Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-08-07
LEAPED TO HER DEATH.
Mrs. Anna KOebel Plunges into the
River Yesterday, While Tempo.
rarily Demented.

fafliy Dementeu.
The Oregoniau has the following
particulars of a tragic death below
Oregon City yesterday:
Captain Graham, of the steamer
Altone, plying between this place
aud Oregon City, brought word to
this city last evening of the suicide
of Mrs. Auna Koebel. of Candy,
Clackamas county. The woman,
who is the wife of farmer, had
been for the past fifteen days an
inmate of st. Vincent's hospital,
and was yesterday discharged as
cured.
With money, which her husband
had sent her for that purpose, she
procured ticket for Oregon City,
by way of the Oregon City Trans
portation Company's steamer La
tona, aud was then on her way to
her home, when, for some ineXpli-
cable reason, she committed the rash
and fearful act. Mrs Hodges, of
Candy, and Mrs. Weller, of Oregon
City, intimate friends of Mrs. Koe-
bells, had been visiting in this city,
and were on the steamer at the time
bound for their homes. The three
ladies made pleasant party, and
all was progressing f4vJrably, when
a certain strangeness in Mrs. Koe-
bels actions was noticed. She had
always professed an unbelief in re-
gard to religious matters, and the
existence of Deity, and the pres
ence of q minister aboard seemed to
excite her. Her companions urged
her to lie down in the cabin, and
everything was done to quiet her.
but her nervousness increased. She
imagined that the preacher was after
her to do her bodily harm, and in
her disordered mind the number
soon increased from one man to half
dozen. However, she finally be-
came more rational and, complain
ing of a sitting closeness in the at
mosphere, was allowed tog go out up
on the deck in the stern of the boat
and sit near the railing.
Suddenly, almost before her friends
could realize what was taking place,
Mrs. KOebel arose to her feet and
springing to the top Of the railing,
jumped overheard into the river be-
low, beneath which she immediate
ly sank. The point at which the
sad affair occurred was opposite the
Elk Rock trestle, about seven miles
above this city.
The steamer was Immediately
: stopped, and in less than two min
utes boat containing two men was
= launched and rowed back to the
: spot where the woman had disap-
= peared beneath the waves. 1t was
5 expected the body would soon rise
to the surface, but the last had been
: seen of the unfortunate woman,
j Although the drowning occurred al
$3.50 o'clock, the steamer remained
about the spot and the crew grappled
. for the body until 5 o'clock, but
without success. She then steamed
on her way to Oregon City.
From inquiry made at It. Vincent
hospital last evening, it is learned
, that Mrs, Koebel was about % years
of age, and the mother of four chill
dren. The family was in very mod
crate circumstances, and she was
somewhat averse to going home,
knowing the very hard WORK that
there awaited her, She gave no in
timation at the hospital of being
even slightly unbalanced, mentally,
and had she showed such signs
would not have been allowed to go
unattended.
She had also been under treat
ment at the Portland hospital, en-
terlng that place July 10th and re-
naming eight days. Her actions
toward the latter part of her stay
ut the institution had been noticed
as strange, but were attributed by
the matron aud physician to be due
to the care of her child which she
had with her at the time.
Mrs. Koebel is described rs being n
tall and very dark brunette and
weighing about 1870 pounds. She
was quite good looking and was
generally of IA jolly disposition. The
only thing to which her suicide can
be attributed was a temporary aber-
ration of the. mind occasioned 10y her
recent sickness.