The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-10-21
A SUICIDE IN THE LOOKUP
#. LOUIS KOCH HUNG HIMSELF IN
CENTRAL POLICE STATION.

Dangied by Strap from q Water Pipe
Discovered by Kid Mccoy, the n Notorious
Ex-Burglar-Mrs. Koch in the Hospital
With an Epileptic Fit-The Suicide Was
Arrested for Cruelty to His Children.
F. Louis Koch of SIS Congress ave-
nue., who was arrested yesterday morn
ing for breach of the peace and cruelty
to his young son, committed suicide by
hanging in the lookup at the central po-
lice station about 8:15 o'clock last night.
Koch was discovered hanging from a
water pipe by another prisoner, kid"
Mccoy, the notorious ex-burglar. These
two prisoners and third who was
locked in a cell, were the only ones in
the lookup at the time. Mccoy and
Koch had the freedom Of the lookup
and had talked together some earlier
in the evening" Mccoy finally noticed
that his fellow prisoner had disappear
ed, and after some minutes started to
look for him. He found Koch appar-
emily standing up in the closet with his
eyes wide open staring straight ahead,
and seeing at once that something was
wrong he ran to the iron door of the
lookup and began to beat upon it and
call for help.
At first no attention was paid to the
noise by the officers in charge, as un-
ruly prisoners frequently make such
disturbances. Finally however, as the
noise continued, Signal officer Began
went to see what was the matter. AS
soon as he opened the door Mccoy told
him that something was wrong with
Koch and that he thought he needed
a physician.
Officer Began went to the closet
where Mccoy directed and in an in
slant saw what was the matter. He
rushed back into the Office, saying,
Telephone for doctor, quick; there's
a suicide in there"
Police Surgeon Gaynor happened just
then to be entering the station and he
at once went to see KOCH The body
was cut down and DR.. Gaynor, after
making an examination reported that
the man was dead, although his body
was yet warm. DR.. Gaynor afterwards
stated that as he began to examine the
man he thought he detected a slight
f1uttering Of the heart, which, however,
ceased almost Immediately thereafter
Medical Examiner White was sum-
moned and after viewing the remains,
hearing McCoy's story and seeing the
strap and its marks on Koch's neck
pronounced the case one Of suicide. The
body was removed in the police ambu-
lance to Lewis & Maycock's undertake
ing rooms.
Koch hung himself by strap which
had been buckled around his trousers.
He had buckled the strap around his
neck and then, climbing upon a bench,
had tied the other end around a water
pipe and jumped from the bench. His
feet almost touched the floor, and the
position Of the body was such as to
lead Mccoy to believe, when he made
the discovery, that Koch was standing
UP.
When arrested yesterday Koch was
intoxicated and in his pocket was found
a package of paris green. At the time
Of the arrest he was walking along
State street with his wife, who was
carrying a baby, and his little boy.
Koch had hold of the boys hand and
officer Kleiber, who made the arrest,
saw him several times strike the boy
with his fist. When Officer Kleiber APP
preached him he threw baby carriage.
which his wife was wheeling, into the
street, His wife then fell in an epilep-
tic fit and was removed to the rooms
of her brother over Paul Schultz's sa-
loon on Grand avenue. She had not re-
covered from the fit last evening, and
about nine o'clock was taken to the
hospital.
Mr.. Schultz told the police yesterday
that Koch had beaten his wife and had
abused his children repeatedly and had
threatened several times to kill his
children. 1t is thought that possibly he
had the paris green for that purpose
when arrested.