Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-10-27
THE pEAoN 0F DESPAIR
aa,nx NERVES A SUICIDE ~
DN'"N HIS TASK'
Anton Erpelding, in a Fit Eris Of to oe xi!y
Caused by Drink, r nf9,cer
His Wife and an 1890
Himself.
Trouble and Drink.

Ml,,"' ,,rne ding, an emrioye OF the
pocl;us Lumber company o.e" oo. ms
laws with a revolver at o'clock yeste'-
1 sa'. a,,ernoon. aftc. first doing his pest 10
49, w. h;s wife and PAtrolman MacAeste.
1t was only by the narro"es' '"a''~
world that they escaped. ,,,
For the past two months f'rpc'oi's aNN
h;s wife have been separated. Inc rupture
which led to it, the neighbors say. was
f,,ht hot weeu the husband on one SIDE ana
no vie and step daughter ON the othef,
III va, badly bruised in the melee anu
,h.own ant Of the house When he LETT ne
vowed h, would come back sometime anu
.;n his wife and little child. Yesterday
af,ernoop he returned to fulfill his threat.
lie was slightly under me i"'''!-
ence of liquor, when h - -
believed ne drank to nerve himself
far the horrible task he had in hand. on
srtsr;u, tho house he addressed his wife
pleasantly, but remembering thel! paFs'ns
words, she was very chilly and t'id h'nf II
wac hest for them both they should DC
anart as they were continually quarrelng.
( He asked her to 80 into the little bedroom
With their child, an infant year ana hai'
old rs he had something of importance TO
tel, her She re used the requ st and "ouid
not leave the room, where she ana some
neighbor. we're chatting. lie then sei"eo
the babe BY the arm and dragged IN INTO
the room. hoping that the mother WoIld
followed. In this he was not deceived, ior
the frantic mother rushed in alter him. but
had scarcely pa-se over the Threshold De-
fore a revolver was il.shed in her lace. IL
snapped but the cartridge did not explode.
The wife fled rom the room shrlcklng,
"He has killed my child" Two men near
by rushed in, but the revolver was showed
in their faces and they discrce,ly retired.
Officer Chickcroski was summoned, and
I've prudenlly called the North side patrol
wagon before he attempted to place enc
man under arrest. Officer MOchelle. who
accompanies the wagon, entered the room
where the man was sitting on the head OF the
bid. The blinds Of the only window in the
room were 50 closely drawn that the officer
was unable to distinguish anything except
the form Of the man which could be seen
against the white bedspread. He started TO
the window to DIR aside the blind, but
before he la taken step he was ordered
to quit the room. Almost at the same In
slant pistol shot rang out and the officer
staggered back out Of the door. Another
shot followed almost instantly, aimed ~
the retreatins figure which lodged III the
easement OF the door. The Ulcers in the
adjoining room heard the man get up from
the bed and advance toward the door. He
stopped moment and the third shot was
fired. A groan and the dull sound Of ali
apparently llteies, body falling 10 the floor
followed it. The otii ers fearing this was !,
ruse to get them 10 enter did not at first 20
in. When they did they found Erpe!dins
lying on the floor parallel to the bed with
the smoking revolver in one hand and a
o. er his right temple. He was not dead,
seconds to live.
Officer Mochellc had narrow escape A
small note book in his vest pocket avct
his lie. The bullet struck him III the nigh,
!; side over the ritalS. and the book in his
!. pocket turned the course OF the bal
SO that it glanced and lodged between the
cloth and lining Of his coat. An envelope
in his inside coat pocket was perforated BY
The missile. Beneath the little book tn.
flesh was black IN spot three inches ir
! diameter. The shot stunned him and made
nm very sick ior lew moments.
The coroner was summoned and decided
mat 1t was a PLAN case of suicide. H,
thought the dead man was never conscious
alter the ball entered his head. The weapon
he used was 3S-calibcr bali dog revolver
and rom its bright appearance WAS p,lr
chased for the occasion.