Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-07
Daughter Blamed for Death Of
Mother and Self.
HAD FINANCIAL WORRIES
Mrs. and Miss Wehrkamp Found in
Gas-Elled Room,
WERE OF PROMINENT FAMILY
Related to Knabes of Cincinnati.
Not Well Known at the New
Rochelle Apartments.

That the deaths of Mrs. Mary C. Wehr-
kamp and her daughter, Miss Katherine
Wehrkamp. yesterday morning at the
New Rochelle apartment. 1903 street
northwest, were not the result Of sui
eide pact, but that the daughter, after
her mother had gone to sleep Friday
night deliberately turned on the gas and
waited for it to SNUFF out both lives was
the substance of the verdict of the jury
at the coroner's inquest held on the prem
ises yesterday afternoon. The jury in its
verdict specifically exonerates the mother
| from suicide. and holds Miss Wehrkamp
responsible for the death of her mother
and herself.
The verdict Of the jury says:
I'VE. the jury, believe that the said
Miss Wehrkamp came to her death from
tnhaling illuminating gas with suicidal In
tent and we believe also that it was her
mother, Mrs. Mary c. Wehrkamp, by the
same means. We fail to find evidence
that the mother agreed to or had any
knowledge Of the intent OF the daughter.
Coroner Nevitt decided upon his ar
rival on the scene that the case was SO
were connected with such a prominent
family that it was best to summon a
jury Immediately and give the jurors an
opportunity to see the rooms as they We're
Wires to Care for Bodies.
Mai. Sylvester, chief of police of
night from William Copelan, chief of
the Cincinnati police department, ask
ing that the bodies be turned over to a
Il
that Ernest j. Knabe jr., relative.
knabe would wire further instructions.
Maj. Sylvester telegraphed last night
Fred l. Z. Wehrkamp at Denver
Heights, Col. The name was written on
piece of paper In the handwriting Of
the daughter, but it is not known what
relation, il any, the Denver Wehrkamp
is to the dead woman.
Further than that both mother and
daughter for some time had worried
much over financial matters. and that the
lack of money particularly unnerved the
daughter, the police were unable to find
any cause for the most unusual tragedy.
Various letters found in the apartment
showed that the woman and her daugh-
ter were related to the Knabes OF Gin
cinnau and Norwood, Ohio. Mrs. Wehr-
kamp is the aunt Of William knabe, jr.,
vice president and treasurer of Knabe
Brothers, piano manufacturers OF Ohio,
IL
Cinnati.
S. M. Fabian Often Aided Them.
It was learned last night from s. NJ
Fabian of this city that Mrs. Wehrkamp
was the sister of Mrs. Ernest Knabe,
who for many years lived in Baltimore.
and who now lives in Cincinnati. Mr..
Fabian said that he had helped the
Wehrkamps financially upon several oc-
casions. In the apartment several ques-
tons were found written on small slips
of paper. One of the queries was will
Mr.. Sabian Help?'
1t was intimated in testimony of w.
c. Barnhart, who lives in the apart
ment adjoining the Wehrkamps', that
about two weeks ago one Of the Wehr-
kamps had attempted suicide by gas.
The janitor detected the odor Of gas.
and following his inquiries the es-
capement was stopped. but the janitor
was not allowed to enter the room
from whence the odor came.
When the two dead bodies were dis
covered yesterday about noon by
Bicycle Patrolman w. f. Holmes the
mother was lying in the bed, attired
in her night clothes and with the
sheet drawn over her. Apparently she
had peacefully gone to Sleep The
daughter was lying fiat on her back
on the floor beside the bed. The lat
ter was completely dressed except that
she had no shoes on
Found ALI Crevices Stuffed.
Holmes testified before the jury that
when he arrived he was unable to
open the door of the apartment, and
that he finally gained entrance by
climbing along the cornice from the
window Of an adjoining apartment and
into the window of the dining room Of the
Wehrkamps home. He found that the
windows In the bedroom, where the two
bodies lay, were tightly closed. with
the blinds down. All Of the crevices
were stuffed with cloths. and the gas
from one Jet was escaping freely The
shoes OF the young woman were found
in the dining room. The door leading
the dining room side. while the door
to the room from the hall, through
which II Is thought that the daughter
entered the sleeping room before turn
ing on the gas. was chinked on the
inside.
1t Is not believed the daughter got into
bed with her mother, but stretched out on
the floor so as not to disturb her mother.
At first 1t was thought that she might
have rolled out Of bed, but as the cover
Ing on her side Of the bed was not mussed
and as she was lying fiat on her back 1t
seemed most probable that death over
came her as she had reclined to wait for
the poison from the gas to slowly snun
out her life and that OF her mother.
Notes Written by Both Found.
Two notes were found. one written by
each Of the dead women. but they threw
little light on the case A note addressed
to Ernest ]. Knabe. Norwood. Ohio, and
signed Aunt Mary" read:
Dear Ernest: My dying request is
that you will give the insurance into
Kate's hands when am gone You
are a young man in business with success
ahead Katie is alone and penniless
She sacrificed the best part OF her life
for me. feel that you will do as ask
and grant the dying request Of your
aunt Mary"
This note was dated July 5, three days
before death overlook her. AS Mrs.
Wehrkamp had been in ill-health for
some time. 1t was thought by the jury
that she anticipated g. natural demise
shortly and that the writing Of the note
was not prompted by an idea OF commit
ting suicide
The note was written on the back OF a
visiting card and was inclosod in a sealed
envelope. On the outside Of the en-
velope was written, Katie does not
| know that I am writing this
second note written by the daughter
was found in tho Wehrkamp letter box
at the entrance Of the apartment, but 1t is
| interpreted as having been written with
| (CoQtinued on Eleventh PageD