The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-05
SAW H0EBER ASTOSUICIpE.
HE cor n LETTER FROM WRa.
y Err AFTER HER DEATH.

Music. we'll known In local musical circles, COM
mitted suicide some time Tuesday night In her
apartmcnts In the Conservatory building at III
East Eighteenth street. Aftor carefully locking
the door Of her room 20 that her husband could
not get in when he returned homo from q days
outing at Coney Island she drank half a vial Of
carbolic acid. turned on the gas, and sat down
IN a chair to await death.
Mrs. Jaeger began making Preparations for
her death early Tuesday afternoon. It was eyi.
dcntly her intention to make tho event az
dramatic as possible, for she FIRST called on
Coroner Hoeber at his homo at 6l2 Lexington
avenue, and notified him that abe would have q
a case for him tho next day. Then sho went
home and wrote him a long letter. reviewing all
her troubles. Finally she tackled a notice out
side of her door forbidding anybody but the
Coroner to enter. and went to her death attired
in q white silk evening gown.
Mrs. Jaeger was q rather goodlooking woman,
A6 years OF age. She was attired in tho height
Of fashion whom she called at Coroner Hoeber's
home on Tuesday afternoon and seemed cool
and collected as she put . series Of pcrplexinE
questions to the Coroner.
II want to know" she said, Just what means
one must take to report q suicide to tho Coroner's
object"
what 10 tho case r asked tho Coroner.
"Oh. 1t isn't ready yet" said the woman. with
. laugh.
well, you can report 1t In person or by letter.
It's better to report 1t in person. for that facili-
tstes matters II you have o case of suicide to
report, why, you can reach me by telephone,
either here or at the Coroner's Office. advise
you, however. to toll me now what you moan. II
you know Of a suicide, 1t is your duty to tell mo
Of it."
"oh, 1 DON'T" said Mrs. Jaeger; "but I may
by tomorrow. You don't leave homo for down.
town before 10 o'clock in the morning, do you r.
"No."
Then you'll hear from mo in all probability
by the morning mail. Good day." and Mrs.
Jaeger went away, leaving the Coroner In q sad
state Of perplexity. He thought 1t all over, and
finally concluded that the woman was either de-
mented or really knew of somebody who had or
was about to commit suicide.
In the 8 o'clock mail yesterday morning Cor
oner Hoeber got q reminder Of his queer visitor
Of the day before. 1t was q letter. sixteen pages
long. written in German. and telling him that
the writer would be dead when he read 1t. It
was signed Clara Jaeger" and contained in
structions for the Coroner. which he hastened to
time was at the Conservatory. very much ex-
cited and demanding in q loud voice to know
I THss had BY h P4oP. Jaeger a asd T ps. specify 2 q ef ss:
void, the President of the Conser vatory. who
had discovered what had happened some hours
before.
Prot: Jaeger. worn out By oyerwoTk. spent
Tuesday at COney Island. lie returned home at
midnight and went straight to his fiat, In the
top story Of tho Conservatory building. When
he found the door of his wife,s room locked and
got no response to repeated knocks. he con-
cluded that it was another one Of the little
cccentricitics TO which she was addicted, and,
lounge and slept soundly until I o'clock yester-
day morning. When he awoke there was a strong
locked door. ne ran to his wife's room. The door
was still locked. and on q piece of paper tackled
This door is not to be opened except by Coro-
ncr Hoeber. whom l have notified"
stairs and told DR.. Griswold about the matter.
" believe clara has killed herself" he said,
t@a Gri =" T ad Sdsni no 4f t n fhe po heef frst,
and SO two policemen were summoned from the
a sIrse JAEGER Fssss es sdo IL . G aPSair the BESIDE door hs and drs tssna
She had been dead for some time; On the
a aeid. The Iss room @ WA was f1n' OF sns; and a d' the e eaep of
the burner was turned on full, On the arrival
OF the Coroner the wonan's body was placed in
her bed and a permit given for her burial.
The letter which the woman wrote 70 Coroner
Hoeber was carefully guarded by the latter. AT
he finally yielded a bit. and read enough scraps
from it to make clear the woman's motive in
his duty as an official 20 guard from the public
eye. 1t contained accusations WHICH. true or
tain people. Besides, be said. he wasn't at all
sure OF the wornan's moral responsibility. This
CORONER: l hope that. with Gods help. when
this letter reaches you l shall no longer be
among the living. L sincerely nope tnAt you VIII
carry out faithfully the instructions Of a very
unhappy woman; have been FASTENED TO death
by my husband husband FELIX flf Jaeger; Ih az sn been M hunted
since March s, 1896. He has systematically
tortured me with q brutal method Of a cruel
cgotist. Mostly oil of our valuables have been
sold. When we came to this country, ten years
ago. all went well until my husband became in
and he has heaped untold insult on me since
then. He wrote me a letter containing all sorts
10 see ana read it,. / am sorry I did not keep the
letter. but my husband tore 1t up at my request.
AT Amterg's Theatre mis- salary was too small.
and had TO sell various things.
We had = house on Twentieth street. which
my husband intended for a musical conserva-
tory, hut il was no success and my husband had
$500 left out of q. 800. Then we came to this
the President of the conservatory, agreed to al
low me to have a room on the third floor for a
reception parlor. fitted II up nicely. and then
the first day he and a woman friend laughed in
my face when | could not get inside. the room.
my part. i took to novel writing. but only could
do so Nt night because Of the noise in the conser.
low SO that I could not see. cannot go into de-
tails rs 20 the indignities heaped upon me by
Mr.. Gr!swold. My husband. whom ! complained.
would not answer me at all, and for four years l
have suffered great agony, stood II quietly.
] could not stay at home to receive my friends.
as had no room in which to receive them.
Ny husband used to go down TO the cellar
suit OF my miserable lie my eyes have become
50 weak that ! cannot read or write without
glasses. Ny husband in March made the ac-
quaintancc Of a certain young lady, and since
that line nc has tormcnted me with this per-
son. He told me he did not want to live with me
any more. ana he asked nc to give him back the
money he had given me. ON June l he a ain
asked me for the furniture and money. and said
he would not live with me-. l. listened TO him
NTH tears in my eyes; but finally refused him.
Then he struck me with his fist In the face.
We became reconciled and pardoned him.
will pay for my yielding to-day with my death.
Tn reconciliation was not Of long duration.
Things became worse and worse. am 80 ex;
cannot finish my letter. He could not treat a
low woman worse than he treated me. lie said
young enough and good looking enough TO get
another man was married trst to an officer
10 the German army who was older than j was:
lie met with financial trouble and got i'll. ] had
to send him to n lunatic asylum, where he was
pronounced incurable. Then was divorced.
You will ind all my papers in a black satchel on
ne upper shelf in my room; request you 70
take them all. The papers will prove have al,
ways disposed OF the money myself. i disposed
of two papers and got two new bonds. Mr.. Doc
lnF ms h,gI,,,I ng,,lta mn in DuhIfc