The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-09
GEORGE WENzELL,
I. FAMOUS SCHOLAR,
A SUICIDE
Swallows Laudanum and BichlOride
Of Mercury Tablets in Mofat
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 iaudanum
and more than so tablets OF bichloride
OF mercury, George Wenzell. former
lawyer and teacher. and scholar OF
international reputation. committed
suicide IN S. w. Stewards law Office,
No. S03 Monatt building. some time
Monday night His dead pody, sitting
in a chair, was discovered early Tues
day morning.
Wenzell formerly had his law Office
in that room. and after he reured from
practice TWO years age, still continued
to carry o key to the office, where he
was always welcome. he usually re-
eeived his mail there
Since the death OF his wife SIX years
ago. Wenzell. at that time prosperous
End popular seemed 10 lose all inter
est III life. except IN so far a. his
books and his deep study were con.
cerned
He was master OF ancient Hebrew
and Greek. German. too, was AZ his
command. lie was educated in Ger
man universities. including Heide.
berg. and he was also graduate OF
the u. of VI. He was a great student
of German classics on higher mathe-
MATES and philosophy On table be
side his body was an old book on logic,
in German. He had evidently occu-
pied bis mind in calm study OF TIE
book. while the poison was doing its
work
There was something weird anc un-
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 IT, 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 ioosened the
electric lamp. leaving a bare connec-
ton.
She turned the light on and went
back To ner work.
Look" he called TO her it's gone
OUT" Sic turned. and the light was
out Again and again he HAD nor try
the phenomenon This is no place
for me- said Mrs Mosier. shivering
'Tm going home"
Wenzell laughed "All right. he
said Don't pay any attention TO me.
The superstitious janitress left Wen
zell alone in the building and he ap.
parertly took his life soon afterwaTd.
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 80 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 aud himself,
recently.
Suicide, eh?" asked Dr. Sigel But
he took q rough method. / like TO see
a man commit suicide, though. when
he Is tired Of everything and discour-
aged. Ii is better than 10 go prowling
around
DR.. Sigel paid a remarkable tribute
10 Wenzelrs learning.
"One Of the brightest men, and
greatest scholars, who ever lived, was
Wenzell.' said De- Sigel. He was an
authority OH Greek and Hebrew, and
on many other subjects of deep learn
ing"
wenzell is said to be a close relative
of Carl r. Schmidt. OF Detroit lie
was teacher in the Central High school
when the new building was first
opened,
Coroner Bennett took charge OF the
remains, which were sent temporarily
TO the county morgue.
brother. William Wenzell, is
furrier in the employ OF Newton Annls
and Alber+ wenzell, the New York
Illustrator is another brother. He
leaves also a son. an architect, in
New York. and 4 daughter, employed
in Garland's silk STOP, on John R.-st
The daughter, Herm,na, aged L. knew
nothing OF her fathers death until size
reached rhe store at $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 and could tell little about his
movements OF late. She did not know
where he lived
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CAVC WITT TTYDTrn