Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-17
SOUGHT DEATH IN THE JAMES.
Gilbert Hoflinger, a Penman, Commits
Suicide by Drowning Himself.

Gilbert Hoflinger, a Penman, Commit
Suicide by Drowning Himself.
Gilbert Hotlinger, aged about 4,
years, supposedly Of Baltimore com
nitted suicide early yesterday mornns
bv drowning himself in the Jane.
ftlver 1t is supposed the man leapet
INTO the river from pleasure pier neal
the Chesapeake & Ohio depot, as the
body was discovered floating near the
bank shortly after o'clock yesterda,
morning by Ben Fish, q Daily Press
carrier.
The boy at once notified the mate
and engineer on the tug Ridley. whict
was lying to at the Chesapeake and
ONO pier. These men hurried to the
scene and succeeded in dragging the
body up on the beach.
The man was dead, although IT
WAS Very evident that life had been ok
tinct but a few hours
| olhcer Charles arrived on the scene
shortly after the corpse was discovered.
he says the man had been a corpse
but short time.
| Officer Giddings, who was on the
| night beat in that vicinity, and who
was one of the first to see the body.
| reported the finding to Coroner B. r.
Gary. who at once repaired to the spot
| and made an examination.
Inc man was rather below medium
height and had very little hair. of n
sandy brown color. His forehead was
luli and receded considerably He was
attlred IN black coat and vest and
dark, narroW-Striped trousers The
s snoeS are black and in good condition
me nat was missing. He wore a white
outer shirt and tan undergarments
bis necktie was black and considerably
worn. "0
Quite crowd had collected by the
tline the coroner arrived. and several
mr. r 1,,,
one man was positive that he was a
cardwriter and fancy-pen artist. who
had been in the city for the last few
days working among the saloons in
Bar Harbor and Rockets
In the pockets of the dead mans
garments were found evidences that
he was a card writer. There
were three bottles Of ink-red,
blue and card-black, the last color be-
ing that generally used by cardwrit-
ers on account of its glossy face.
"A number OF cards. bearing fancy
ink designs. names. etc, a pair of
eyeglasses with the case, purse con-
tanning only a laundry ticket, a hand
kerchlef, fve-cent piece. pencil,
some pens and a number of horse
chestnuts, were also found in the peck
cts of the coat, vest and trousers
On one of the cards was the name
or Earnest Memler, which was at first
believed to be the mans name, but a
ponce lnEeStlgation developed that he
was German and known by the name
of Gilbert Hofinger.
Hoilinger came here several days ago
and put up at the Eureka House, on
w ashington avenue. He had with
him a well-filled valise and materials
for writing cards. The proprietor of
the house stated yesterday that Hot
finger paid up in full Friday and did
not owe cent as far as he knew
In the yalise, which was found
at the Eureka House. by Off
GER Robbins. were two suits of clothes.
quantity of underwear and number
can ca citizen in Baltimore in 1852.
An inquest was deemed unnecessary.
Among the letters and notes was a
postal card from the Thomas w. Price
Paper Company, Of Philadelphia, adj
dessed to
MIR Gilbert Hohineer, care of Mr.
Fl. Seelinger, ISL Church Street, Nor
folk, Va
There is no doubt that Hoflinger COM
mitted suicide. That was DR.. Gary's
first belief. after making an examina-
ton of the mans head. face and body.
Other than Il few bruises on the face,
there We're no wounds at all.
Hoflnger did not pass Friday night at
the Eureka House. 1t Is believed that
he remained in one of the resorts in
the lower end of the city until some
time yesterday morning and then re-
paired to the river shore and threw
himself into the water.
Efforts to locate i!oflnger's relatives
proved unsuccessful. The body laid
on the beach till late Yesterday after
noon. when it was turned over to the
overseer of the poor and afterwards
buried in the potter's field.