The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-23
CUT HIS WIND PIPE
CHRISTIAN H. SCHWIER, A WEALTHY
GERMAN, ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.
His Illness Had Caused Temporary
Insanify-Slisht Chance for His


While in a temporary fit of insanity yes
terday afternoon Christian H. Schwier, a
well-known grocer. at No. $40 East Wash
ington street, attempted to commit suicide
by cutting his throat with a butcher knife,
in the cellar of his store. He succeeded in
severing his windpipe, but the blade did not
reach the arteries in his neck. He was
taken to DR.. H. o. Pantzer's sanitarium,
No. 1872 East Michigan street. where he was
said to be resting easily late last night,
with a slight chance for recovery.
Mr.. Schwier was almost sixty-four years
old, and for the last eight weeks he has
been confined to his home. No. $50 East
Washington street, with rheumatism and,
quite recently, complications arising from
the grip. 1t has only been within the last
week that he has been able to leave the
house and go to the grocery store, which is
owned by him and his two sons, Charles
and Henry. Since his attack of the grip he
has at times shown signs of temporary de-
rangement, and has at such times said that
a man would better be dead than out of his
right mind. He has for a time been watched
very closely by his sons, as they feared that
in some such time of weakness he might at
tempt to take his own life.
Yesterday afternoon he had been quite
moody while at the store, and appeared to
be slightly out of his head. About . o'clock
Henry, the elder son, stepped out of the
store for a few minutes, telling one of the
clerks to keep an eye on the movements of
his father. AS soon as he returned he no.
ticed his fathers absence, and asked the
clerk where he had gone. The boy told
MIN that he had gone into the cellar but a
few minutes before, and the son Immediate
ly ran down the stairs, fearing the worst.
Of the sasa Stairs ins' startled tart d h dnes T II sne G in tha
dim light OF the cellar. was his father on
his hands and knees, with blood flowing In a
stream from a long cash in his neck. The
young man turned and ran up the stairs.
calling to the clerks to go to his fathers
assistance, while he himself sent for sew
eral physicians.
Mr.. Schwier was carried up the stairs in
an unconscious condition, with the blood
still lowing from the CHASTITY wound in his
neck. He was placed on a hastily-con-
structed cot and DR.. Panther found, when
tirely severed and the victim was gasping
for breath. When the wound had been
sewed up and a silver tube inserted in the
throat to aid the patient in breathing he
was removed to the sanitarium. DR.. Pant
ger said last night that the chance for re-
covery is slight, but, at the same time, the
man may perhaps rally and come out all
right. He recovered consciousness last
night. and was able to understand what
was said to him. answering by signs. If he
should recover, DIR. Panther says that it is
very doubtful whether he ever regains his
voice.
Near where the body was found was ly-
ing one of the butcher knives which are
uStu III the butcher SnOp duultlOf1 OF the
grocery. The blade was covered with
blood. and it is supposed that Mr.. Schwier
watched his opportunity to grab this knife
and go into the cellar while his son was
not watching him. The blade of the knife
is as sharp as a razor. and but one stroke
was needed to dc the deed. The son, Hen
ry, says he noticed his father had had a
vacant stare in his eyes during the day,
such as one notices in the eye of a dement,
ed person, and he says that he has no
doubt that his father was temporarily in
sane at the time he made the attempt on
his life. He says there was no reason
whatever for his father to wish to end his
life had he been in his right mind. He is
well-fixed financially, as he is a part owner
in the large double grocery, and is the pro-
prietor of not less than twenty-five pieces
of property throughout the city. His in
come is at least $500 a month, and the son
states that his father was considering SELL
ing his interest in the store and spending
the remainder of his life in comfort. Mr..
Schwier has conducted a grocery store in
the immediate vicinity of the present loca-
ton for thirty years. He was a member of
German Lutheran Church. being it's first
treasurer. He has a wife and four chill
dren, two sons and two daughters.