People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-08-15
Louis Segerman Suicides.

Probably no man Of his class was |
better known in this section Of Kan
sas than Louie" Segerman. He
was a chronic violator Of the prohibi
tory law and has served several terms
in the jails OF Southern Kansas, hav.
ing lived at different times in Well
ingtOn, Caldwell, Harper and other
cities.
About two years ago he murdered
his wife in horrible manner. They
had separated. She was on a claim in
the Strip near Caldwell; he was living
in Caldwell. He went to her claim
and literally butchered her there.
He was arrested by the Oklahoma
authorities for murder, but, prior to
his trial, was adjudged insane and
sent to the insane asylum at Jackson
vile, Illinois. The following story
taken from the St. Louis Globe Demo
crat Of the 14th inst, ives the clos
ing chapter Of his history:
Some time between Monday night
at 10 o'clock and 5 o'clock yesterday
afternoon Louis Segerman. baker,
aged 50 years, committed suicide by
cutting his throat with a razor and a
case knife, in his room, at 2026 Engen:
ia street.
About a month ago Segerman ap-
piled to the house where he commit
ted suicide, which is occupied by the
family of H. A. Pait, an engineer, for
furnished room. He was accOmmO-
dated. At the time he told Mrs. Pait
that he had recently been released
from the Jacksonville I'LL insane asy-
lum where he had been the preceding
eighteen months. After he had been
rOOming in the house a few months
he found work with baker on Chou
teau avenue. He gave up his room
then and was not seen by the Pait
family until the middle Of last week,
when he returned with his months
wages. He then rented small store
room or Twentieth street, opposite
the Union Station, and started a res
taurant. He did little business, as he
could not compete with the free lunch
of a saloon next door. He became de-
SpOndent over his failure, and after
several unsuccessful attempts to bor-
row money he is supposed to have
again become insane and took his own
life.
When Mr.. Pait returned home from
his work yesterday evening his wife
told him that she believed something
was wrong, as Segerman had not been
out of his room all day, and that the
door was locked and no response was
made to her calls. Mr.. Pait secured
step ladder, and when he looked
through the transOm he saw the dead
baker lying on the blOOd-sOaked bed,
his throat cut nearly all the way
around and his arms claSping the
lamp. When the door was broken
open, a razor and a case knife were
found in the bed; both were covered
with blood. The evidences Of the
room showed that :. was probable
that Segerman hal first prepared
himself for bed and then, before ex-
tinguiShing the lamp, took the razor
from the washstand drawer, and,
after sharpening it on a strap,
stretched himself on the bed and gave
an awful slash across his throat. 1t
is thought that, after lying still few
minutes, he concluded his object was
not accomplished, and, as the case
knife was nearest he used that.
With that he sawed away at his neck
until the jugular vein was severed
and his throat was hacked in a dozen
places. After dropping the knife he
reached over to the little table near
the bed and grabbed the lighted
lamp and put his arms about it, press
| ing it close to his chest. The fame
must have been smOthered almost i'm
mediately, as only a small spot on
his underclOthes showed evidence OF
being burned. In that position he
died and it was that way In which he
was found.
Mr.. Pait called Officer O'Brien in,
and the body was taken to the Nor
lgue. Sixty cents in change was
found in one Of his pockets.
Nothing is definitely known liz St
Louis about his relatives. All that
any one heard him say about his fam
lily was when he told Mr.. Pait that a
married daughter and most Of his rel
atives live in or near Kansas City.