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Preferred To Meet Death

Preferred To Meet Death image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
January
Year
1889
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

This morning Turnkey Scbott, of the county jail, on going out to the barn, was called back by a loud cry from one of the prisoners. He l'ound a horrible sight : Christian Weidman waa hanging in his cel', dead. Mr. Schott summoned the coroner, and meanwhile the news spread. Hundreds of boys and men flocked to the jail to see a man hanging by the neck. Sometime between 12 and G this morning Weidman stood up in his bunk, fastened a towel to the iron side of his cell, and with the other end fastened seourely to his neck, jjmped out from his support. His neck waa not broken, but be strangled to ('?ath. Coronor Clurk reached the jail at 8:30 o'clock anti a jury composed of John Muehhg, Gottlieb Luick, Fred Gakle, A. D. Covert, J. Joyner, Gil Snow andHiram Kittredge, viewed the corpse as it was still hanging. Then the body was carted on a dray to Muehlig's undertaking rooms where the inquest was held. Christian Weidman was a carpenter of very intemperate habits, and a member of the Carpeuter's unión, so his wife sayf. They lived on W. Sixtb-st in the Second ward, in a well-k-'pt little house. On Tuesday mornitig Marshal Sipley arrested Weidman. The charge at first was assault and batiery on Mrs. Weidman, wbich he often iudulged in when intoxicated. But yesierday, Weidman was brought before Justice FrueauflF and charged by his wife with a more fearfu'. crime, that of' incest. Her daughter, Fred ■ ericka, will soon give birth to a child, and she swore tbat Weidman had wrought her ruin. Frederioka is a good-looking, stout Germán girl of 1G yeara. She is but stepdaughter to the deceased. Weidman carne to the United States four years ago direct from Germany, and two years agohe married his wite, who wag then a widow with two children. John Webber is a temporary inmate of the county jail, and he resides near Weidinan's in the Second ward. He does not speak English, but with an interpreter this morning he gave his testimony. He talked with Weidman last night, who seemed to have the subject of suicide on his mind. Webber advised him to stand his trial. Weidman, pointing to a scarf around Webber, said that a man could hang himself with that; but Webber told him it would break. In some way WeidJ man had secreted the towel, which is a long and stout one, and used it to rid him.-elf of the disagreeable necessity ot facing the consequences of his fearful crime. Weidman is a good-looking man of 30 years, with a full Deard, and of good proportions. He had plenty of work last summer, but like many carper.ters this past fall had less work. The women on Sixth street who are surrounding Mrs. Weidman at this time, unite in givmg her deceased husband a very bad character for drunkenness and bruUlity.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register