Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-08
SUICIDE FOLLOWS
REIGN OF TERROR
Madman Causes Excitement in
Northeast Section.
DEFIES POLICE AND PUBLIC
Drives Wife and Children From
Home and Then Uses Pistol.
IN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION
Joseph Pospisiel Supplies Tragic
Climax to Episode by Posing in
Second-Story Window and
Ending His Life.

Ending His Life.
DR.. Joseph Pospisiel. medical
examiner in the pension bureau.
went raving crazy while at his
home. 633 9TH street northeast.
early yesterday morning. Beset
by horrifying imaginary dangers
he passed his children out OF
second-story window to neigh
Dor next door and drove his wife.
in fear Of her life. to leap from the
same elevation. Then. after hold
ing the entire ninth precinct police
force at bay for six hours and
firing nearly fifty shots from his
revolver at the policemen and
others who approached his
barricaded home. Pospisiel. his
strength exhausted and his am
munition gone. sat down at a
window sill facing the street, took
a dose OF morphine. and, turning
the iouled and kicking weapon on
himself. blew out his brains. Still
leering idiotically. he crumpled
up and pitched. all in a heap. to
the street below. dying few
minutes later in speeding
Casualty ii~~r;>-I ambulance.
Joseph Pospsiel's nerves had been
of jangle since Thursday of last week.
when his disordered mind conceived the
idea that members of the Maccabees-
which order IS one of several fraternal
organizations with which Pospisiel was
connected-were plotting with the police To
kill him and his fsnily-Mrs. Pospisiel
and three children. Joseph. thirteen years
of age: Elsie. nine ana Edward four
years. BY Thursday evening this insane
notion obtained such a hold on Pospisiel
that he did not attend the meeting OF
Mount Vernon Tent. No. T. where that
very evening. because OF the affection
and regard in which he was held. Pos
pisiel was elected TO the highest Office in
the gift of the tent. But the next day.
wien told of the honor done him, Pos
pisiel sr.eered and considered the an
nouncement as just additional evidence
that harm was intended him.
Il was not elected to any Office" he
declared repeatedly. with the obstinacy
of the unhinged. "and you can't fool
me-
Since Thursday last Pospisie had eaten
little and slept less. His enemies-those
who would murder him and his little
ones-were getting closer and closer. and
he feared to close his eyes lest the terror
should come upon him when he slept.
Pospisiel went to the pension Office as
usual last Friday morning. but his mind
was chaos and he could not work, so he
returned home at noon. Saturday it was
the same. and at O'Clock Sunday morn
| ing the crisis occurred.
Imagined Danger Threatened.
| Shortly before that hour PospisieI
was startled by hearing noise on the
lower floor Of the house and grew terribly
excited His wife tried 10 reason with
him that there was nothing wrong but in
! vain.
! The persons who were in the plot 10
! murder him were in the house he de-
clared. and he got his revolver and nifty
rounds of ammunition in readiness.
/
| the madman shouted. Come on, children
and let me protect you
| Prior to that time he had been
upon the roof of the house looking
for the police who he believed were going
! to assassinate him. and had awakened
some of his neighbors AS soon as he
! had aroused the children he summoned
members of the family of Mr.. Fessenden
next door and asked them to take the
children. They responded promptly. and
the three little ones were passed from
their home to that of the neighbars.
Then Pospisiel piled the bedding
!, and a number of the heavier pieces OF
| furniture against the doors. erecting so
| heavy barricade that the police after
ward found it a difficult matter to gain
! entrance to the upper floor of the house
| Policemen Hauschid. Nantz and Ehlers
responded to the first call for assistance.
reaching the house shortly after o'clock
Arrival of Police.
| There's a crazy man in the house
was the message they received. They
were not told about the revolver with
which Pospisiel was armed. When they
had broken into the house the policemen
saw nothing of the man on the lower floor
nor did they even hear his voice. The
sound of a woman moaning reached them
and one Of the trio called Madam. where
are you?'
..No. you don't Pospisiel said ap-
pearing and emptying his revolver in the
direction of the trio.
| The policemen beat a haSty retreat.
| They were so excited and i'm such hurry
| to get out of the house that they bumped
! against one another one losing his hat.
| another his badge and the other dropping
/ his club.
| "Come here to murder US. will you?" the
insane man yelled. We'll l guess not
Constantly Exposed to Danger.
| From that time until Pcspisiel commit
/ ted suicide the policemen and others
were constantly exposed TO danger. Shot
after shot was fired, the physician .ap-
parently taking good aim each time Lieut..
| Falvey Sergt Emerson and others has
| tened to the assistance OF the three po-
licemen who were first to respond to the
| call Occasionally during the long siege
some person would appear and offer a
/ Continued on Fourth Pagel