Doubly Sure Of Death

Chicago, May 25. - One of the most sensational suicides in thf: annals of th= city took place in the nv Chamber of Commerce building Tues.lay. Professor W. F. Mittman, a dancir.gr teacher, who lived at 1149 North Clark street, was the victim. He went to the thirteenth floor of the building, and after deliberately surveying the great distance down the open rotunda, he climbed upon the railing, and while he steadied himself against a post with one hand, drew a revolver from his pocket with the other and shot himself through the head. At the same instant he plunged forward and dashed head foremost down a distance of 140 feet to the stone flagging on the main floor. Plcked Up Llfeless. He was picked up lifeless and removed to Rolston's morgue, where a letter found upon his person gave the cause of his suicide as the quarrelsome and extravagance of his wife. It seemed almost a miracle that the falling body did not strike some of those collected on the floor of the rotunda. A crowd quickly surrounded the body and the pólice were immediately notifted. The remains were as quickly as possible taken to the morgue. Here the budy was identifled from the photographs of himself and daughter found in his pockets, and a notebook found clutched tightly in his hand, on the fly leaves of which he hací penr.ed a note to his wife giving the cause of his act. Mittman intended destroying himself Monday in the same manner, and had gone to the building and surveyed the place. He postponed his suicide, however, for some reason. It is supposed that Mittman and his wife quarreled, and that he at that time concluded to destroy himself, as he had planned on the previous day. SUowed No Sifirns of Kxeitement. The only person who noticed Mittman enter the building was Gustave Pandey, the conductor on elevator Ne. 8. He states that Mittman entered his car and told him he wanted to go to the top floor. His passenger, he said, did not show any signs of exeitement, but walked calmly out of the car when it reached the thirteenth floor. After leaving the car Mittman walked to the southwest corner of the corridor directly opposite the offleeof TheodoreSchintz. It is supposed from the seratches evidentlymadebybootheels that he climbed to the top of the railirig and, standing there supported by an upright iron pillar, shot himself and then leaped into space. Mr. Schintz saw the flash of the revolver over the transom of his door and heard the report, but when he rushed out he saw nothing. Mittman has been employed by Bunge Bros., coal dealers, at 622 West Lake street, as collector for the past six years. In addition to this, he had conducted a dancing academy at 631 North Clark street.