New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1892-05-04
His Body is Found in tie R'ser Naar the
Winklema1n Lime Kiln.
For Several Days he had beel MI: ,g and
Apparently has bsaa DEED Since
Thursday.
Debts and Dissipation a-e Supposed to
have Rendered him Partly
Insane.
For Weeks Past he las Beel Acting
Strangely and Living Rasbly.

and excessive dissipation, Louis Schmels,
the sheriff of this county, concluded to
end his own life. Just when and just
how he put his rash determination into
execution nobody will ever know, but
there are particulars enough to correctly
surmise.
For the last two or three months Mr..
Schmelz has been acting queerly. His
most intimate friends could see that
something was wrong with him, and he
was persuaded to change his course. To
these warnings however he gave no heed.
Debts were gathering heavily upon him
but instead of trying to relieve them, he
only contracted more by continued drink
ing and dissipation. No doubt this az
fected his mind, and when his body was
found in the Minnesota river on Sunday
afternoon, the awful outcome of such a
course as his was made painfully evident: ::
About a week ago Mr.. Schmelz lett
home, as he was in the habit Of doing
for days at time without letting any
body know his whereabouts, and went
to Minneapolis. In company with him
was strange woman of questionable
character with whom he became enam-
CURED in his seasons of drunkenness, and
while in Minneapolis he proposed that
they seek together some distant place.
This she refused to do, and then, it is re-.
ported be threatened to return home and
drown himself. He did return Well
nesday evening, went home about one
o'clock in the morning and left again at
five o'clock, telling his wife that he was
going to Sleepy Eye. AS he did not
come home again, when expected, sus-
picion was aroused and investigation was
commenced. Arnold Gulden went to
Minneapolis Saturday and there he
learned of the threat he had made to
the strange woman. He returned at
once and Sunday afternoon theisland in
the Minnesota river which Schmelz
owned was visited. On tree near the
river bank his overcoat was found and
about block farther down were tracks
in the clay and scraps of letters which
had been torn to pieces by the man be-
fore drowning himself. Two blocks still
further down his body was found,
about eight feet from shore. Only his
coat and the topaof his head showed
and when extricated it developed that
his hands and feet were firmly stuck
in the clay, the3Water at this place be-
ing only three feet deep. He was taken
to shore, and later on, at the advice of
Judge Webber, his body was removed to
the hospital. The coroner was sum
moned and arrived Monday morning. In
the afternoon an inquest was held, the
jury concluding that he had drowned
himself in a fit Of temporary insanity.
Arevolver and package containing
poison were found on his clothes at the
inquest.
schmelz was thirty years Of age. He
was born in New Ulm on the goth Of
November, 1862, and spent his life eth
er in the city OF on. his farm in Cotton
wood. Two years ago he received the
Democratic nomination for sheriff and
was elected. The first portion OF his
term was characterized by strict atten-
ton to duty but as stated above an in
fuence for bad got the best of him
and eliminated in death at his own
hands. He was married several years
ago to Helen Rotering, who has all along
proved a noble and faithful wife and for
her.the ympathy Of the community will
be sincere HeSalso leaves two children,
.bothsboy aged five and three years.