The record-union., 1896-04-01

of a thoughtless husband, maddened
by the thought of leaving her three little
children behind her TO battle against
the world, Mrs. Olga Deuss, living at
S0915 Guerrero street, turned on the gas
1n her rooms last night and when found
at o'clock this morning the mother
and three children were dead. Mrs.
Deuss was 40 years of age, Gretchen,
her eldest child, 8 years, Freda 51a and
Charlie, toddler of 80 months.
The spectacle presented by the bodies
as they lay on a slab at the Morgue
was, indeed, sad one. The Morgue at
PENDANTS, some of whom have in their
experience beheld grewsome sights that
would make an ordinary mans blood
run cold with horror actually cried
when they arranged the little bodies by
the side of their mother, who had in her
madness deliberately and without rea-
son extinguished their young lives
Never, in the history of the Morgue, has
q sight so heart-rending, so dismal, so
despairing, been presented to the public
view.
Mrs. Deuss was large and handsome
woman. She was married about ten
years ago, and seemed to be thoroughly
happy in the love of her husband and
children until about two weeks ago
Her husband is a matchmaker and
3eweler, with an office in the Thurlow
block at 126 Kearny street. He is
member of the Turn-Verein, Hermann's
Sons and other German benevolent or
ganizations. Holding offices of re-
sponsibility and trust in various lodges
many of his evenings were spent away
from home. 1t is this, as far as can be
ascertained, that directly caused the
frightful tragedy of last night.
Mr.. Deuss left his wife at o'clock
last evening to attend birthday party
ut the residence of friend, Mr. Frecka.
at Nineteenth and Guerrero streets. He
spent the evening in games and other
amusements, until ) O'Clock. when he
returned home and made the awful dis
covery which rendered him temporarily
Insane and caused hlnf to take an oath
to destroy himself as soon as the vigi-
lance of his friends, who took him in
charge, relaxed.
The frightful story Of the tragedy was
told by the disposition Of the bodies as
the lay. Mrs. Deuss put her children TO
bed as usual. Each child was attired in
white night robes such as children usu-
ally wear. When the little tots were
asleep, the woman seated herself at q.
table where lay a pencil and a few
scraps of writing paper On one of
these she scfibbled the following line
In German:
AS loved you in life so will attend
you, step by step, in death'
On another slip the unhappy and fran
TIC mother wrote the following message.
without superscription Of any kind.
All the things in the trunk and the
beds belong to George. Send them to
him.
Having written her last wish. Mrs.
Deuss arouse and turned on the gas in
All the Tour living rooms. She took I'D
Eer paby and placed the child upon the
bed. This accomplished, she went To
the other room and carried the sleeping
forms of Gretchen and Freda to her bed
and laid them carefully beside baby
Charlie. She then closed all the win
dows and drew the curtains tight. Then
she disposed herself by the children. on
the edge Of the bed, propping herself mn
In such a manner as to enable her to
see them all before death claimed them.
Meanwhile the escaping gas filled the
entire fiat, and in its fumes the mother
and three children We're asphyxiated
When Deuss entered the house the
strong smell of gas startled him. He
entered his bedroom and found the
bodies OF his loved ones stiffening in
death. Horrified beyond expression. he
opened window and rushed back to
the house of Mr.. Frecka and told him
she awful news. Several friends accom-
panied him to the death chamber. and
two physicians were summoned. The
unhappy father clasped his children to
his breast and sought in vain to restore
them to life He implored his wife. like
man totally bereft of reason, to speak.
and when the physicians informed him
that she nor the children would ever
address him again, he broke down com
pletely.
He asked to be given a weapon that
he might kill himself, saying that he
preferred death to living with the horror
of his discovery ever present in his
mind
The bodies were Immediately removed
to the Morgue by Deputies Coroner Hal
lett and Smith. followed by the crazed
husband and father.
Deuss declared that he parted with
his wife on the friendliest possible
terms, and that there was no trouble
whatever between them.
Il kissed her good-by, and left her
cheerful and happy. j never dreamed
OF anything wrong until / came home
and found the gas jets turned on and nv
wife and children dead.
The George she mentions in the
note" said the husband, sis her brother.
George L. Krieger, who lives at 1919
South Clark street, Chicago. / can no