The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-10-02
CHOSTLY FACE
DRIVES WOOD
TO SUICIDE
Unable to Free Himself From
ApparitiOn, He Sewers
JugUlar Vein.
INFLICTS FATAL WOUND
WITH UNCANNY SKILL
Suspicion of Foul Play Cleared
Away After Searching In
vestigatiOn By The
Authorities.

Authorities.
Driven to desperation through the
persistency of a mysterious face in
haunting him, stalking him on the
streets and silently watching him from
| the corner of his room at night George
| wood, 48 years old, long resident
| Of Bridgeport and well known among
| the saloon interests of the city. com
m1tted suicide early today in his room
at 748 Pembroke street. His method
was one of the most novel and ef6ec-
| tive coming to the attention Of the au-
| thorities, pocket knife beina, used
to sever the jugular vein just below
and to the rear of his right ear. A
| surgeon could hardly have done If
better, the cash being only abort an
inch long and lacking the raggedness
usually found in such attempts Hard
~ more than five minutes was requir-
ed, according to the surgeons, for the
arrival of death. Practically an OF
the blood supply was drained out uD-
on the bed and floor. His body was
found lying face doWnWards with the
room resembling slaughter house.
He had been dead for five, or six hours
when found, rigor mort1s having fully
developed.
Whether the mysterious face was the
result Of remorse over some past
crime, following q. long acquaintance
with liquor or simply the forerunner
of insanity is a question Of con5ec-
ture For some days he had been
noted wearing q worried appearance
and had been heard to refer to that
mysterious face" It seemedsto have
little terror for him except that it
always was there before him. It's
presence in the quiet of the room at
night caused him many sIeepIess hours
In an attempt to Danish it he had been
drinking heavily lately. From about
o'clock last night until midnight
he had remained in the saloon beneath
his room trying, it appears, to lose
the mysterious face among the men
there.
Shortly beforeecfosine tiros he went
to his room and later Jacob SchIa pier,
son of the landlady and bartender in
the saloon beneath came up to bed
and passed through the hall. He
noted Wood sitting disconsoIately on
a trunk by the window and stopped to
inquire as to whether he felt i'll. Wood
appeared extremely nervous and.
pointing to a corner, spoke about the
continual presence of that face" TT
seems to be driving me mad he said.
Previous he had spoken about being
followed.
Soon after this according to the
condition of the body, he must have
decided upon the act A pint bottle
Of gin with contents nearly gone was
found near the body and is inter
preted to mean that he tried to drown
his apprehension in liquor, failed and,
frantic with fear, decided to end Il
all. Partially undressing, he probably
law down on the bed, carefully felt
about his neck and then made one
thrust. Ordinarily arteries and glands
would have been encountered and sew
eral attempts would be necessary to
sever the large vein.
With blood squirting from the
wound, indications show, he pulled Of
hi shirt under the
bureau with the knife on it. Then.
either weak from loss of blood or
preferring to die upon the floor, he
lay down, face doWnwards. Death
came soon. 1t could not have been
otherwise, surgeons say.
Mr.. Sch1apfer, son of Mrs. Nina
Schmuckf, proprietor of the house.
discovered the body about 9:15 O'Clock.
cold and rigid, a large pool of blood
under it and the floor covered. The
bed was also covered with blood
stains. Rushing to the Second pre-
cinct police station, he informed Lieu
tenant A. L. Prout of the discovery.
Captain John H. Regan, Motorcycle
Policeman Robert Hoffman, Sergeant
Thomas H. Flood and Policeman jas.
Wolfe were sent out to investigate
and Detective Sergeant Edward Gro
ma went from headquarters. Cor
oner ]. J. Phelan' was notified by
direction of DR.. E. NJ. Fitzgerald, act
ing medical examiner, as, at first.
there were considered to be suspicious
details and a possibility of foul play.
This was thought likely following the
report that Wood had complained con-
cerning his having been followed
Later it was determined that there
is likelihood that there was foul play
on account of the blood being only
found on the floor and not spattered
about the walls, as would have re-
suited had there been struggle. Later
the body was removed to Cullinan &
Mullins nnorgue.
Wood is reported as having lived
in Bridgeport for Is or more years.
was about 4s years old and had late
ly been employed in cleaning out beer
pipes and pumps. Some years ago
he is reported as having been employ
ed as a bartender. His family 20
not known but he is thought to have
no relatives in Bridgeport. An at
tempt to locate relatives is being
made.