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Subject: [NYMONROE-L] Rochester, NY April 15, 1899
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 00:01:35 EST

Rochester Union and Advertiser
April 15, 1899

TRAGEDY IN ST. JOSEPH STREET

Was It Double Suicide or Murder Followed by Suicide?

Mrs. Dawusky Found Dead in Bed Beside Her Dying Husband.

He Died a Short Time After the Discovery--Little Child Found Crying from
Hunger in Its Bed.

Bertha DAWUSKY, aged 25 years, was found this morning dead in bed at her
home, No. 398 St. Joseph street, from carbolic acid. Her husband, Theodore
DAWUSKY, aged 28 years, lay beside her dying from the same cause. Their
4-year-old child, Lizzie, was found crying from hunger.

The Homeopathic Hospital ambulance was summoned and took the father to that
institution. The surgeon did not wish to take Dawusky as he was almost
dead, but the relatives insisted and the ambulance started on a gallop for
the hospital. The man died a few moments after the hospital was reached.
Coroner Kleindienst was notified and going to the house took charge of the
body.

Dawusky was an expert tinsmith and had charge of making parts of dark
lanterns for the Dundlach optical works. The family lived in a neat little
cottage surrounded with evidences of comfort. Dawusky's work was regular and
paid well, but he had been on a spree for three or four days of this week,
and had not worked. He had had no trouble so far as known and both when
sober and when under the influence of liquor was jovial and cheery.

Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Bernard SCHRAM, mother of Mrs. DAWUSKY, called at
the house. She found the doors locked and the house darkened as though every
one were away. She thought nothing of the matter, however, and went away.
But when she called this morning and could not get in and saw yesterday
afternoon's Union lying on the steps, she suspected something wrong and went
for her son, Emil SCHRAM. The latter came and went about the house trying
doors and windows but was unable to enter. Listening, however, they heard
the faint cries of the child. Mr. SCHRAM broke open a cellar window and
entered the kitchen of the house from the cellar. He went into the sitting
room and heard the child in the room occupied by its parents to the right.
Entering a fearful sight met his gaze.

Mrs. DAWUSKI was lying on her back in the bed on the side next the wall dead.
Her husband was lying by her side breathing faintly. The child was vainly
trying to arouse her parents and was crying and faint with hunger.

The couple had apparently been there since Wednesday night as no one had seen
them about the house yesterday. The child seemed to those who knew her to be
noticeably emaciated. She was so weak from hunger that she was unable to
speak and will not recover from the effects for a couple of days. This would
hardly be the case had she eaten any food yesterday so the physicians say.

There is no clue as to whether the case is one of murder or suicide, or
whether both the parents committed suicide. The wife is said by her family
and friends to be of a cheerful nature, thought not of the laughing, joking
kind as was her husband. But most of the relatives seem to think that he
committed suicide after giving his wife a dose of the poison. The fact that
the wife was dead and the husband alive when found this morning would be the
best argument in favor of the theory that the husband took the poison last.
The child was unable to give any information this morning and at her tender
age will probably be unable to give any intelligent account of it when she
does recover. The child was taken to the home of Mrs. SCHRAM where she is
being cared for.

DAWUSKI and his wife had lived in the little cottage for a little more than
six months. The only trouble seemed to be the husband's sprees, though he
did not go on them frequently nor did they last long. His friends and
relatives say he was not depressed after they were over as is sometimes the
case.

The bodies of Mr. and Mrs. DAWUSKY were taken to the morgue. An autopsy was
made this afternoon by Coroner's Physician WOLFF under direction of Coroner
KLIENDIENST.

Submitted by
Patricia Stillwell Mims

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