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Show DEATH, BUT NOT DISHONOR. She Loved, but Was Another's Wife, and in Despair She Took Her Life. New Yobk, October 4th. Last night, in Central Park, a man and woman were found robed deeply in black, as though prepared for funerar, lying upon a horse blanket. The woman was dead, and a smile was upon her face, whioh in life had been pretty. The man was dying, and soon, too, was still. On the woman's breast, whioh she had bared for the bullet, lay a lock of her lover's hair, and upon his a dead leaf and rose. Each wore on the left hand a black glove, and between be-tween them lay a "bulldog" pistol. A drop of oil on the woman's hands and grime of smoke on her fingers showed there was no murder, but suicide, and the man having died last indicated that he awaited the woman's death before taking his own life. Two bullet holes were in her breast at the heart, and her companion had been as true. Between them was a box full of love letters. They had clearly sat with each other and deliberated death and left it to the chance of each, at the same time writing the fatal wish upon paper. The slips were there, and on them the words, "Shall we live?" and "Shall we die?" The bodies of the man and woman who last night committed suicide in Central Park have lain all day ON THE COLD SLAB AT THE MOBOX7E. Both bodies have to-day been identified, the man, as was last night believed, was George Bessendorf , and the woman as Maria, was Maria Koch, wife of Dr. Edmund F. Koch, editor of the Jersey City Free Press and Sontagsast. The bodies to-morrow will be removed to an undertaker's room, and there will be prepared pre-pared : for interment. The woman was 38 years of age, and resided with her husband and four children onPavonia avenue, Jersey City Heights. Bessendorf was 22 years of age, and until recently, was employed in the composing rooms of the New Jersey Free Press. Dr. Koch states that Bessendorf came to him about four months ago with a letter of introduction from Carl Zighof, P. H. D., of No. 19 Liberty street, Union Hill, New Jersey. Bessendorf represented that he was in destitute circumstanoes and would work hard if given a chance. Dr. Koch gave him employment and took him to his home to board. The intimacy which arose between be-tween his wife and boarder was discovered, and while they insisted that IT WAS NOT CHIMIN AL, Bessendorf was compelled to seek another boarding place. He visited Koch's house Monday while that gentleman was absent, and persuaded the woman to leave with him. Though search was made for his wife, nothing noth-ing was learned of her whereabouts until to-day, when the tragedy in tbe Park became be-came known. |
