The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-08
GEORGE WENzELL,
FAMOUS SCHOLAR.
A SUICIDE
Swallows Laudanum and BichIOride
OF Mercury Tablets in MOffat
Building, Where He Formerly
Had Law Office.
Seemed To Lose All Interest in Life
With Death of Wife-BrOther of
Well-Known N. Y. illustrator.

Swallowing two ounces OF laudanum.
and more than so tablets of blchloride
OF mercury. George Wenzell. former
lawyer and teacher. and a scholar OF
international reputation, committed
suicide In S. w. Stewards law Office.
No. 3O3 Moffatt building. some time
Monday night. His dead body, sitting
In chair, was discovered early Tues
day morning.
Wenzell formerly had his law ONCE
In that room, and after he retired from
practice TWO years ago, still continued
To carry key to the Office, where he
was always welcome. He usually re-
Seived his mail there.
Since the death OF his wife, six years
ago. WenEell. at that time prosperous
end popular, seemed To lose all inter
est In life, except in SO far as his
books and his deep study were con-
cerned.
He was master OF ancient Hebrew
and Greek. German, too, was at his
command. lie was educated In Ger
man universities, including Heidei-
berg. and he was also a graduate OF
the u. OF NJ. He was a great student
OF German classics on higher mathe-
mates and philosophy. On a table be
side his body was an old book on logic,
In German. He had evidently occu-
pied bis mind in calm study of the
/ book, while the poison was doing its
work.
There was something weird and I'M
canny In the way in which Wenzeli
managed his suicide in the big. desert
ed office building.
AT 1880 O'Clock Monday night, the
janitress. Prudence Mosier. found him
in Stewards Office when she went
there to clean II. While she was busy
in nearby Offices. Wenzell. apparently
impatient to- have everything over.
called her into the office. and told her
to watch the light in Stewards office
go out. He had evidently loosened the
electric lamp. leaving a bare connec-
ton.
She turned the light on and went
! back to her work.
Look" he called to her. It's gone
cutt' She turned, and the light was
out Again and again he had her try
the phenomenon. This is no place
for me" said Mrs. Mosier. shivering.
I'm going home"
WenZell laughed. "All right" he
said. Don't pay any attention to me-"
The superstitious janitress left Wen
cell alone In the building. and he ap.
| parently took his life soon afterward.
with no chance for interference.
He left some uncollected bills adj
dressed to DR.. Tobias Sigel, No. 507
Breitmeyer building, and DR.. Preston
NJ. Hickey, No. 81 Adams-ave west,
with a note. asking that the bills be
returned to the doctors. DR.. Sigel said
that Wenzell had been working as a
collector for DR.. Hickey and himself.
recently
Suicide, eh?" asked Dr. Sigel. But
he took rough method. / like TO see
a man commit suicide. though. when
he is tired OF everything and discour-
aged. It is better than 10 90 proving
around"
Or. Sigel paid a remarkable tribute
10 Wenze!l's learning.
"One ~ the brightest men, and
| greatest scholars, who ever lived. was
| Wenzell' said Dr.. Sigel. He was an
authority on Greek and Hebrew, and
on many other subjects OF deep learn
ing"
! Wenzel is said to be close relative
Of Carl Z. Schmidt. OF Detroit. He
was teacher in the Central High school
when the new building was first
| opened
Coroner Bennett took charge OF tho
remains, which were sent temporarily
to the county morgue.
A brother William Wenzell, is
! furrier I'm the employ OF Newton Annis.
/ and Albert Wenzell, the New York
! illustrator is another brother. He
| leaves also son, an architect. in
! New York. and a daughter, employed
In Garland's silk sEOp, on John R.-st
The daughter. Hermina, aged II. knew
nothing OF her fathers death until she
reached the store at $3.50. Then the
news was broken to her as gently as
possible by Mrs. Garland. The father
less and motherless girl sat dazed for
some minutes, then sobbed pitifully,
She had not lived with her father re-
Gently aud could tell little about his
movements of late. She did not know
where he lived.