The sun., 1903-12-07
DEAD WIFE TAKEN HOME In CAB
HUSBAND WRAPPED THE BODY
UP IN BLANKETS.
Mrs. Ganka OF Chicago Kills Herself in .
Hotel, where Her Husband Had Taken
Her-Had Been Estranged From Him
He Took Her 10 Her Home Lifeless.

Hotel, Where Her HUSBAND Had Taken
Her-Had Been EatranEed From Him
He Took Her 10 Her Home LfeIess.
CHICAGO, Dec. 8.-Eary this morning.
with the form Of his dead wife beside him
in a cab, Frederick Ganka, whose elope-
ment three years ago with Miss Rosa
Bemis, heiress and niece Of Henry V. Bemis,
president OF the Bemis- -Richelieu I'm
porting Company and former proprietor
of the Hotel Richelieu, surprised West Side
society, drove from the Saratoga Hotel
to the home OF Mrs. Kathryn Woodruff,
4ls Washington Boulevard, the grand
mother Of Mrs. Ganka.
This was the hom coming OF the 1S year
old girl who is believed to have adopted
suicide as the happiest solution to shat
tered romance. Wrapped in blankets and
borne by the young husband and two hotel
employees, tn, body OF the young woman
was carried from the hotel to a waiting
cab in Dearborn street. The body Of the
suicide was placed inside the vehicle in a
sitting position.
Ganka climbed in, and the ride to Wash
ington Boulevard was begun. On arrival
at the former home Of his wife Ganka.
aided by the driver Of the cab. carried the
body into the residence of Mrs. Woodruff.
The peculiar circumstances in connection
with the death Of the girl prompted the
arrest Of Ganka early in the forenoon
Criticism was aroused by a late notification
to the Coroner and police. Detectives
from the Central station apprehended
Ganka. The disheartened and frightened
young man was later released at the in
stance Of Mr. Bemis.
Ganka at the time of his marriage was a
shoe clerk for Marshall Field d Co. Re-
Gently he has been employed in Street.
er's shoe store. When Is years of age
Miss Bemis eloped with Ganka to st. Joseph,
Mich. Ganka was only 20 years old,
and the affair caused stir among Mrs.
Ganka's relatives and friends. There is
little doubt that resulting unhappiness,
caused the girl to take the poison which
caused her death this morning. Letters
left by her bear out this theory.
Last July, Ganka and his wife became
separated and later Mrs. Ganka filed
bill for divorce. alleging cruelty. After a
visit to her grandmother on Saturday even
ing Mrs. Ganka is said to have called her
husband from his place Of employment
on the pretext that their baby was ill., Then
she told him that nothing was the matter
with the baby. but that she had fled suit
for divorce and wanted to know if he would
contest the case.
Ganka said that he would not. Then he
asked his wife to go to the theatre. She
agreed. They went to Ganka's home at
354 jackson boulevard, and while he was
changing his clothes, it is thought, Mrs
Ganka purchased poison at drug store.
Later they went to the theatre and then
to the Saratoga Hotel
Mrs. Ganka left the parlor which her
had engaged and went to the
lavatory. Alarmed at her failure to return.
Ganka went to seek his wife. He found
her lying on the floor, suffering from the
poison which she had swallowed. A ply
sioian was called, but he arrived too late
to save her life. She died about S O'Clock
this morning, and soon after the body was
wrapped in blankets by Ganka and taken
10 the home Of Mrs. Woodruff.