The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-27
WATCHED HIS OWN DEATH.
JOSEPH LANG's DETERMINED SUI
eide ny HANGING.

HersaW His own Death Struggles.
His Half Nude BOdy Found Sus-
pended From the Ceiling In His
Room at KIesIisg's NurseFy-His
burial suit Placed on HIS He'd and
Note On the wall Told OF His
Fatal Purpose.
Joseph Lang. a Swiss. who had been IN
the employ Of Gustav Kiosling, the for
ist. on the Thuudcrbolt road. for the last
five years. was foucd hanging by the
neck tn his room yesterday morning. He
had evidently been dead several hours.
IL was a case OF suicide Of the most
deliberate character and with many pc
cuiiar features. Lang was about p years
OF age and a man, apparently. Of a warm
and genial temperament and the last
man in the world whom his acquaintance
would have suspected Of intending 10
commit suicide. Yet he had not only
evidently contemplated the step for some
time, but had made one OF more previous
attempts. He was last seen alive be-
tween 2 and 10 O'Clock the night before,
when he LEFT Mr.. Kiesling's house 10 go
TO his room in a small house in the rear
o. the nursery. He had just eaten some
eanteloane with she family and was ap>
parently in the best Of spirits.
Yesterday morning. about $50 o'clock
Mr.. Kiesling, according to his usual Gus
tom. went to Lang's quarters and knock
c. on the door. Receiving no reply he
concluded that Lang was already up and
went to his breakfast. Lang did not
come TO breakfast, and about o'clock
Mr. Klesling cold another employe to 90
70 Lang's ropom and see If there was any
thing the matter. Lang had a hemOrr-
hags some time ago and Mr.. kiesllnS
feared that he had had another attack.
The man found the door fastened ana
he could not get a view OF the room De
cause OF a blanket hung in front of the
window lie p-ied open the window,
pushed the blanket aside and saw @he
body Of Lang hanging from the wall.
The body was naked, except for a sheet
around the head and shoulders.
M l6lesing was informed OF the sui
eide and at once notified coroner Goette
BY telephone. The coroner went our
inquests although 1t was very evident that
the death was from suicide. The unique
features OF the case interested the jury
greatly
been minute 10 the furthest degree. The
man had FIRST unstripped himself Of all
his clothing. after having locked the door
and hung blankets in front OF all the
windows. IN order that his movements
might not attract attention. On the he'd
he had placed neat suit OF black, with
a black tie, a white shirt and new pair
of shoes. liz had provided himself with
a hook to screw IN the wall from which
40 suspend the rope. He had doubtless
carefully gagged the necessary night at
which to place The hook. In iact, there
was evidence that he had made an un-
successful attempt with the hook previ-
ousiy, a place where 1t had been screwed
In the wall over the door being found.
A sheet and also mosquito net, wound
up and knOtted into a loop at the ends,
were found in the room, the opinion Of the
jury being that Lang had made an at
tempt to hang himself with them and had
failed on the wall was found an inscrip-
ton IN German in Lang's handwriting,
which, interpreted, read: June IS 1896.
] will hang myself tomorrow morning"
lie doubtless made an attempt at suicide
at that time and second unsuccessful
attempt later.
Thai the suicide was the result OF men
tai arrangement everyone who saw the
surroundings was satisfied. Coroner
Geeite's opinion was that the mental bal
ance of the deceased was due TO novel
reading. There was a number of novels
in the room, and among the number the
''Neiled Prophet" The cOroner's atten-
ton was particularly attracted
10 this novel, and he could
not help drawing a strange COM
parison between the description of the
chief character and the appearance OF
the dead man when found. After strip
ping himself entirely naked he had wound
sheet around his neck and shoulders
and covered his head with piece Of mos
quito netting. Judging by the care with
which Lang had made all his prepara-
lions, he might have placed the netting
over his face to protect 1t from the flies,
and the sheet around his neck TO prevent
any Disagreement from the rope.
Another strange thing which Lang did
was to haul the bureau out into the center
OF the room directly facing the place he in
tn naF7 "a a Tfrrn4
ed lantern beside the mirror, with the evil
dent purpose of viewing his own death
agonies. Having tried the sheet once and
failed he provided himself with a stout
rope which would not stretch, which he
had fastened to the hook in the wall He
also mad a small wooden beX. The last
thing he must have done was to have
placed the box beside the wall, adjusted
the rope to his neck and then kicked the
box from under him. By the aid Of the
lighted lantern he must have viewed his
OWL death struggles in the mirror. That
lac was deliberate in his purpose to the
last was evident from the fact that his
hands were free and ne might possibly
have saved himself had he changed his
mind after hanging for a few minutes.
That he had selected death by strangu-
lation as the most preferable mode was
evident from the fact that two loaded pis-
tolls, loaded shotgun and rifle were
found in the room.
The jury found a verdict that the man
came TO his death at his own hands. The
body was taken in charge by Coroner
Goette, and buried in Laurel Grove Come
terry yesterday afternoon. The burial ser
vice was read by the tender-hearted keep
er Of Laurel Grove, Mr.. a. b. Laroche,
who afterwards gathered a handful of
flowers and placed them on the grave a
woman, who had buried her baby near by
day or two before, contributed a nosegay
from the flowers on her chllds grave
Only half a dozen persons witnessed the
interment.
Lang was not driven to suicide by pow
erty.s He had saved his earnings and in
vested several months ago in several
acres OF land on the Ogcechee road, pay
ing therefor the sum of 5000. He also had
a small amount of money in bank The
deceased was from the province Of Basic.
Lueerne, Switzerland, where his brother
and sister reside. 1t was his purpose.
when he purchased the land, to have his
brother join him here and engage in truck
farming with him.
TRIED POISON AND FAILED.