The San Francisco call., 1909-04-19
BALKED INPLOT
10 KILL WOMAN.
TAKES OWN LIFE
Maniac BIames Nurse for Wife's
Death and Watches Weeks
to Murder Her
Puts Bullet in Brain in an I'M
: dertaking ParIor, Leaving
VIII TO Pay Expense


10 murder Mrs. A. n King. formerly
:.s.aperintendent OF the TIshnemann hos
tital. Constantine wickman. a German
waiter. 50 wears Of age. yesterday COM
p. .aitted suicide in a spectacular man
''ier. and his body now lies at the
: rsorgue.
Qbsessed by the IDEA that the trained
nurse had mistreated his wife. while
tho latter was an inmate Of the hos
patal. the erazed man had laid in wait
Tor weeks watching for an opportunity
assasSinate her. BY a strange chain
~ circumstances the wouldbe murderer
Was prevented from carrying out his
purpose for such length of time that
he despaired and ended his own life.
The strangest detail in the case is
that the woman whose life the maniac
. sought never had any intimation OF
impending danger. until she was in
formed OF the dead mans purpose by
a call reporter.
SUICIDE SPECTACULAR
Tie suicide OF wickman from the
standpoint OF the elaborateness Of de
tail and fitness of surroundings I'm
which 10 commit the act. was one of
The most spectacular known TO the
police department. and the authorities
are convinced that the man was insane.
Entering the undertaking parlors Of
norter d White 1914 Eddy street. at
II o'clock yesterday morning. Wick
man met A white. junior9 member Of
the firm. He asked White II the lat
ter did not remember him, recalling
fhe fact that the firm had conducted
.'he funeral Of his wife in August
1907 White then told his visltir that
. he remembered the case.
= q thought you would remember me"
said WIckman. and for Nhat reason I
:tlousht it would be all right if I came
tn and sat down for 2 few minutes.
have been very sick and can scarcely
walk. I would like TO rest here for a
n-fle while"
White invited Wickman TO take a
seat. and went UP stairs E F. But
70 .is'. an employe Of the firm. also started
ND the stairs. but heard a shot and re-
armed TO the reception room Lying
rom wounds on the right and left
des Of the head, was Wickman's
uoay. A IS cshber revolver was in
is5s hand One Of the shells had been
..Sploded. Beside the body was
folded paper.
-. white, who had been called by But
:5sr. rushed down stairs and picked up
the paper. which he opened and read:
April IlIsos
Tnis is TO certify that I. the undersigned.
leave the two hundred ana fifty dollars (S25o)
csp0sited in the Hibernis savings bank in this
lst. Nessrs. Porter & White, the undertakers
20 draw from there 70 defrzy my burial expenses
CONSTANTINE WICKhAN.
-. Folded inside OF this improvised will
r was another note, which read as fol-
lows
April H. 1909
Rsssrs Porter 6 White: I have an explana
street where 7 live. Kindly take charge Of
.-rerything. Everything belonging to in my
CONSTANTINE WICKMAN.
ADDED 10 the bottom OF this letter
= was the following:
The waters union. I guess. viii have nothing
% do With murderer like me.
scrawled after the above was the
sentence.
had no chance TO do away with Mrs. King.
FILE OF LETTERS
White Immediately notified the coro-
ner and the central police station of
what had occurred, and an investiga-
ti0n was set on foot. While Wickman's
body was on the way to the morgue.
Detective Charles II. Taylor went to
Che house at 612A Natoma street. He
gained an entrance 10 the room occu-
pied by Wickman. and. neatly arranged
on a trunk, found several envelopes
obtaining statements written by
5Wickman since April Il. 1903.
The first letter stated that Wick
mans wife had died August IS. 1907.
At the Hahnemann hospital. and the
writer accused Miss Mellott, now Mrs.
a. NJ King Of 2035 Larkin street, but
formerly superintendent OF the hos
Oital OF having treated the deceased
woman in an inhuman manner. The
second letter recited the fact that
wickman was laying plans for weeks
a o.. izlll Mrs. King. and that for the last
Two weeks he had kept watch at the
corner Of Larkin street and Broadway
for his intended victim The writer
bernoaned the fact that. although he
?. had watched constantly for the trained
nurse al the corner, which is within a
: few doors Of her residence. he had
never caught sight Of her.
AN of the letters were turned over
10 Deputy Coroner John Kennedy and
placed with the other possessions Of
the dead man.
When the body arrived at the morgue
:and tie clothing was removed, the at
PENDANTS were stupefed to see a. fresh
..biillef wound over the heart. in addi-
r.. lion 10 the wound which extended
through the brain from the right
.eheekbone to the left side Of the skull.
An examination. however, disclosed
the fact that WiclSnan must have at
tempted suicide previous TO firing the
fatal shot in the Undertaking parlor.
-I5uf the bullet, entering the breast at
the left side. followed the ribs around
*:i.; the right armpit. where IL lodged
without fatal results.
Mrs. King was astonished when in
-. formed by q Call reporter yesterday
;. fternoon OF Wickman's plot 10 murder
f.er and was deeply grieved when the
details were recited-
..@rt is unbelievable" said Mrs. King.
Il cannot remember any instance OF
trouble during my three years at the
.i.ospital and ] certainly would remem-
-fcr the case Of this mans wife il
.-.'ha had complained about her treatment.
= was superintendent Of the hospital,
and never attended any OF the patients.
.Afv.position was Of an executive nature.
...Tf this man has been lying in wait