Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-29
FAILS WITH GAS,
HANGS HIMSELF
FROM MEAT HOOK
Frank Weber Ends Life in
Butcher Shop After Escape
2 from Hospital.
AVOIDS ATTENDANT BY
LEAPING FROM WINDOW
Had Repeatedly Threatened to
Take Life Because He Could
Not Stop Drinking.

RI Frank Weber, 81 years old, grocer
and butcher, of So Camden street.
proved today to his doubling family
that he was terribly in earnest in his
threats to end his life when he in
hailed gas in a room in his home,
.leaped from a window in the City Hos
pitai and hanged himself to hook in
his butcher shop His three strenuous
stten1pts at -destructien-the final
f,ae was successful-was the culmina-
ton of a spree of two years DURATION
40 tho family declared today.
Meier lived with his wife and two
sof1s. Henry, 90 and Frank. jr., Is, over
Z, ,fl,e4 store. He had been a business man
I'M that section of the city for more tnan
{; II ouarter of a century, and was fairly
q 5l35rosperous until two years ago. when
he began to drink, and his two SONS
took charge of the business to save IT.
Every little while he world say that
he did not care to live longer. and that
, he would kill himself some day. But
The wife and the sons paid little atten-
ton to the threats, as they figured
that It was only Iaricy he took When
lin drink.
81 hbclf t1--p'clrck last night rs sh9
III IS a bout TO retire Mrs. Wcber snelled
pas in the kitchen When she went
thcre she found her husband brcc ing
sheaYily s,es was It'd on full
from a gas jet and a gas stove, and
HE windows were shut tight. Weber
Mas fully dressed. Even then. Mrs.
4 Nebcr said today, that she didn't think
her husband intended to take his life.
She awakened her sons, Who had al
{feady retired. and they took Weber
10 the City Hospital, which is around
\ The corner from their home.
#A st the hospital they knew Weber
MIC had been there many time in the
u tbHst two years, to get treatment for
8le oholsm. ! was midnight when they
Not him to the hospital There he was
8 f}&laced in the ward over which Joseph
Broderick is the night orderly He was
untressed and put in bed Brodericl>
noticed that he was restless, and kept
asclose watch on him. Broderick and
the hospital authorities say today
ana they arc borne out by the family
that IL was represented to them that
Wober was tho victim of an accident.
Nothing WAS ssiS' Of suicide.
Twice dur3fs the night BrodercK
watched ee.sicher as he went TO the bath
J.. ro.s-.lpo on the ward He also noticed
That Weber kept his eye on him,
which made him more watchfu. About
clock when the ward was silent
and Broderick was at the end farthest
removed from Weber's cot Weber
uoiselessly got up. He wore only pa
ianas In his stockingless feet he
orept to window on the Fairmount
avenue side of the hospital and eaped
out.
II was not much of a jump Then,
like a ghost. Weber glided down the
street towards his home. Before leav-
ing he had piled the clothes on his cot
SO as to make II appear that it was
occupied and delay pursuit
Down Fairnloun: avenue Weber ran
in his scant clothing and made for his
home. All was quiet and still as he
went in by the rear way. In the yard
he picked up "a piece of rope and went
to his butcher shop. lie lit the gas
and then ieisurely proceeded to finish
up the job
He tied one end OF the rope around
one Oi HIS ulcdt anu win tiiS
other he made moose which he
slipped about his neck Then he sus-
pended himself
Meanwhile in the hospital all was
commotion Broderick had missed
Weber and sounded the gong which
aroused all the sleeping patients IN
the ward. Several of the convalescent
volunteered TO go with him and hunt
for the missing man. Taking three Of
the strongest--Broderick feared trouble
he went down Fairmount avenue to
the Weber home. They trooped up the
front stoop and aroused Mrs. Weber
and her sons. Then all hands began
a search which ended with the finding
of Weber hanging from the meat hook.
He had been dead only few minutes
and the body was still warm.
1t was stated by members of the
family today that Weber lately had
shown disposition to reform. Mrs.
Weber and his sons had interested
Father Husebush of st. Augustine's
Church in the case, and Saturday last
after long talk with the priest Weber
said that he would try to cut out
drinking. He drank but little Easter
Sunday and yesterday But he seemed
to be more melancholy than ever.
Besides the two sons who lived at
home Weber has another son, Louis,
% years old. .