Evening star., 1898-05-24
Bullet Ends the Life of Baker Det-
terer.
NO KNOWN CAUSE FOR act
Prosperous in Business and Happy
in Home Life.
FRIENDS GREATLY SHOCKED

August Detterer. who has conducted a
French bakery at No. 2O12 H street north
west for about fifteen years, committed
suicide this morning at his home by shoot
ing himself through the head. The bullet,
fired from a Smith & Wesson 32-caiiber
weapon entered the right temple and
passed entirely through his head Then it
struck the glass covering the face of q
clock and finally fell to the floor. Friends
and relatives of the dead man are at a loss
to find cause for his act. He was not
financially embarrassed. nor did he have
any family troubles. Neither was he a
man who drank to any extent. Recently
he enlarged his bakery business and moved
| to New York avenue and 10Th street. His
| cousin, Mr.. T. H. Felter, was interested in
the business, and this morning he was with
Mr.. Detterer about forty minutes before
the shooting. Leaving Mr.. Felter at the
corner, near the house. Mr.. Detterer re-
turned home and walked through the hall
on the ground floor to the kitchen, where
the colored domestic, Catherine Alexander,
was making preparations to get dinner.
The Fatal Shot.
Has my daughter come over YETI" he
asked the colored girl, referring to his mar
ried daughter, whom he expected would
visit him.
No, SIR answered Catherine; "she
hasn't come over yet"
"All right" said the baker as he started
toward the dining room door. He entered
the latter room and had not been in there
many seconds when the report of a pistol
shot was heard
Catherine screamed and ran from the
kitchen through the hall without going in
the dining room. Mrs. Detterer who was
on the upper floor and heard the shot rush
ed down stairs and was first to enter .le
room and see the CHASTITY sight. There,
CT snh t1,a
was the dead body of her husband who
had left her only an hour before. Beside
his body was the weapon he had used.
while the leaden missile was in front of the
latrobe only a few inches from mis- head
he had passed the stage of consciousness,
and was una bic correspond to her call. The
doctors found that life had become extinct
almost simultaneously with the pulling of
the trigger. While there was no doubt
about the result of the pistol shot Mrs
Detterer clung to the last hope and sent
for physicians, but, already stated, life
had left the body, and Drs. Sothoron Ward
and Maddox, who responded to the call
were unable to do anything.
Coroncr's InvestfgntfOn
Coroner Carr reached the house shortly
afterward ard made an investigation. He
was unable to assign any cause for the
bakers act. The dead mans clothing was
searched in hopes of finding some explana-
ticn for the sad affair, but no writing of
any kind was found A certificate of sui
cidal death was given and an undertaken
prepared the body for burial
II can't understand what made him kill
himself" said Mr.. Felter to a Star re-
porter. "He had no financial troubles no
domestic difficulties and was doing an
cellent business. Only short time ago his
business , was enlarged and he was doing
Mr.. Felter said that Mr.. Detterers busi-
ness at the H street bakery had become
so large that he was unable to supply the
demand made upon him, and recently he
moved to the new bakery and enlarged the
business This morning Mr.. Detterer re-
ceived notice that suit had been entered
against him before a justice of the peace
because one of his wagons had coltded
with milk wagon. Having to appear to-
day to answer the complaint he said would
greatly Inconvenience him, and Mr.. Felter
suggested that he see an attorney AMI
have the case postponed for week. This
he had about concluded to do, and Mr.
Felter thought that the matter was set
tied for the day. The men met at the
bakery this morning and discussed their
business affairs From the bakery they
strolled up 18th street together and chatted
pleasantly until they reached II street
Mr.. Detterer was as bright and cheerful
as ever, and there was nothing about his
conduct to indicate that he had in view
any such thing as self-destruction. When
they were about to separate ne called to
Mr.. Felter and reminded him not to forget
10 purchase some potatoes In market. as
&C me were needed at the bakery for yeast.
Mr.. Felter get On a car and went to mar
ket while his business associate went il
the direction of his home. Half an hour
later Mr.. Felter received a message at the
market telling him of his cousins sad end.
The deceased was forty-nine years old,
and had been in this country for about
twenty-eight years. Fifteen years ago he
opened the bakery after having been in the
saloon business. He had served in the
French army, and was a native of Alsace.
The deceased married after coming to this
country, and a wife and three children sur
vive him. Arrangements for his funeral
will be made later.