New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-02
FIVE DEAD BY MOTHERS ACT.

work. APPARENTLY ONLY TO KILL HER
SELF AND HER CHILDREN
Caroline Rvipius. Of West Point, with her -FOUR
children-Laura. William. Albert ana r'iizape'"
respectively fifteen, thirteen, seven ana I'VE
years old-were found dead In bed yesterday
r,orri,g IN tho West Shore Hotel at Forty-sec-
o,d-st and r-leventh-ave All had been asphyx-
,a,oa opd there was every evidence that the
mother had wifully caused the deaths OF herse't
and her children.
Mrs Rivinius went to the hotel on Thursday
evening. accompanied by her children, ana was
shown to Rooms Nos. 81 and 30 which open into
each other The entire party took dinner IN the
public dining room Of the hotel and the cnoreh
laughed and chatted with their mother IN the
Iiveliest spirits After leaving the dnlng-room
at about 80 O'CLOCK Mrs Rivinius and the four
children went at once to their rooms ann noun
ing more was heard Of them.
DISCOVERED BY A CHAMBERMAlD.
The first indication Of the tragedy that oc-
Cured in those two rooms came 10 chdihpei
maid who was passing through the nan ou's'ue
of Room No. "a at about o'clock yesterday
morning. The smell Of Illuminating gas was
distinctly perceptible in the hall. the champer-
maid at once reported to the clerk who went up
stairs and knocked On the door There WAS no
response from within. but the smell OF gas gre"
stronger every moment. The clerk summoned
assistance and the door was broken down. me
gas that had been imprisoned IN the room
rushed through the doorway, almost CHOKING
the clerk and his assistants III was lmposs'o'e
to enter the room for several minutes. "heh
fresh air had diluted the gas 10 some extent 'he
clerk rushed in and opened the WINDOWS En-
animation revealed the body of Mrs Rivinius
living upon the bed in the inner room. III hei
arms was the form OF Elizabeth. the fve-year-
old girl. while next to the wall lay the pody vi
Laura the eldest The faces of the two girls
and OF the mother were contorted as II IN PAIN
In the outer room lay the two boys. but their
faces looked as though each had died peace
fully.
THE DEATHS CAREFULLY ARRANGED
EXAMINE ton revealed the fact that the woman
had apparently prepared for her suicide ana the
murder OF her children, and had taken every
precaution that her efforts should result ia'ahE'
In tho trunk that stood in the room, and which
she had brought with her. were several gar
rnents from which strips OF cloth had been torn.
These had been used TO stop up crevces under
the door and at the sides OF the window castings.
The transom has button, which had peeh
rast.rsd so as TO prevent IL from being closed.
I'M, Mrs Riynius had removed the button ana
closed the transom. The night Waterman SAID
that he had noticed that the transom vas cioseu
and had wondered AT II. pecause az, un. rn,h'
was SO warm but had thought II signihed hoth,
ing There were no letters left in ire room anu
nothing 70 show a cause for the woman act
There have been n number or SUICIDES ny
a.nhvxiation in the West Shore Hotel as in
others and the proprietor had recently caused
a system Of electric lighting to be installed pu.
for some reason the wires were temporarily o"'
OF order 50 the gas was again turned OH; 49,
ali 1aHa
tragedy was discovered. and response quickIy
came from Roosevelt Hospital Inc SUI ,,, ers
worked over the bodies for two hours put were
unable to resuscitate the woman or Ter c""ore"'
NJ APPARENT REASON FOR THE ACT
Mrs Rivinius was the wife OF Rooerf hiV'"'u9'
an enlisted man OF thirty years standing III the
| 'nited states Army. and n printer III '"e ~"
ministratiye Building AZ West Point. hNin'us
will he eligible 10 retirement on three-quarters
nay next July. He married the woman no" ue''
at Highland Falls about sixteen years eso'
Those who know Mrs. Rivinus say that her
married life was a happy one. and they cannot
Imagine anv reason for her fatal act. Her hus-
hand said Yesterday that she left west foht
on Thursday morning to visit her sister. Mls;
Mary Ksvscr of No. 3l6 Sixth-st tie expected
her 70 return the same night, ana went 10 the
10 o'clock train TO meet her When she did NOT
come however he not disturbed thinking
tha, she had changed her mind and DECIDED 70
rar ali
saws that she had seen nothing OF her sister, put
that she was eypecfing her 10 come 10 New
York for hospital treatment OF some sort hlvih-
ius says that he knew ~ n" su'h 'h'eh'i"" ""
the part Of his wife
Rivinius came to New-York yesterday after
noon. accompanied by Or. Saunders. 81 the pos,
az West Point He went at once 70 me West
shore Hotel and viewed the bodies OF his wire
and children lie was completely Frustrated by
his bereavement. bur could offer no suggestion
as TO the womans reason for her act Coroner
Al. hnlfn
ducting an Investigation. gave II as his opinion
that II was case Of murder and suicide
TWO KILL THEMSELVES FOR LACK OF WORK
Rudolph Knoche. ffty-seven years old. who had
oeen III and out OF work for six months. committed
suicide yesterday afternoon In tit OF dependency
~ drinking carbolic acid his home No 4l2 East
Knoche lived with his daughter
He got out Of work about six months ago through |
illness. and was unable 10 find suitable employment
,fterward because Of his sickness When his danSh-
tor found him unconscious In his room. an ambu,
ance was summoned from the Flower Hospital and
The man was taken there he died IN an houi.
II work. consumptvcs. and desponden, ended ID, his
ife by shooting himself Yesterday at ~" 800 Sev-
,nth-ave. whore he was boarding
FOUND DEAD IN THE GRAND UNION HOTEL. !
A tall man. Weighing about two hundred and TWEEN
v-fve pounds registered at the Grand Union Hotel |
IN Tuesday evening as e. L. *. Royce. o., San |
Francisco Cal. lie found dead yesterday |
morning In his room with one end OF a gas tu1e |
n his mouth and the other end fitted TO tho gas
n, IN the roon The gas was turned
The last seen OF Royce alive was on Thursday |
hight about O'Clock, when he was seen going
hpo,lrh the hallway OF the hotel. He went TO his /
oom then and did rot leave H. When his body |
vas discovered rhe police were not Informed. the
ranaeer of the hofel sending at once for the Cor
Nor There were no letters discovered In the room
4 the suicide and no business cards could be found;
o,,s rad two Their sltchels. hut they were not
neno1 under Instructions from the Coroners once.
All the windows Of the room were closed 10 pre-
ro,,, which he had been 10 take money. out
49, ,vns nothing In Il Yesterday morning except n
nli,r hutton and his clothing did not contain any
money. -, M ca East
red and seventy eighth-st. VINO proved t9
- hrother OF the dead man, called at the Crane
"on,raI police Station last night and claimed me
"a, lie .aid that he had recently received iet.
W from his brother In which the latter sad tnat