St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-29
Mrs. WaltherS Writes a Pa
thetic and Mysterious Let
ter to Her Husband.
She Then Deliberately Makes
for the Dark Waters Of
the Mississippi,
And Is Drowned Despite the
Efforts Of Two Men to Res
cue Her. \
She Was a Bride Of Few
Months, and Her Suicide
Is a Mystery.

Yesterday morning Mrs. Otto Wall
theirs was to all appearances as happy a
young wife as any whose wed led life
has extended over period of but few
months. This morning she lies dead at
McCarthy,& Donnelly's morgue. Mrs.
Walthers was Miss HerZel, a sister of
Charles HerZel, we'll known in st. Paul.
A little over three months ago she was
married to Otto Walthers, clerk en-
ployed by Messrs. Metcalf q Carlson,
on West Third. The young people
went to live at 347 Sherman
street, where they hae comfortable
apartments, and seemed happy in their
new relations. Yesterday Mr.. Walthers
returned home at the usual hour, and
found letter In his wife'S handwriting
on the bureau in her room. 1t read:
DEAR OTTO: Don't cry for me. 1 did not
do night. Bury me. my dearest where they
find me. Lay me away, am not worthy Of
your grief, dear Otto. Farewell,
There were tear stains Oil the paper,
and heartache in the words, but the
iStence of either. He had loved his wife,
and she, he thought. loved him. He
went out to look for her, filled with
alarm at the strange wording of the let
ter. When he next saw his wife she
was dead. Her body had been taken
from the river by two strangers who saw
her deliberately jumplnto the eddy near
the BanholZer brewery. They at once
look boat and succeeded in getting
the woman out, but not until she had
sunk for the third time and the water
had done its work There was Still
warmth in the body when it was taken
from the river, and Deputy Coroner
Amoss is of opinion that reSuscitation
would have been possible had the
proper methods been resorted to at
once. Whatever may have been the
reason for the commission of such
crime by one so young and we'll
favored by nature, it certainly was not
poverty. Mrs. Walthers, when found,
wore black silk costume, a handsome
hat and long brown gloves. She was a
well-ureoSed woman. MIR. " altllerS,
the husband. was seen last night. He
stated that for some weeks his wife had
been victim to nervous arrangement,
resulting from certain conditions pecu-
liar to WoHianhood. He thought that
her mind had become unsettled re-
Gently. and was certain no motive could
have existed for tine suicide. His
wife had undoubtedly been out of
her mind when she committed the
act. Charles Herzel, the dead woman's
brother. VINO was present at the house,
spoke in a similar strain. The letter,
however-that letter left by the wife
just as she departed for the waters
edge to take that fatal plunge-seems
suggestive Of remOrse for some act
fancied Or real. Il am not worthy. dear
Otto" she said; mot worthy of your
grief. did not do right Mr.. Walthers
refuses to believe that even the faintest
breath of a wrong was ever perpetrated
10y her who now lies stark and dead in
the morgue. She was temporarily in
sane, he ;sa US. and her goodness is be-
you'd question in the mind of her nus
band anu the friends who last night
mOurnpd with him the loss which time
cannot compensate. An inquest will
be held this morning.