The Washington herald., 1908-06-08
TRAGIC SUICIDE.
Continued from Page one.

up morning paper. and asked the ply
sician II he did not want II. The doctor
answered in the Affirmative, and EhIers
went into the yard. and, picking up the
Sunday papers, asked Pospisiel to come
downstairs and get them. The physician
refused. Ehlers then threw the papers
up to the window. He stood and tried
to talk with Pospisiel. and the latter
fired three shots at him. narrowly missing
him. One shot buried itself in a tree
Few inches from the policeman's head.
Shoots at the Crowd.
Pospisiel then fired promiscously into
the crowd. which scattered for shelter,
and the mad physician continued TO shoot
UP and down the street.
At this time. L. p. Goldman. a former
policeman, passed. and told Pospisiel he
was going away. and had come to say
good-by TO him. Pospisiel allowed him 10
advance almost to the front door, and
then fired three shots at him. The former
policeman retreated. and Pospisiel said II
ne was going away, he should have
suit case. Goldman answered he had one
and Pospisiel said TO get IT, and he would
come down. Goldman went across the
street and procured a suit case and re-
turned. He showed the bag TO the ply
sician. who wanted 70 see the contents
Goldman opened the suit case. Pospisiel
hesitated minute. and then cried:
You are liar You are In with my
enemies, and want to kill me-"
Then ne began to shoot. He shot five
times, and several bullets lodged in a tree
behind which Goldman sought refuge.
w. @. Lane, who lives at $50 Seventh
street northeast. passed the house and
recognized Pospisiel as an Odd Fellow
Lane gave the sign Of recognition Of the
order, and Pospisiel recognized II and
answered. Lane then asked POspsiel 20
come down and talk with him. Pospisel
asked to see Samuel English. of the Mac
caoees, and also called for JOHN Wood.
member Of his lodge in the Odd Fellows
After talking a minute with Mr.. Lane
Pospisiel changed from his friendly man
ner. and waved his pistol In a threatening
way Lane retreated in time to escape
several bullets.
Capt. Daley. Of the Ninth precinct. ar
rived between $50 and O'Clock. bringing
with him the reserves from his station.
Ihe captain decided II would not be right
10 shoot the physician. who was evidently
demented, and that IT would also be out
or the question 10 allow him TO hold his
post He decided on strategy, and, with
Sergt. Mccormick and Policeman w. +
Smith. went into the house Of Mr.. Fes-
sender. next door. Going 10 the second
hoor. he opened the front window and,
with long pole. broke the window in the
Pospisiel house. He talked with the phy-
sician, and asked him to come out. as
suring him he would not be harmed.
PoSpisiei talked with the policeman for a
time. and then fred several shots. He
finally said: Well. 1 may come down, but
won't come down alive"
Fires the FntaI Shot.
Sitting on tho window sill. with his feet
dangling outside. Pospisiel pulled a hypo-
dermic needle from his pocket and in
jected quantity OF what is believed 10
have been morphine into his left arm.
lie then raised his revolver and pointed II
at his left breast Then he placed it to
hts right temple and pulled the trigger.
The limp body fell 10 the ground. and
the police, fastening 10 the spot. found
the bullet had entered his right temple.
and. going through the brain. had come
out at the top OF his head. Believing
there was possibility Of life being still
IN the body. hurry call was sent to the
Casualty Hospital The injured man was
placed in an ambulance but il is believed
he was either dead when picked I'D or
died on the way 10 the hospital.
In a pocket OF the suicides clothing
was found a letter addressed to John
Pospisiel Lincoln County. Wis
The letter was headed, Dear Brother. -
and stated he had been unhappy for sew
eral days. having had trouble with mem
hers OF the Msccabees. Of which order he
had been examining physician. and OF
which he was recently elected commander.
He asked II his father were not stin alive.
and went on TO say that something dread
ful would happen before the letter was
received. Toward the end the letter was
unintelligible.
His father, whom he mentions in the
letter as being stil alive. is said by Mrs.
Pospisiel to have been dead for years.
Mrs. Pospisiel wife OF the dead physi-
clan. said last night that her husband
had been in a highly nervous state Tor
days. After attending a meeting Of Mount
Vernon Tent No f. Knights OF Macca-
bees. on Thursday night, at which time
he was elected commander. Mrs. Pospisiel
said, her husband said he had overheard
members Of the lodge talking over a
plot 20 kill him and murder his family
From that time on ne was nervous. and
talked constantly OF the plot against his
life. He went to his office at the Pension
Bureau every day, hut left each day early
in the afternoon.
Refused TO Eat.
DR.. Pospisiel, said his wife. would not
eat, and walked the floor continually. He
always talked Of the plot against him,
and seemed nearly crazed when he re-
turned 10 the house Saturday afternoon.
Saturday night he went on the roof OF
the house. declaring the time for the al
tack was at hand, and that he could de-
fend himself from the housetop. Later,
he came down and made his children and
wife pray.
After Mrs. Pospisiel had gone into the
Fessenden house. the physician threat
ened the life Of his wife and chi.dren. and
they ran from the Fessenden house 70 the
house of Daniel Bostons. a grocer. at 62l
Seventh street
Pospisiel had been in the government
employ for about seventeen years. He
was member Of the Odd Fellows and
knights of Maccabees, and of other or
ganiZations.