Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-14
A CRUSHED CAREER.

Something More OF the Talented Jour =
naiist Who suicIded Because Of His
UnappeasabIe Appetite for Drink.
Nicholas b. Koch, the journalist, an
account OF whose suicide was detailed at
length in last evenings ARGUS, WAS an
Austrian instead of Prussian, as stated
last night. The Davenport Democrat
Gdzette gives the following additional
facts in connection with Mr.. Roch's
career:
He had an incurable appetite for strong
drink-and it ruined him, as it has many
another talented journalist. 1t was the
cause of all his woe. Try as he might,
and often did, he could not master 1t.
Mr.. Koch was a native of Austria. born
in Vienna, and was In his 47th year. He
received military education, and was
lieutenant in the Austrian service at the
opening of the war between that country
and Prussia IN 'GB. He was in the bat.
tie of Skalitz in June of that year. was
shot through his left hand, which WAS
crippled ever after, and was taken pris
oaer He and the officers who were caps
tured with him were taken to a fortress
in Poland, where they had the freedom of
a province as large as Scott county dur
ing their three months of so called cap
tivlty. The Poles were in sympathy
with Prussia during the war, and they
treated the prisoners as though they
were royal guests. Mr.. Koch used to
say that they were really sorry when they
were ordered to return to their commands
after peace had been declared. He re-
signed his commission in few months,
and went into the service of the great
railroad contractor, Strousbery, as en-.
gineer in surveys in Hungary and Rou-
mani, working in that capacity two or
three years. In '72 he came to America
and went to work for the @. railroad
company as civil engineer, with his home
in Burlington. He commenced his
career 10 journalism in that city doing
his first work on the Iowa Tribune. His |
able articles and spicy paragraphs at
tracted the attention of German news |
papers throughout the state, and |
outside of it-and in '76 he was
engaged by Mr.. fischer as city editor
of Der Demokrat. With the excep- |
ton of few months service on the |
Stadts Zeitung in Chicago, he remained |
with Der Demokrdt until the date
mentioned above-a period of twelve |
years. The character of his work
him popular among his |
German townsmen. He was fine de-
scriptive writer. He was first class
reporter, and would season his ac-
counts OF conventions, court proceeds
ings and other occurrences delineated,
with wit and humor that would delight |
the readers; humorous articles of his
were copied by the German press
the country. When Mr. Sti>
bolt became unable to do his own work
as editor, Mr.. Koch succeeded MIN, and
proved excellent for the place. His
knowledge of European history and polN
itcs rendered his articles on affairs across
the water very interesting-and his arti>
ces on art, music, commerce and nations
al affairs in this country were able in
deed. He cared little for state or ma,
tional politics, however, and wrote little
about them nnless it was really necessary
that he should do so. He was gentle>
man in demeanor and bearing. and was
very popular among his associates. He
was brilliant in conversation, and his
friends liked to draw him out on pleas>
ant topics. He was kind hearted-gen-
lie as woman. almost in his ways.
His death will deeply grieve all who
Knew him we'll The manner of his TAX
ng off was, as he several times told
riend it would be, when worse comes
o worse" and he should come to penury
trough his unappeasable appetite for
rink.
Last evening the remains were delivs
red to Undertaken Thiessen, of Daven-
,ort, and taken across the river for in
erment