Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-04
DEFIANTLY RASH.
Sensational Suicide of a Chi.
cago Gardener.
A DOZEN MEN WITNESS THE DEED.

Kept from Interfering by the Feio de
SEES Pistol-His Wife Among Those
Who Looked on While He Cooily
STOOD on" His wouId-Be Saviors and
Put Bullet Through His Troubled
Brain.
CHICAGO, Sept 4-William Siegert blew
his brains out last evening after a lively
scuffle with his wife and half dozen
neighbors who tried to disarm him. Sic
CERT was gardener, p years old, and had
two children. He lived at the corner of
Addison and Hoyne avenues as dreary a
place as could be found in Cook county.
He came downtown early in the morning
with a wagon-load of vegetables, which
he disposed of at the North Side market
about noon. When he returned home he
was very Respondent. He told his wife
that he intended killing himself, and a
| short time afterward took a revolver from
bureau drawer, loaded it with the ut
most care and then placed the muzzle
| against his head preparatory to firing
The Wife Was Too Quick.
Mrs Siegert, who is a small but power
full woman, sprang at her husband,
snatched the gun from his hand, and be-
fore he could recover from the effects of
the blow, seized the weapon and carried it
into another room. In "a moment Seigert
became transformed into lunatic He
grabbed up big carving knife and swore
he would cut his wife's head off if she did
not instantly restore the pistol. Mrs Sic
CERT fled from the house aud ran to a
nelghbor's place few doors away and
told the story of her adventure The word
was passed TO other houses, and in short
time ten or twelve men were hurryIng to-
. ward Siegert's. with view to preventing
him from taking his own life.
A Remarkable Scene.
When they reached the house Siegert
was standing on the porch, revolver in
| hand. Two or three men sprang at him,
intending to take the weapon away, but
they retreated in hot haste when the re-
volver was pointed at them. "Pll kill
you all" the luuatic shouted, ''if YOU
don't let me alone | am going 10 kill
myself, and you can see me do it" He
jumped down the steps three at a time,
brandIshing the revolver in WAY that
| made the crowd scatter in evey direc-
ton. Mrs. Siegert implored her husband
to throw the revolver away, and for re-
ply received a scowl that made her shrink
out of sight in terror.
The Fatal Shot Fired.
Siegert walked slowly around to the
barnyard and at every step he dared his
| neighbors TO follow him. The most of
| them followed cautiously. Taking posi-
ton near the barn door Siegert deliberate
ly raised the revolver to his head The
muzZle rested about an inch above his
right ear. He glanced around at the
blanched faces of his neighbors a moment,
| and then closing his eyes pulled the trig-
ger. There was flash and a report, and
the suicide toppled over on his side with
his brains oOzing from a bullet hole above
the right ear. Almost before the horri-
fled spectators could reach his side his
heart had ceased to beat. He died with
out struggle.
Small Debt the Cause.
Mrs. Siegert when she saw her hus-
bands dead body, threw herself across it
and was carried into the house a moment
| afterward in dead faint. The body was
picked up, taken into the house and
properly cared for Siegert it seems, has
been respondent for some time. aud only
| week ago threatened to end his life in a
| similar manner. His intimate friends
say he was worried about small debt he
owed a city merchant and which he was
| unable to pay on demand.