The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-09-22
STRANGLED.
A POOR LABoRER, IN A FIT OF
DEsPoNDENcY

House and Hangs Himself.-The Family
in SAD Condition.
Metapbysiciens generally are not at
variance with reference to the theory Una.
a person who commits suicide is to all
intents and purposes insane. III insane
on no other subject,t the party contempiat
ING self destruction is guilty OF entertains
ing an insane idea and is therefore insane
on that proposition IL on no other Coup
ling this generally conceded theory win
the facts In the case which. unfortunately
we are called upon to cite, IL is safe TO
say, and without suppression OF facts IN
order to appear charitable, that August
Rutkowsky was insane when at b:3O
O'Clock Monday evening he took his own
life by means of a rope, and q Mandy
strip OF board nailed between two beams.
Until the latter part OF last June and for
some time prior thereto, Rutkowsky mad
charge of a saloon at No. M4 Marion
street. The business did not pay him and
he retired at the time stated, and removed
his family to No. % Johns street. Since
retiring from business the head OF the
household has not been fortunate In Sc
curing work at all times, and this
coupled with the fact that he
was prone to imbibe freely at times,
caused him to be idle great portion OF
the time. He has been in
ILL HEALTH,
and was much depressed on that account.
While he was assisting to carry his goods
| into the Johns street house he told Mrs. u.
| Kramer, his wife's sister, that he would
not live long, and while the house was no.
oil tuat he desired, IL would be good
enough for him while he lived. Since that
time ne has repeatedly told his family he
would commit suicide. He complained
more OF his i'll health than of his i'll
fortune in being unable at all times to
| secure labor. Poverty, however, was not
| a condition which would incite him to
throw off his dependency to any great
| extent, and he continued to worry and
| drink until the elimination of his
earthly career was reached.
OF late Rutkowsky has been assisting
| G. Hook, the stone mason, Monday
| forenoon he came home at about o'clock
and a short time later left the house. He
had been talking of going into the saloon
business again, and his wife thought he
was going up town on business in connec-
ton with that desire.
Ats o'clock in the afternoon Rutkowsky
returned to his home. He was not in
ADRUNKEN CONDITION
but had been drinking quite freely. Al
such times his wife states that he was
wont to speak somewhat unkindly to her,
but ayers that they never had serious
spat and did not at this time. 1t does not
| appear tuht hES. nutkOWbky pa1O any
particular attention to her husband. He
remained in the house short time and
then proceeded to the barn. He said
nothing whatever to his wife about any
idea he had of committing suicide and
she therefore had not the slightest pre-.
monition OF the awful event which wa:
| about to occur.
Without word of goodbye to the
woman who had been his helpmate fol
eighteen years, seemingly oblivious of tho
existence of his children aud blinded al
to the condition in which they would bt
left as result OF the carrying out Of hi
contemplated deed, Rutkowsky went int,
the small stable situated about 100 fee
from the house, and there calmly anC
, deliberately took his own life.
About quarter of an hour, perhap
less, elapsed after Rutkowsky had left tn
, house, when his wife became anxious ant
sent their little son Willie, aged II years
to the barn to inquire into the cause o
her husbanb's absence. The boy proceede
| to the barn and q moment later cam
rushing back to the house and carried t
bis mother the awful intelligence that tn
husband and father had
I HANGED HIMSELF.
! Mrs. Rutkowsky was too much over
' come to go to the barn, but neighboI
& were Immediately summoned.
4 Among the first to enter the barn wa
Dewalt Baglin of No. 10 Johns stree
Ruikowsky was hanging near, the doc
A hasty examination of the body con
vinced Baglin and the others with hiI
that Rutkowsky was dead and it wa
!. decided to let the body hand until th
@ coroner arrived,
The manner in which the deed We
q committed, evidences great determinatio
on the part OF the man who hanged hin
, self. He first secured a rops which ha
u been used by his children as a swim
The barn is an unpretentious affair an
t the floor of the upper loft is 30 little aboN
the floor of the stable below that there
i hardly room for an ordi lary sized man
stand up. Rutkowsky secured a be
d about two feet in height and tied the sho
rope to a piece of board nailed betwee
the joist. He then made q moose, in
which he placed his bead. Standing on
y box he threw himself forward. ~
" ceiling is not high enough to admit of
hanging adventure except under the col
10 dition OF things as lnaugurated by Il
'e determined man who took bis life Mo
day evening. His toes rested on the b,
d. and he hung forward with his kne
r. nearly touching the floor OF the stat
until life became extinct. He died
no until Coroner Openhimer arrived at abo
la 80 o'clock. The coroner cut the bo
do wn and Undertaken McCrea took 1t
IL charge to prepare 1t for burial.
- Rutkowsky was AZ years OF age and "
* native OF Prussia, having come to Il
W country nineteen years ago. He has be
married II years and leaves six childre
RS John aged 16, Clara aged 10, Willie ag
ny II, Minnie aged 8, Mary aged land Bert
er, aged years. His wife who survives b
A is prostrated with grief as it appears Il
III he was kind husband and father.
e. Deceased was me moer of the Germ
Aid society and had his death been frC
natural causes the family would have
ceived a considerable sum of mon
There is now G question as to whether
80 benefit can be paid under the exist
'i rules of the society, but the organizati
will have charge of the funeral arrant
rg' ments and this family will receive so
substantial assists nee in financial W
on The coroner will hold an inquest lat
The funeral will occur at the house W.
zee peRday morning. Interment will ia
rs | place In the buryinR ground of St, Pete