The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-08
J JaCo b GerStenberg's s
Body Found This
Morning in a Pool
of Blood.
of Or
phanage More Than
Five Years His
Health Fails.

After a secret, but fruitIess, search all
day yesterday, Jacob GeTstenberg, su-
perintendent OF the German Orphan
Asylum, at Anacostis, was this morning
found lying dead upon his back in the
tool shed OF the Orphanage. indications
being that he had committed suicide by
shooting himself
Mr.. Gerstenberg has been In bad
health lately. and was yesterday missed
from the asylum by his faulty, Fear
ing that he had carried out threats
/ 10 take his own life, the police We're
communicated with and asked 70 Join in
quiet search for the missing mau.
This continued all day yesterday and
last night, his vile giving up nope of
ever seeing her husband alive again
early in tine day
At Asylum Five Years.
Mr.. Gerstenberg had been superin-
tendent o. the asylum for hve and a
half years. He had been in bad health
for number Of years. but Il was only
recently that his sickness brought about
mental depression, which seemed
more noticeable during the past month.
He had often told his wife that the
entire world was against him and tina;
he was ia everyones way.
The revolver was found between his
legs near his right foot, the head rest
ing in a pool OF blood.
Coroner Nevltt visited the scene OF
the tragedy and gave a certificate OF
death by suicide. The body was car
lled 20 the orphanaEe, where IL viii
be prepared for burial No definite fG-
neral arrangements have been made.
The supposiuOn is that Mr.. GeTsten-
berg left the orphan asylum yesterday
with the aVOWcd purpose Of committing
suicide. He dressed himself early in the
morning in his best clothes, putting on
his jewelry, and taking q cane. No
one knew at what time Mr. Gersten-
berg left the orphanage.
Body Discovered.
The body of Gerstenberg was discov-
cred by Officer T, ]. Whalen, of the
Anacostia station, about 10 o'clock this
morning. II was evident from the Po-
sition In which the body was lying that
Mr.. Gerstenberg had shot himself i'm
mediately upon entering the sh-d.
Brother Shocked by News.
Ernst Gerstenberg, the Pennsylvania
avenue restaurant proprietor. did not
learn OF his brothers death until told
by a Times reporter this morning. He
was inexpressibly shocked.
y never expected anything ike this, %
he said. I'VE have known for some
months that my brother was suffering
from nervous breakdown; in fact, he
has been in the hospital once or twice.
We nave tried to prevail upon him to
leave his duties and taken an ocean trip
for the benefit Of his health, but he in
sisted on remaining at work. OF late he
has seemed to take everything 70 heart
especially every little trouble at the
orphan asylum He had some rather
large boys to contend with there, and
seemed 10 think that their misbehaviOr
was solely to add to his labors."
This was confirmed by William A.
GUIDE, one of the supporters Of the in
stitution. He SAID:
For several months the board Of di-
rectors, of which my brother is a mem
Der. have noticed that Superintendent
Gerstenberg has teen subject to spells
of melancholia- He imagined that every
one was down upon him. and would
constrUe the most trivial acts of the
pupils as a reflection upon himself. He
had no real troubles, but as soon as
he mysteriously disappeared yesterday :
morning. his wife and those who knew
him were confident that he had done
violence to himself.
He was an excellent superintendent
the best the asylum has had. and his
administration was entirely satisfac
tory"