
about the dress, and the father laughed
at II
About s o'clock Won Finthel picked up
the coal scuttle and said he would go
into the cellar for coal He told Minnie
to remain until he returned. but he, was
When an hour had passed Mrs Won
Finthel opened the dumbwatier and
called down:
"Phill!e. Phillle, what keeps you SO
long?"
Receiving no response, Mrs Won Fin
thel went down into the cellar, and,
seeing her husband lying fiat upon his
face, ran to him and shook him. calling
his name. She found that he was dead,
and her screams brought down the
other occupants OF the house.
Won Finthel had apparently sat upon
a stool. shot himself through the heart
and fallen forward
The Coroner was notified and came
directly. He went away, leaving the
body as 1t lay, waiting for the under
taker.
An Evening World" reporter was in
the pretty fiat when Minnie came home
from school. The meeting of mother
and daughter was affecting beyond de-
This is your dream" sobbed the
mother.
The child was nearly fainting with
establishment and grief.
A friend standing by tried to console
them, but the anguish of the two was
uncomfortable.
Mrs. Won Fruthel. a sweet-faced Ger
man woman, not apparently over thirty.
told the reporter through her tears that
she and her husband had lived together
in the happiness of children; always had
enough. despite hard times. and that
her husband had taken his life without
| a word of warning.