Year: 1878

The Lindell Hotel, one ofthe leading
hotels in st. Louis, was this morning
the scene of terrible tragedy, colnbln-
ipg in the remarkable degree the ele-
ments of misery and romance.


At about five o'clock yesterday after
noon there went TO the hotel young
German couple, who desired to put up
there and pass the night One OF them
was handsome young fellow OF APP
parently the middle walks of life; the
other a remarkably bright and beautiful
girl of about eighteen years of age. The
young fellow registered his own name
as John Gumbinger, and underneath he
wrote the name of Maggie Gumbinger;
The hotel clerk asked no questions, and
gave the Young fellow (who had evil
IDENTIFY been drinking, though he was
not markedly under the influence OF
liquor,) the change out of the twenty
dollar bill which he flung down to pay
for the entertainment, neither himself
nor the young girl having any baggage
with them.


The young couple then went up to
their room, No. 276, by the elevator
That was almost the last seen of them
until four o'clock this afternoon. 1t
was not the last heard of them, how
ever, as at about ten minutes past SIX
o'clock this morning Mr.. Louis Bas-
serd, commercial traveller for Gu
cinnati house, while lying awake in
room No. PIT, heard couple of sounds
which seemed to him like either reports
of pistol or the sharp slammlng OF
door At any rate, he took no notice
of the occurrence and did not mention
il TO ANYBODY in the hotel when he
arose couple of hours later. AT four
O'Clock in the afternoon, however, one
Of the chambermads of the hotel sought
TO gain admission to the room in which
the young couple had passed the night,
but although it was so late in the day
she found the door locked. She sum-
moued assistance, and in few minutes
one of the porters arrived and climbed
up the door and peeped into the room
through the transom. A terrible sight
met his eyes. The room is double
bedded one, and on one of the beds lay
the dead aud bloody bodies of the man
and girl. He sprang back IN horror
from the scene, and jumping back to
the passage told one or two OF the
chambermaids, who had been drawn by
curiosity to the spot, of what he had
Just beheld. The news travelled rapidly
through the big caravansary, and in
short time the passage was crowded
with guests and help Of the place, AT
the request of the proprietors the porter
climbed through the trausom and opened
the door, when the crowd which had
gathered surged into the room and
gazed upon the fearful spectacle which
it presented.


There was nothing disorderly in the
Misunderstanding to indicate that there
had been any struggle on the part OF
either of the dead people before the act
of killing occurred. They were found
both lying on the same bed. the girl on
the inside, and both fully dressed, except
that the young fellow had not got on
his coat. In the right hand of the lat
ter was FIVE barrel Smith 81 Wesson
revolver, of thirty eight calibre, Two of
the chambers of which had been empti-
ed. An examination of the bodies-the
hemorrhage from which had been ex-
cessive, deluging the pillows and bed.
clothes with gore, showed that the girl
had been shot little back of the LETT
ear, the man on the right side OF his
head. The girl lay on her back, her
hands crossed upon her chest, with the
fingers INTERVIEWING. In fact her at
titude was so peaceful that the dedrc-
tion was irresistible that her companion
had shot her first and had taken time
to arrange her figure and place her
hands in position before he sent the
second fatal bullet home.


The utmost mystery enshrouded the
affair for some hours after the discovery
of the bodies, as no letter had been left
by either of them, and no clew could be
caught worthy of following up. A
search among Gumbingers pockets,
however, revealed, among other things,
the business card OF Michael Letter, a
wealthy German, who keeps beer
saloon for the Uhrig Brewery, on the
corner of Eighteenth and Market streets.
An Enquirer reporter went to the place.
asked for Mr.. Letter, and showed him
the card, which he explained had been
taken from the body OF the young man
who had committed suicide at the Lin
dell Hotel. The reporter also mention
ed the name OF Gumbinger,when Letter
at once announced that that was the
name of young man who had been |
barkeeper at his saloon until within
few days past. The reporter then men
toned the fact that the dead body of !
Young girl had been found beside him,
when the old man threw up his arms,
and uttering piercing shrek, cried
out, "Thats my daughter; that's my
daughter Maggiel' The family, who
live in the rear of the saloon, rushed in
and very painful scene ensued, during
which the story attached to the case
leaked out.


1t appeared that Gumbinger, who
was very handsome and clever young
fellow, though quite poor, bad been tor