New-York tribune., 1911-12-04
THROWS KISS; ENDS LIFE
AUGUST SohIlermaCher, War Vet
eran, Arranges Own Funerah
SHOOTS HIMSELF IN HEART
Lived Alone in East Side Room
and Had Long Been a suf-
ferer from Asthma.

In dingy room If 2 tenement house IN
9Th street veteran Of the Civil War
sergeant at Gettysburg, killed himself yes
terdav because he found that The Ills NJ
old age, combined with asthma. were get
ting the better Of him.
With the same fortltu6e With which he
ments this man. August Schliermacher,
calmly arranged for his own burial, for the
notification If his relatives and comrades
and for his death. Then he sat himself IN
a chair near the window looking out on that
portion Of 9Th street which had been his
daily view for eight years, took up an old
fashioned revolver and shot himself through
the heart
August Schliermacher had lived alone In
the front room on the ground floor Of No
s36 9Th street for something more than eight
wears His PENSION. together with his small
savings, amply provided for him. as his
tastes we're simple. II small way he wa7
a dispenser of charity for tho neighborhood
largely among the children, with whom he
was a great fayorte.
FOR ScFerai years ne Ndp Su-letru ii'iA
asthma and rheumatism. and lately had be
gun TO complain to his friends that he
could not stand Il much longer. He was
seventy-two years old. His chief diversion
was I'm connection with matters Of the
Grand Army of the Republic, Of which he
was member through Koltes Post, which
formerly met In Stark's Hall, No. l42 7th
street.
Before tho war Schl.ermacher was
PHOSPHORUS baker. and he sold that busi-
ness TO go to the front with the 9Th New
York Volunteers.
George Stark proprietor Of stark's Hall.
was a friend Of Schliermachers. and lately
hts chief audience To hin, The veteran
discoureed of the battles Of "Blenker's @h.
~ he called his regiment proudly, when
marched 10 the war from the Bowery ana
Houston street. When the war was over
it was to that neighborhood that Schiller
mscher was drawn. and. apart from his
service at tho front he was seldom sWsJ
from that general neighborhood
In his lonely little room the veteran had
the walls covered with pictures and me-
mentos of his wartime comrades He him
self gained the rank Of sergeant, and he
never failed 10 be on hand ar reunion time
On September ~ last, the 1ftteth anniver-
sary Of the day he enlisted, he told Stark
that there were only eight men Of the
eight hundred who had marched 10 the war.
Since that day he had told Stark that two
Of the eight had answered the last taps"
and last Sunday he said:
Il won't bc with YOU again. probably
George. and when ] die want to be buried
from here"
That was in Starks Hall. and Stark said
Yesterday that he would see to II that the
old man had his wish.
Schliermacher' habits were methodical
He went to the same little restaurant every
day for his meals, and at other times trav-
elled slowly back and forth between his
room. in East 9Th street, and the hall. which
was for many years the headquarters of
his Grand Army post.
Mrs Anna Sterns. jantress Of the house,
saw him yesterday returning from break
fast and an hour later. as she was going
out, saw him sitting near his window. She
waved her hand at him, and he threw
hiss 10 her Half an hour later, as she
was goirg back into the house. she saw
the old man sitting rather s:ifiy in his
chair, and. thinking he looked rather pale,
she tried his door. 1t was locked, and an
other look through the window showed her
that he was dead The police came, and
found a note left by Schliermacher TO WILL
lam Hahn, an undertaken, OF No. Az East
9Th street. who had been his friend for ten
years, giving directions for his burial. In
front Of the body hanging at slight angle
on the wall, a picture Of Schlermacher in
his uniform as a sergeant in the sth Vour-
teers looked down upon the veterans death.