The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-10
startling End OF Arlington
Restaurant Tragedy.
kuRrH. HIS VICTIM. IS DEAD.
News Of the Death Had . Depressing
Eject ON the Prisoner-Had No
Appetite for His roed-He Takes
Common Handkerchief. Ties
Ii About Hi. Neck and Stranxle.
Himself-karth'. Final Statement.

ton restaurant. who was stabbed New
Years eve by Fred Lewis. porter for the
upstairs part Of the establishment died
a. the Seattle General Hospital yesterday
afternoon at l2:a5 o'clock without recov-
efins consciousness
Lewis committed suicide in his cell at
the city Jail at $40 o. clock last night by
hanging himself with a handkerchief
Lewis was confined in cell in the
lower jail When arrested he asked how
macn MS ball would be, as he desired TO
get out and return 10 his work. Capt
Sullivan said that under the elrcum-
stances no bail would be received
Lewis appeared somewhat disappointed.
out ola not say anything. He made no
objection TO talking with a Post-Intelli-
gencer reporter about the case. and said
among other things. not printed until
now, that kurth had a grudge against
nm owing to a change in dishwaShers.
brought about by the action of the pro-
prietor OF the restaurant, instead OF
Lewis action. Kurth firmly believed
that this was Lewis work.
Lewis passed a quiet night In the Jail
and was apparently all right yesterday
morning. During the afternoon John
Mertz. one of the proprietors of the Ar
hngton restaurant called at the jail 10
see Lewis. Mertz was accompanied by
Attorney A. D. Warner. who had been
selected 10 defend him. They had a
talk with Lewis and 1t was then that
he learned of Kurth's death. 1t had q
depressing effect on him. When supper
time came Lewis did not wish to come
out Of his cell. He did so. however, after
some persuasion, but ii was apparent
that he had no appetite for prison food.
Last evening about $50 o'clock Jailer
Corning went down TO his cell 20 give
him blanket. The jailer was Mortified
on entering the cell to see a dark object
hanging by his neck to a hook on the wall
used for the hammock. Lewis was still
warms but his heart had ceased 10 beat
and his pulse was still. The man was
dead. 1t was all over. and another muir
derer had saved the county the expense
Of boarding him a long term Of years.
Lewis had taken an ordinary handker-
chief and tied ii close around his neck.
The knot was placed at the back OF his
neck. Then he made small moose at
the end of the handkerchief and placed
1t over the hook used for the hammock.
The hook is in the corner of the CELL
and only about four feet above the floor.
Lewis then crouched down and by means
Of his weight strangled himself.
As soon as Jailer Corning found him
hanging he rushed upstairs ana notified
Chief Reed. Together they went to the
cell and took down the body. 1t was
evident that death had taken place.
Coroner Yandell was notified and the
body was removed to Butterworth's I'M.
dertaking rooms.
Lewis action will save Prosecuting At
torney McElroy the trouble OF changing
the charge against him from assault with
a deadly weapon to murder.
While Lewis was hanging himself the
wife of his victim was at home under the
care of attendants. She had not been in
bed for three days soi nights, and after
the death of her husband she was taken
with Mysteries. Her condition was such
that it was thought advisable to keep at
tendants with her all the afternoon and
night. She lives at 5ze John street and
there PostInteligencer reporter found
her last night. Her condition was enough
to awaken sympathy in the heart of any
one. no matter how accustomed to such
scenes.
Kurth made statement to his wife and
brother-in-iaw. August Hermann, con-
corning the trouble which ended in his
receiving a fatal wound. In il he said
positively that he did not strike Lewis
with knife. The statement was made
after he had been taken from the restaur-
ant to his home at go John street. and is
as follows:
Lewis and l quarreied about the DISH
washer. Lewis wanted to put In a Chi
nese In place Of the white man who was
Washing utSueS. L desired To nave the
white man remain, but on the morning of
the ARRAY / found when l arrived at the
restaurant that the white man had gone
and "A Chinaman was In his plce. l told
Lewis that he had done wrong in making
the change and then we got to calling
each other names
Lewis went up stairs and during the
day kept calling me names down through
the elevator. At o'clock in the after
II g rfv.O In hr.r
waiter (his name is Myers about to
eat, having a silver knife and fork TN my
hands, Lewis came up and said: Don't
you call me any more names i Will
call You the names you deserve l replied
Lewis had an ice pick and said I will kill
YOU He made stab AT my eye but I
lodged and the point Of the pick struck
me Just back Of the eye. / struck Lewis
with my fist and knocked him against
the"-there Is some doubt whether 1t was
the table or edge OF the box. Blood was
squirting from the wound IN my head and
I fell down. Lewis came and stood over
me with the ice pick, saying. I'm going
70 finish him now The waiter grabbed
his arm. Then 1 became unconscious"
After kurth became insensible he was
taken home. DIR. Emil BoEies attending
him. On recovering consciousness Kurth
made the above statement
August Hermann, brother-in-law Of
the dead man. says that the waiter (My-
ersl told him a story of the affair which
conceded with that told by kurth himself
Joseph KUrth was horn In Wollbrans-
hansen. Germany, tbirty-slx years ago
He came 20 the United States when he
was II years cid. He lived in Phliadel-
phia. Dodge City Kan. and Spokane be-
fore coming 30 Seattle eight years ago
While living in Dodge Cigy he married
Sophia Hermann. That was nine years
ago -Four children haXe been born to
them. the oldest Of whom is seven, the
youngest seventeen months.
The death Of Mr.. kurth leaves Mrs
Kurth with four children on her hands
and not cert in her purse 10 provide
them with fcod. She has two brothers n
the city. August Hermann and F. Herr
mann Fhe latter works IN the Royal
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