The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-08-26
HUNG HERSELF
A DESPONDENT WIFE TAKES A SAB
BATH DAY ELI9HF.
Antoine strscksr's AfRiction-His Wife
at Church-Only Nine Weeks in the
Country and Inconsolably Homesick-
The Inquest This Morning.

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Country and Inconsolably Homesick-
The Inquest This Morning.
From the st. Paul Globe, Aug. %.
The alarming deeire Of poor humanity to
shuttle off the mortal coil by means other
than the ones that accompany natural
methods of dissolution, at the present epoch
in st. Panl, is almost tantamount to q mania.
Within the past few weeks there has been an
epidemic of suicides. Hardly day passes
but the coroner is called upon to enquire
into the why and wherefore of some poor
defuncr whose abrupt withdraw from the
shifting scene Of life is attended with
suspicious or reprehensible circumstances.
With the score of suicides that have taken
place this summer it was not to be expected
that the week last past should 60 ont with
out some reminder of tragedy. It came
yesterday morning, at the eleventh hour, in
the death by hanging, of Q woman residing
on the extension Of Rice street, beyond the
new elevator.
About 10 O'Clock man named Antoine
Strecker called at police headquarters
and stated that his wife, Marie
Anna Strecker, had committed suicide.
The man was was wild with grief, and
speaking only German there was consider
able difficulty in arriving at the facts. Ac-
oording to his statement the affair hap.
pened as follows: Shortly after O'Clock
yesterday morning Antoine Strecker left his
modest residence, located % before stated,
intending to observe 2 o'clock mass. After
leaving the church, and on his way home,
he called at q neighbours with whom he had
left saw to be filed. ..-..,: --...,-' ~
Arriving home about So'clock he found
the door of his dwelling open, and no one
around. he called for his wife but there
was no response. Becoming alarmed he COM
menoed search, and on going into the cellar
he was Mortified by the spectacle of his wife,
who hung from beam stone dead. The
Wretched man fastened to his nearest neigh
Dor and related the horrible discovery. The
body was cut down and laid on q plank to
await the coming of the coroner. g. .rA
The family consisted of man, wife and two
boys, aged respectively IL and IA years, and
If the woman was insane she showed consid-
cradle method in her madness. The boys,
who were absent from the house, returned
about o'clock, when it was ascertained
that shortly after their fathers departure
they left home, at the instance of Mrs.
Strecker, to attend o'clock mass. .s
The little family are foreigners, having
only resided In America nine weeks. They
are natives of Austria and formerly lived in
the province of Fronau. The father of the
family is an intelligent, hard working man,
about 40 years Of age, and since his arrival
in st. Paul he has worked at Adam Raue's
stone quarry in the Sixth ward. ..
Since their arrival in st. Paul Mr.. Streck-
or leased piece of land on the left side of
the continuation of Rice street, going out,
and constructed thereon a one-story frame
dwelling. The building, which is a very
modest affair, was partially completed last
week, and the family moved in on Wednes-
day. ,ta.5w m-o} ,.}a.5t II ...+g
substantial motive for the act,
ENJOY and great mental weakness.
For the past three weeks deceased has ex-
perisnced all the pangs of melenchola and
she has never been able to conquer q feeling
of Inconsistencies. Being unable to reconcile
or conform her thoughts to the condition of
their new life, she gave way to dependency
and seemed to lose all ambition.
One day last week she told her husband
that she was tired of life, and that as she
did not want to make him unhappy she
requested him to kill her. Again she stated
that che would strike her head with the axe
If she was only certain it would kill her.
Saturday night she asked her husband where
he kept his revolver. He asked why she
made the enquiry, when she replied that she
thought maybe he had forgot to bring it.
On being informed of what had taken
place Coroner Davenport proceeded to the
house accompanied by Officer Gruber and 8
GLoBE reporter. The house of the
Streoker's is brand new and consists of one
large room and q basement. Descending
flight of very precipitous steps the visitors
found the body of the dead woman, which
was laid on plank to keep it from getting
wet, the floor of the basement being covered
with water. The body was attired in q
chemise and q short skirt and the deadly
Irvine still held its firm grip on the woman's
throat The face was decidedly Bohemian
In aspect and showed no trace of discolora-
ton. .
In hanging herself the woman secured
piece of ordinary twine about quarter of
an inch in dia meter, and attaching one end
to strip of board nailed across the scantings,
she launched into the unknown from the
lower step of the ladder connecting with the
upper floor. The basement is barely FIVE
feet high and when found her feet almost
dragged on the ground.
The remains were carried to the second
door and an inques: will be held at II o'clock
this morning. - ..-i
Knights of Pyth,as. @f..s .a
ST. LOUIS. Aug. 22.-Preparationsf for the re-
ception and ENTERTAINMENT of the supreme
lodge OF the worlds, Knights Of Pythias, on
Inesday next are nearly completed and every
thing will be ready by the proper time. The
supreme chancellor, b. D. Woodruff, arrived
Last night and established headquarters at the
Lindel hotel. A large number of individual
knights have arrived to-day and will
begin to come in tomorrow. These lat
ter will be received at the Union depot by
the committee by divisions assigned for that
duty and escorted to their quarters. On Tues