St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-06
City Engineer 3. V. Simpson,
Of Winona, Deliberately
browns Himself.
Trouble With the City Coun-
Gil Prompted His
Rash Act.
Crow Creek Reds in Good
Humor and Signing
Rapidly.
Iowa Farmers Denounce in
Emphatic Terms Trusts
and Combines.
Special to the Globe.

EpGNldA " NAiC oAObC.
WINONA, Mimi, Sept. 5.-Ben V.
Simpson, the city engineer ana water
commissioner, committed suicide by
drowning about o'clock this morning
at the east end of the city. The an
nOuncement of the sad event startled
his many friends in WinOna, where he
was born, reared and always lived. He
is a son of V. Simpson, the well-knOwn
millionaire of this city, and leaves a
wife and one child. The particulars of
the affair have been the topic of general
discussion all over the city to-day.
About o'clock this morning Mr.. Simp-
son came down town appearing as usual,
and, after attending to two or three mat
tiers of business, he hailed man named
Nick SchultheirS, who was driving by
the Jewell house, and asked him to
drive him about town. Mr.. Simpson
indicated the way he wanted to go, and
they started for the lower end of the
city. Near the Washington school
building they met Nick Munck, the con-
tractor, coming up town. and Simpson
handed him his gold watch and keys,
with the request that they be given his
father. Although his actions were
peculiar, Mr.. Munck suspected nothing
and carried the things up town as re-
Quested. Simpson d Schultheirs then
continued their drive down the street
until the Keyes estate, at the east end
of the city, was reached, when the horse
was hitched to fence and both men
started off on a walk, Schultheirs'
keeping
ALONG THE RIVER BANK
at Simpsons request. They walked
for nearly half mile until the South
western railway camp was reached,
when Simpson took out memorandum
book and wrote something on one of
the leaves. Then all at once he uttered
a shout, threw down the book and ran
for the water, leaping in like mad
man. The water was not deep where
he struck, but he deliberately waded
out beyond his depth and put his head
under water. SchultheirS stood on the
bank in amaZement at first at these
strange actions and cried: For Gods
sake, Ben, come back; what are you
trying to do?" But Ben had gone in to
drawn himself and was not coming
back. SchultheirS could not swim. He
called for help to an old man and some
boys who were in boat, and they came
as quick as possible and secured the
body, which was floating on the sur
face. Efforts to reSuScitate him were
unavailing, life being wholly extinct
within very few minutes after he had
plunged into the water. SchultheirS
states that Simpson held something up
TO his mouth as he was Wading out into
deep water, but he couldn't tell what it
WAS &imnCOn the father Of the
young man, drove at once to the scene
of the sad affair and carried the body to
his own home on WabaSha street.
THE MOTIVE
for the rash deed is unknown, although
it is generally aScribed to dependency
from brOOding over some recent troubles.
One reason assigned for it is his connec-
ton with a controversy between the
city and contractor in charge Of some
extensive municipal improvements on
MankatO avenue. Simpson, as city en-
gineer, was required to furnish eSti-
mates of the work as it progressed, and
advanced 81, 900 on the work out of the
water commissioners funds in paying
one of the estimates. as the contractor
was in need of the money and could not
wait for the formal action of the cOun-
Gil. The council did not take kindly to
Simpsons action in this affair, ana did
not approve of the payment. 1t seems
there was considerable said about the
matter, and Simpson has unduly brood
ed over the. affair, taking too much to
heart what eventually would have been
Strengthened out satisfactorily to him.
The city officials say that Simpsons
dealings with the city have always been
honorable, and nothing has transpired
TO cause any anxiety on his part be-
tween him and the council or the finance
committee. Mrs. B. V. Simpson is at
her home in Lexington, Mo-, Simpsons
mother is on her way home from st.
Louis, and his sister is in the East. Mr..
Simpson has been prominent in local
politics here, and has served a term in
Inc llnriSlnf hrn &c n ncrnnnnr.,f