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- Marion Leader, Indiana, Saturday, 11 April 1903
Charles Bass Is A Suicide
Former Marion Barber Slashes Wife With a Razor and Then Blows His Grains Out With Revolver on North Illinois St. Indianapolis
Wife Had Deserted Him For Love of Boarder and Bass Planned Revenge, Leaving Letter In Pocket Telling of Deed He Had In View
Charles Bass, a well known colored barber of this city, who of recent years has been employed at the Denison House at Indianapolis, and who was arrested here one month ago and taken back to Indianapolis to answer to a charge of murderous assault on his wife, from whom he had separated, yesterday afternoon slashed his wife, Etta, with a razor and then blew out his brains, at the Metropolitan School of Music, 282 North Illinois street.
Mr. and Mrs. William Brady, colored, are custodians of the Metropolitan School of Music. Mrs. Bass and Mrs. Brady are intimate friends, and Mrs. Bass was visiting her friend when Bass entered the school. Mr. and Mrs. Brady and Mr. and Mrs. Bass were sitting in a rear room of the school, when Bass began an argument with his wife on her refusal to live with him. They separated six weeks ago, after Bass had made an attempt to murder her.
Yesterday he renewed the old quarrel, and when she again declared here intention to live apart form him, he drew a razor and quickly drove it across the right side of her face, almost severing her ear. When Bass saw the blood streaming from his wife?s face he turned and ran upstairs. He entered the Brady sleeping room and shot himself. The bullet tore through the skull and the brains oozed from the hole.
Bicyclemen Simon and Morgan and the City Dispensary ambulance, with Dr. Towels, hurried to the Metropolitan School of Music. Dr. Earp was then giving attention to Mrs. Bass. Her injury was not serious. Her husband was found lying unconscious across the bed upstairs. Bass was hurried to the ambulance, and was dying when he reached the City Hospital. He died in an hour.
Bass attempted to kill his wife several weeks ago, and escaped to Marion. Officer Golding arrested him and the Indianapolis police took him back and he was released under bond. He had not been tried for his first offense, as the case was continued.. He has been employed as a barber at the Denison House, and left the shop about twenty minutes before the tragedy.
The following letter was found in Bass?s pocket at the hospital:
?What is life worth living for? Some will say that I was foolish: some will say I did right. Let the public say as they may. No one knows the torture unless they have had experience. Once I had a happy home, but I was took in by a man, who soon blighted my home.
?P.S. ? I trust some one will see to my remains and put me away. You will find an insurance book in my best pocket. It is hard, and, oh my, the strain I am under. I can?t stand it longer. Good by to all. I tried to overcome this act in every way, but I saw here I was drifting and the asylum would soon have seen me. No one knows just what he will do until tested. My uncle, Eli Bass, lives in Connersville, Ind. Send him word. I trust there is some one who will put a flower on my remains. Do this much for me. I am more to be pitied than censured. May God bless you all.?
Bass? wife had realized that she was unable to live with him, and had filed suit against him for divorce. One month ago the sheriff here received a summons from the sheriff at Indianapolis, and it was served on him. In half an hour a telegram was received from the Indianapolis police to arrest Bass, as he was wanted there for attempting to kill his wife, having fired one shot at her while she was at the home of her parents in Indianapolis.
Bass has a number of relatives in this city, and is known to all the colored people and to many white people in Marion. He has a number of relatives also living in Peru.
The woman that Bass killed himself for was his second wife, he having left his first wife and family for her. It is said that is present wife deserted him on account of her love for a man whom Bass had befriended by taking into his own home. Bass was employed with Jeff Sizemore in Marion for many years.
1880 Federal Census of Marion, Grant County, Indiana (4 Jun 1880)
Charles Bass Mu 25 M IN IN VA Head Barber
Ella Mu 19 F IN GA TN Wife Keeping House
Claude Mu 2 F IN IN IN Daughter
George Mu 3/12 M IN IN IN Son born Feb.
& 1 nurse and 1 Boarder
1900 Federal Census of Indianapolis, Marion County, IN (8 Jun 1900)
Charles Bass B 45 M Feb 1855 IN IN AL Head Barber
Etta B 24 F Feb 1876 TN TN TN Wife
(Married 2 years, no children)
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Bassett Family Association Database
1855 - 1903 (48 years)