The San Francisco call., 1896-04-15
LILLIAN KATE.

aband comment and the manner in which it
was done. Gustav a. Katz, partner in
the California Market, abandoned his
pretty young wife and left her penniless
March 80, the first anniversary of their
happy welded life
Gustav \. katz is one of four sons left
by the late Fred Katz, the pioneer butcher
OF the California Market. For four years
he was engaged to Miss Lillian Schaffer,
one Of the prettiest girls on Russian Hill.
There was opposition to the marriage in
both families, but March 80, 1895, the
young people were married and lived to-
gether happily for exactly year. Their
NJ arried life was without exceptional in
cdent and entirely devoid of anything
that would suggest to the young wife any
such catastrophe as resulted.
They looked forward TO their first ami
versary with pleasure, for Katz had prom
ised his wife that on that day she should
have an anniversary present in the form
OF a beautiful piano.
On March 29, the day before the ami
versary, hatZ acted in so singular a man.
ner as 10 make his wife fear that his reason
was becoming unbalanced. For some in
explicable reason b p seemed to be attacked
with the blues" The young wife sought
10 make his surroundings more than usu-
ally congenial, if such were possible, and
In the evening started to get supper.
Her husband went into the kitchen of
their home al 1916 LeavenWorth street and,
seeing his wife busily engaged, was sud-
denly affected in such a manner that he
began to weep, and for about two hours
this stalwart butcher wandered round the
house crying like a child. His wife begged
for some explanation, but could get none
whatever
When they retired Katz continued cry
ing and moaning as if suffering the most
poignant mental anguish. His wife in
qulred If he had trouble in his business or
with his people, and was answered in the
negative. After short period he asked
her to turn on the gas, which was not
lighted.
WHY, you don't want to kill yourself,
do youg" she inquired.
Yes, he replied; ~ don't see any use
in living"
OF course Mrs. Katz refused to carry out
MS request but twice again during the
night he awoke and asked her to turn on
the gas that they might die together Fear
ing that the husband beside her was losing
has mind, II not already a mental wreck,
MRS. hatz remained awake all night,
though katz slept at intervals.
In the morning the spasm of CRYING and
dependency seemed to have passed away.
hatz arose late and donned his best suit
OF clothes. His wife inquired the reason
for this, and received the simple reply that
he felt like it. Besides this he took a
watch and chain he did not usually wear,
saying the watch needed cleaning and re-
pairing. Then they sat down to break
fast, which passed off without interest,
ana parted lovingly. Indeed, he paused
when halfway down the stairs and waited
for her to descend that he might kiss her
again ere they parted.
During the morning Mrs. Katz learned
70 her astonishment from one OF the boys
at work in the California Market that her
husband had not gone to his place of bust.
ness. Terribly afraid that her husb
might have carried out the threat of sui
eide made the night before, she went to
the butcher-shop and found out what the
boy had said was true. The only explana-
tlon she could get was that her husband
had gone to the country. She went TO the
jewelers. but Gus had not been there
either None of his friends had seen any,
thing of him.
Then the young wife half-crazed with
tne loea that her husband had made away
with himself, went home There she
Iouho telegram, signed in her husbands
name, saying: "Will not come home !"
Going Immediately to the telegraph office
she found that man answering the de-
scrlption OF her husband had left the tele-
gram. FROM that time, over two weeks
ago, she has been left without the slight
est clew TO has whereabouts
Whether he is alive or dead she does not
know; what excuse he can give for lis
cruel desertion she cannot lell. She has
been left without dollar, though some
where or other her husband has at least
S10,0 coo hidden away. Her home is now
made with her parents at 1925 Filbert
street, but the most of her time is EN-
ployed in searching for the man who so
cruelty deserted her on the first ami
versary of their welded life.
Mrs. Katz's attorneys. Mess-s. Lane G.