Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 235, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1912 — DIES TO HELP WIFE [ARTICLE]

DIES TO HELP WIFE

New York Brewer Takes Two Sons With Him.

Fails In Attempt to Keep his Bank Account From Disappearing Leaves Youngest to Be Comfort for His Mate.

New York.—Broken at last by his long battle with ill health, Jacob Haas, 64 years old, committed suicide with gas and took with him two of his three little sons —John, 7, and Lawrence, 6. He left his youngest born, Joe, 4, knowing his young wife, Anna, 32, could keep him and would find comfort in him. By working a double shift, from 5 a. m. until midnight, eighteen hours of work with an Interval of an hour in which to run home for food, Haas struggled while he was well to keep the little family bank account from disappearing. When only S6O was left, despite his efforts, he decided there was one way left by which he could help his wife, and he delibertaely set about planning che triple tragedy and the saving of the baby. Haas worked at a bottling plant in “Brewery Town” and lived in three bare rooms at 1810 Second avenue. Until two’years ago he was prosperous and as happy as he was beloved by his wife and children. Some stomch trouble brought on a pulmonary disease and after a long illness Haas was left a wreck, of his former self. In spite of his weakened condition Haas took on the double shift, and his wife helped out in the time when he was too ill to go to work by making brewers’ aprons on a machine that kind neighbors had lent her. Early this week Haas fell ill again. Last night, having drawn his S3O from the bank, he took home a quart of whisky secreted in his clothes, and when bedtime came persuaded his wife to take little Joe in bed with her. on the ground that the lad yas not feeling well. Ordinarily the three boys insisted on sleeping with their father and the mother slept alone on a couch In an adjoining room. After the two lads were asleep Haas barricaded the door of the room, gummed strips of paper over the edges, carefully caulked the window and the transom, and with a wrench took a tap off the gas pipAxthat the flow might be the swifter. he worked he drank the greater part of the bottle of whisky. He had lived almost an abstainer and drank now to keep up his courage. About 2 o’clock Mrs. Hass was roused by the smell of gas and the bodies were discovered. Haas left a pathetic note of explanation for bls relatives, enclosing the >6O which he had drawn to save his-wife trouble, as the account was in his name. As the young wife looked upon the

dead bodies of her husband and her two bright, little, Vow-haired sons she fell in a faint beside them.