The herald., 1897-09-05
Los ANGELES tERALD SUNDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER S. 1897
FOUND In A LAKE
AN AGED GERMAN SUICIDES
BY DROWNING
John Unger Goes on a Spree From
Which He Never Recovers-Left
Wife and Children

The body of a German about so years
old, whose name proved to be John In
ger, was found floating in the lake at
Hollenbeck park at II o'clock yesterday
morning by Mrs. J. Erie, who lives at
the end Of South State street near the
edge Of the park. From appearances the
body had evidently been in the water for
several days.
Mrs. Erie was fishing in the lake from
a small rowboat, accompanied by two
little girls, when she noticed a dark OBJ
ject in the water near the northeast
shore. She at first supposed that the OBJ
ject was the body of dog, but when she
pulled the boat to the spot she found
that what she had seen was the head Of
human body. The woman at once hur-
ried ashore and notified Mr.. Berry, the
man in charge of the park, Of the CHASTITY
discovery. This done, no time was lost
in getting to a telephone and informing
the coroner and police that the body Of
a dead man had been found in the lake.
Coroner Campbell hurried to the scene
and brought the body ashore. 1t was
very much bloated' and decomposition
wotd have speedily set in. On tree
about fifty feet from where the body was
found hung a coat corresponding in
color to the vest which the dead man
wore and near by lay brown straw
hat. There were no marks or bruises
upon the body and everything indicated
that the man had committed suicide by
drowning himself. The body was re-
moved to Kregelo & Bresee's undertake
ing parlors, where an inquest was held
yesterday evening. AT the time of the
holding Of the inquest the mans identity
had not been established. The jury
brought in a verdict of suicide.
The identity of the suicide was later
established through John P. Goytino,
the editor of the French newspaper, lie
Progress, who recognized him as John
Unger, whom he had employed for the
past eight months to work on ranch
at Claire in Orange county, two miles
east of Sullivan station. Unger con-
Quoted Goytino's farm, raising beets on
it for the Chino factory. He left his wife
and family at the ranch and came to
this city on the 18th of last month to see
Goytino and collect the money due him,
amounting to about $40. This was paid
with a check on the Farmers and Mer-
chants bank On receiving the money
he left and it was supposed that he had
gone home.
About a week ago one Of Unger's
friends saw him in Main street saloon,
considerably under the influence of liQ-
uor. When asked how he happened to
be in the city, Unger replied that he had
come up after the money due him for
work on the ranch, but that he would
not be able to get it until the 18th of
September, and had decided to wait over
until that time. This statement was not
true.
Nothing more is known Of Unger's
movements until he was found dead in
the lake yesterday morning. His wife
was grief stricken at his failure to re-
turn home and supposed that she had
been deserted. On last Friday she de-
cided to so back to Oregon, where she
and her husband formerly lived, think
ing that probably he had gone there to
meet an old sweetheart. With her two
children she took the train for the north
and had not learned of her husband S
tragic death last night, although word
will be telegraphed to her Immediately.