The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-04-28
ENDS LIFE IN
TRAGIC MANNER
While Detective Searches His
Room Harry GeIIinger
Takes Carbolic Acid.
SUICIDE AT INDIANAPOLIS
MOTHER OF BOY WHO LIVES ON
NORTH FOURTEENTH STREET,
HEARS THE NEWS AND CANNOT
COMPREHEND 1T.

Harry Gellinger, formerly of this
city. and son of Mr.. and Mrs. vii.
liam Gellinger, 121 North Fourteenth
street, committed suicide ut Indian
apolis yesterday afternoon AT 9. so
O'Clock by taking carbolic acid At
the time the young man took his life,
detective was searching his room in
the boarding house. where he lived,
for evidence of theft. While the de-
tective was at work. Gellinger. who
was only nineteen years Of age, sat
down at table and wroce a few lines
to his mother, then walked over to y
mantel and took up Il bottle of car
bolic acid, swallowinr its contents.
The young man then threw himself
upon a bed and died in terrible ago
ny. Just before his death he regain.
ed consciousness and hade the ho,.i.
fed police officer goodbye, and told
him Of the letter he nad written to
his mo n.s:.
WI ote Two S"or, Notes.
On one side of tnts letter the follow
ing. which was evidently written
Thursday at the Gross Jewelry Store,
where he was employed, was found:
pear Mother:
81 will be home Monday morning
about II o'clock. will leave here
Sunday morning and 60 to Liberty,
from there home. ! Will stay at home
for little rest and then will 90 on
the road. | will spend Sunday and
Sunday evening at Liberty. Well I
have not got much time to write more
as the store is about to close. VIII
see you Monday. Your loving son.
HARRY"
On the opposite side of this commu.
nication young Gellinger wrote his
farewell message of love to his moth
er 1t reads as follows:
Dearest Mother:--I am in trouble
and am taking the best way out Of
1t. God bless you, goodbye. am
taking my life. Take one last k.sa.
Oh forgive me. Your loving sen,
-- HARRY"
Gellinger for some time past had
been suspected of stealing from t3e
firm by whom he was employed and
the result of the detectives search
was the discovery of lot of new Jew
elry in one of the young mans grips.
The local police department was no.
tilted about four o'clock yesterday
afternoon of Gellingers suicide and
they were asked to break the news
gently to his mother, as She was sub
ject to heart trouble.
Officer Lawler was detailed to per-
form this delicate mission. Whom
he arrived at the Gellinger home he
learned from Mrs. Jennie Dingley. a.
neighbor, that Mrs. Gellnger was
alone in the house. Officer I.awler
then decided to wait until one of the,
other members of the family returned
from work. Miss Gellinger, the dead
boys sister, reached home about six
O'Clock and in the Dingley home she
was told of Harry's death. She was
too shocked at first to comprehend.
In the midst of this tragic little
scene, Mrs. Gellinger walked into the
house and asked what her daughter
was doing there. Her question was
received in silence and then she de-
manded to know what the trouble
was. Little by little the sad news
was related to the heart-broken wo-
lieve what she heard until press dis
patch was read to her. She was then
lead, wideeyed with horror and grief,
into her own home. She is bearing
up bravely under her afiiction, but
last night she had not fully compre-
hended the extent of her sons tragic
deed.
Left Here in December.
Harry Gellinger left Richmond last
December and since his residence In
indianapolis he was employed at the
Gross jewelry store. While he lived
in Richmond, he was employed at the
G. H. knollenberg store and at several
factories. He was well known
young man and always bore an excel
lent reputation. His mother received
a souvenir postal card from him
Thursday stating that he would be
home Monday. His last visit in Rich
mond was Easter Sunday, when he
came here with young woman OF
Liberty, to whom he was very atten-
tive. 1t was learned last night that
the object of his visit to Liberty Sun,
day was to keep an engagement he
had with this same young woman
The police authorities at Indianapolis
were wired last night to send the body
to Richmond for burial.