The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-08-18
John RosCiszeWski and Jan Wal.
ciechoWski Asphyxiated at
the Schlitz Hotel.
ACCIDENT CAUSES DEATH.
Men had Been Employed in Stock Yards
in Chicago but Found Positions in
Kenosha. Coroner Investigating

Locked in each others arms in an
embrace of death in a room reek1ng
with the foul odor of Illuminating gas
two men were found dead in room at
the Sch1itz Hotel Tuesday morning.
Their names were Jan Wajciechow-
ski and John Rosciszewski and both
were residents of Chicago.
The two men had come in from Chi
cago on the OILS train Monday night
and had gone at once to the hotel. At
the hotel they made arrangements for
their room with the night clerk, pay
ing in advance for the accommoda-
ton. For half an hour they sat about
the office of the hotel chatting with
other boarders and it was evident
that they were in the best of spirits.
Just after ten O'Clock the two men
asked to be shown to their room, and
they were assigned to room No. 10.
They went up to bed and nothing more
was seen of them until their 1ife1ess
remains were found on the bed next
morning.
The men had left no call so the clerk
did not disturb them, and shortly
before nine O'Clock one of the women
at the hotel went to the room to pre-
pare it for the coming of the chamber
maids. She stopped in front of the
door and raped but there was no
answer. The lady noticed the odor of
gas in the hall and tried the door. 1t
yielded to her touch and opened and
she discovered an awful sight. The
two men attired only in their under
clothing were laying across one of
the beds in the room, while the room
was filled to overlooking with the gas
which was flowing freely from a jet
which had been left wide open. With
a scream the woman fled from the
room and rushed into the Office of the
hotel and notified the proprietor of
The coroner was at once called to the
hotel and in short time jury was
summoned to view the remains and
investigate into the cause of the death
of the men.
The room seemed to indicate that
the men had committed suicide for
the windows, two in number, had been
closed tightly and the transom over
the door was also shut. The men had
evidently not died without struggle
and the bed gave evidence of the fact
that both of them had suffered from
nausea during their last hours.
The remains were at once removed
RI 5n4-4o LIS 81
where they are being prepared for
burial.
Were Formerly Packers.
It is stated that the men were form
er1y employed as packers in the pack
ing houses in Chicago, and that they
lost their positions on account of the
strike. Rosciszewski was the older of
the two, and papers found on his per-
son showed that he had resided in
Chicago for some time. He was a
member of the Catholic Order of For
esters, and the coroner hopes to be
able to locate his relatives through
the order. This one of the men had
evidently recently worked in the
packing houses, and in his pockets
several papers we're found to show
this fact. Rosciszewski had no money
on his person, as he had paid his last
ha1f-do11ar for the room in which the
accident occurred.
Wajciechowski a Late Arrival.
Jan Wajciechowski was a recent ar
rival in this country, and his passports
which were found on the body, showed
that he had reached Chicago only a
few days ago. He was ~ years of
age, a native of Poland, and brass
mou1der by trade. 1t is claimed that
he had also secured employment in
Kenosha, and he had his tools with
him when the body was found. Cor
oner Landsdowne notified the Chicago
officials of the Foresters of the death
of the two men, and the inquest will
be continued until these people have
been heard from.