Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-13
A JOURNALISTS DESPAIR.
Ruined by Dissipation he Seeks
Relief in Death.
n. IL. Koch's suicide at the city HO-
tel--.Letters OF EXpIanatiOn---The
COroner's Inquest.

A few nights ago a tall, intelligent
looking German applied at the City hotel
on Second avenue and Twentieth street
for lodging. He was a stranger to the
proprietor, Mr.. Valentine, but ne assured
the landlord that he expected money in a
few days and was permitted to stay. He
spent his nights at the hotel and in the
day time was away. Night before last
before retiring he left his overcoat with
the landlord as security for his board and
went to bed. Yesterday morning, after
the time had passed for him to arise, Mr..
| Valentine went TO his room and
knocked. The occupant opened the
door-he was pacing up and down the
room with his hands upon his head. He
begged to be allowed to sleep awhile
longer, and when Mr.. Valentine requests
ed him to come down to breakfast, he
said he would be down after he had slept
him alive. This morning the guest
having made no appearance, the
| landlord, in company with Gott-
leb FEELS and Fred Kick, went to
the room broke open the door and found
the occupant on the bed in a half sitting
posture and cold in death. On a table
at The head of the bed was a bottle mark
ed "laudanum," and completely drained.
In the pockets of his clothes were
found three letters, one addressed TO
Coroner Halves, one to Henry fischer,
port, and the other to f. Hugo Schmidt,
Davenport The letter to Coroner Halves
read like this:
To the Coroner of Rock Island County, Ills
My name is N. b. Koch, and | lived
formerly in Davenport, Iowa. | COM
mitted suicide by poisoning with lauda~
mum. N. Il. KOCH.
In the letter to Mr.. E. Hugo Schmidt
the writer stated that his only regret at
leaving this world was that he could not
pay some notes that Mr.. Schmidt had en-
dOrsed for him, but was cOnsoled some.
what from the fact that he (Schmidt
was amply able to pay them. He
added: 'all my hopes are cast to the
ground and am ready to die"
The letter addressed to Mr.. fischer |
was Of a farewell nature, and asking that |
as little be said about him in the paper
AS possible, as he had no desire to court |
notOriety.
The identity of the suicide WAS easily
established by the signature He
was for years city editor of the
Davenport Der Demokrut, and five
years ago he was promoted to the managN
ing edltorship. He was about fifty four
years of age, Prussian by birth and
talented man. He was at one time Il sol
der in the Prussan army and one of his
hands was crippled by bullet received
on the field of battle. OF late years he
had been addicted to dissipation and he :
such n confirmed drunkard that he was
from the staff of the Der Dem-
Jkrdt, and for ten days he has been 7
about the streets of the city, II
getting drink where he could and cking \
1ut a scanty living He was single \
nan. .-- U
Coroner Halves was notified of the sui
tide, and empanneling jury composed 3
If Il Hodgson, E d Folsom, Aid Sim a
mons, Conrad Schneider, Frank Meenan fl
md Simon Mccain, viewed the remains h
md adjourned until this afternoon. 81
COMPLICATED TESTIMONY. /,
The testimony given at the inquest was r,
VI contradictory character. His Dav- RI
IMPORT acquaintance testified that he had h
een resident of that city for the past
welve years, during which time he had il
erved continuously on the Der Dem0hrat, "
With the exception of six months when VI
&c was in Chicago. 81
A waman giving her name as Mrs. n
larry Koch, testified however, that she #
vas the wife of the deceased. That n
hey were married in Germany in 1888. fl
nd that he came to this coun>
~ in 1886, and she followed in
SS7, but they had not lived fl,
ogethcr here. She resided in this city A
lille Koch lived in Davenport De n
eased had come to her house last tv
Wednesday morning, and asked to be re = Ii,
lstated in her affections, stating that he hf
al $500 with which to 90 to housekeep. he
g. 1t is very apparent that the woman of
mistaken in the identity of the de. RI
,ased, although, as Justice Halves face
ously remarked, woman should know
ar own husband dead or alive. She
aimed he was bricklayer by trade. ~
The testimony went to show that the -
,ceased's right name was N. B. Kuch> as
2. and that he had adopted the name of W
och after coming to this country. Wv
THE VERDICT. -"
The verdict of the jury was to the ,e'
Iect that deceased came to his death ou
Dm an overdose of laudanum admin. au
cred with his own hand with suicidal ou
tent. Wv
Pa
AT the Altar. An