The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-08-04
Fatal Foollna

s+fa-i
The suicide Of Heinrich Kirchner, at
Tacoma, on the 14th of May last, was |
but the prelude to very sad story,
almost u1equaled in point of romance,
aud well illustrating the depths Of
human love. Kirchner was supposed
TO have Killed himself because his
sweetheart in the East had Tilted him,
but short time after his death his
friends received the information that
this same girl was even then on her
way to join her lover. On the last trip |
of the Oregon to this city the unfortu-
nate girl was passenger. Her name is
Hedwig Spinhorn. She is good
looking German girl, about twenty-five
years Of age, with fair complexion
and blue eyes, and appears quite intel
ligent and well educated. Last Tues
day morning she left Portland for
Tacoma, ignorant of the news which
there awaited her. The Tacoma Ledger
tells the story of her arrival in that
city and subsequent events as follows;
e AS the long train slowed up at the
depot and the fhrong of passengers were
scattering, young woman was OBJ
served to get off with an emigrant fam
ilys Mr.. Enron approached and asked
her ii her name was not Hedwig SPIN
horn. She did not at first reply, but
Mr. Zinrom drew two photographs
from his pocket, one of Kirchner and
T. the other Of herself. She quickly recog-i
nized Mr.. Kirchner's likeness and in
uuired for him. They told her a,story
of his being called away suddenly and
unavoidably to the woods, and that he
could not return for a dayior two; that
theglhad been asked yghim, in case
he should not return by the time she
arrived, to take her home with them
and await his coming. Mistrusting
nothing, she was conveyed with them
in q hack to Mr. Zinrons's residence.
In. the carriage her new-found friends
exerted themselves to appear cheerful.
Having a desire, however to know
whether she could have entertained
sentiments other than the warmest for
the unfortunate deceased, they ques-
toned her about the letter which had
been received and which was supposed
TO have caused the commitment Of the
deed. She smiled innocently and said
she could not for moment entertain
such thought. Then in quite an en-
tertaining manner she recounted that
on leaving her brothers. house on May
i, and ia the hurry e0nseqent, she had
not had time to write to her affiahced,
and had asked her brother to do so, and
to say that she way on her way. The
truth then dawned upon Mr., Iinrom
and friends In O. moinenk Of thought-
less pleasantly the brother had written
TO KirchDera letter Of double meaning,
not announcing that she was coming
but propounding the question; "What
II she has conclnded not to come. and
TO renounce these feelings once SO sim
cerely entertainedP 'a The letter, it is
said, was capable OF being translated as
BIT Of banter to most men, but Kirch-
sner, Jealous Of his love and alone in his
cabin, brooded over the possibility of q
disappointment until Il was magnifed
into d terrible reality, and being too
heavy to bear, he arose in the night,
and with a death-dealing shotgun
ended his life, And this is the story;
the sequence, aud the girl is three
thousand miles from home, among
strangers. e.
About noon Wednesday, Mrs. Robert
Locke undertook the dunlcnlt task of
informing Miss Spinhorn of Kirchner's
death. After some preliminaries, the
lady, as gently Hs possible, told the girl,
carefully emitting the fact that il was
by suicide, ard constituting it acciden-
tai. Miss Spinhern was unoonsolable
Tor some hours thereafter, despite all
that could be said TO soothe her feelings
However, after time she became more
asValm and rational, and was even con-
strained to reason. 1t is thought by her
friends, therefore, that she will in a
short time neasurably get over the sor-
ifrow at present unavoidable. Her sister
and brother-in-law are en- route to this
city via Panama, and when they arrive
she will have q home, and will at ieast
be among friends. They are expected
to arrive here in. about three weeks,
Meanwhile her friends will make, her
entirely comfortable. and no serious
fears Of her welfare need be enter
tanned. ss3
s, Editorially, the, Ledger comments up,
on the above as follows: srhe cause Of
uthe whole misfortune Is simply to he
traced to a Jest made in the worst pos.
sible taste. The foolish young man
thought, no doubt, that he was doing 3
very smart thing in making Heinrich
Kirchner, in his lone cabin here, be
lieve that his love had left him for an
other, and the result was the finding O
a mangled body by the early visitors &c
Kirohner's house on the morning, fol
lowing the arrival Of the letter and th,
disappointment of the intended bride OF
her arrival here. I" - 7.
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