The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-06
PASTOR AND
WOMAN DIE
AsphyXiated While in
Preachers Study.
BELIEVED TO BE ACCIDENT
Theory of Suicide at First
Advanced.
Thought to Hive Fallen Asleep ana
Light from Gas Jet Was
Blown Out BY Gust
Of Wind.
BELIEVED TO BE ACCIDENT

Omanas NeD.s nov. o.-SAnspco N 80
others arms lying on the door Of IL
pastors study in the German Bap<isG
Church. Oscar Berndes. 5anitor Of The
church, early today discovered the dead
bodies OF Rev. w. G. Rahe, pastor. and
Augusta Busch, q missionary and a6szst-
ant to the pastor.
Death had bean caused by asphyuation~
The room was filed with gas, Jet ana
q burner of o small stove being partly
turned on.
The woman's head was on some cash-
ions. They had evidently lain in tha1
position for several hours There seems
to be little doubt that death was acci-
dental.
1t 10 believed that the pair had fallen
asleep, the stove flame blew out and
the gas escaped. The bodies were rigid
and stiff and death had evidently oc-
Cured during the early hours of the pre-
vious evening. The coroner took charge
of the remains and will hold an inQuest
tomorrow.
Miss Busch roomed at the home Of Jan-
itor Berndes. 2sss Seward Street and Rev.
Mr.. Rabe lived at the home of Harry
Dirksen, at 27s2 Parker Street
The Pair Disappears.
Yesterday morning Miss Busch went to
the Dirksen home and remained there
until clock Tuesday evening. engaged
in sewing. She left for her home at this
Berndes residence alone and 1t ID thought
probable that she met Rev. Mr.. Rabe
while returning home and that the two
then went to his study in the rear OF the
church, where the tragedy occurred
They had always been good friends. but
no stronger feeling is said to have mader
itself apparent to those who knew them.
Mrs. Berndes supposed the dead woman
was in her room until Mrs. schalka.
| housekeeper for Rev. Mr.. Rabe. came
| and said Mr.. Rabe had not been at home
| during the night Afterwards 1t was dis
| covered that Miss Busch had not occu-
pied her room.
| Each failing to return home during the
| night occasioned a search for them this
| morning. The janitor went TO the pas
tors study and found the door locked
| and the key on the inside. From crack
beneath the door he smeIled the escaping
| gas. He summoned police officer and
the door was broken open.
In the center of the very small study
| the bodies lay, the heads just q few
| feet from the door. The womans face
was covered with froth and had begun
to turn purple. One gas jet above the
pastors table was partly turned on ana
| from a stove gas was slowly escaping.
The door from the study opening into
|
| open and the auditorium was filed with
gas.
Suicide Improbable.
The oficer notified the coroner and the
| remains were taken to the morgua It
was thought at first that the two HAD
| committed suicide. for on the table was
| an open letter, a neatly arranged bous
| Duet, the preachers watch and glasses
and his hat. Miss Busch's gloves ana
| handkerchief and her jacket neatly foid-
ed on the back of a chair. The room
was orderly as though it had Just been
cleaned The letter was written in Ger
man and when interpreted was found to
be an answer to another Letter which Mr..
Rnbe had received. There was nothing
| In 1t to indicate that the two had tn-
tended taking their lives.
Around the front and side OF the church.
building at 10Th and Seward Street. q
large crowd stood as the bodies were
| taken out.
To sMiss Ottolie Noerling particularly
was the death Of the two a shock. and
| she was almost Frustrated. Miss Noeri-
| ing Ii about Is years OF age and arrived
in Omaha on a morning train from Losa-
| isville, KY, en- route to Denver. Sh@
| stopped of for few days to visit Miss
| Busch. She arrived at the room OF th0
| dead woman Just as the news was taken
there that she was dead.
Mr.. Rabe was "a years of age and came
to Omaha from Buffalo. N. z. when he
was chosen pastor of the German Bap-
fist Church. In New York he left a wife
who Is attending missionary school ana
one son, Carl, of whom he often spoke
| to his friends. He was held in high es~
TEEN by his congregation. He roomed
with two young men named Dirksen and
| kept a housekeeper. The parents OF tho
young men recently died and Mr.. Rabe
remained with the boys to take care OF
| them.
Miss Busch was 81 years of age ana
| had been a missionary in Omaha for the
| last five years. She came here from Chi
| cago. She, too, was held in high esteem
and was very popular She had broth
| err believed to be in Michigan but Tor
| some time she has had no trace OF him
| and his address Is unknown to her
| friends Her trunk containing many let
ters which will likely lead to the loca-
ton of her relatives. has been taken IN
| oha r0a nv tina coroner.