The true northerner., 1896-10-28
RAMBUSCH is DEAD.
WISCONSIN DEFAuLTER KILLS HIM
SELF IN VIRGINIA.
He Had wandss.d About the Vicinity Of
Fredericksburg for Days and Finally Took
His Own Life. His Last Thoughts Being
of HIS Poor Wife.


fredericksburg, Va, Oct. 22.-W. T
Rambusch, the defaulting banker of
Juneau. Wis. shot himself in the right
temple Tuesday night in this city, dy-
ing instantly. His body was found sit
ting ON bench in the National ceme-
terry still grasping the pistol with
which the suicide was committed. He
arrived here a week ago and regis
tered at the hotel as G. r. Anderson,
and since that has been visiting the
battlehelds in the vicinity of Freder-
icksburg. About 800 was found on
his person. Friends from Juneau have
telegraphed for the body TO be for
warded there. The following note was
found in his pocket:
MY name is w. T. Rambusch Of
Juneau, Dodge county, Wis. Wire Dr.
w. f. Hallock, Juneau, Wis, also Ford
L. Rambusch of Rambusch & Petit,
decorators, Broadway. New York, and
Captain II. A. Bagger, 1876 Ninth street,
Brooklyn, n Y, to come here and
identify me in order that my poor wife
may get my life insurance. Bury me
here, not in Wisconsin. Hope kind
RNCPAN WIN leiAdoii iiiS AOA NliN AiOdDiS
/ make them.
wv. II. RAMBUSCH."
Rambusch had no baggage when he
arrived here save a small hand satchel.
Disappeared on Oct. 10.
Rambusch was engaged in banking
and the abstract business at Juneau.
Wis. He disappeared on Oct 10, and
forgeries amounting 70 between $780,
L ls,,l.t
total amount of his irregularities is not
known. He was a leader in the church
and social world of Juneau, and in pol
itics, and was wholly trusted, yet for
twenty years he carried on his swind
ling operations. II is thought he began
his fraudulent work in 1876. But from
1877 on there is a succession of false
mortgages, forgeries. fictitious deeds,
mutilations OF records, and embezzle-
ments against him OF appalling length.
He was a man who had the faculty of
commanding the respect and conf
dence of all who came in contact with
him. His word was thought To be his
bond. His whole life, in the opinion
OF his family, his friends, and his
neighbors, was such as 70 make ii pos
sible for him to continue in his course
VI CIllilt 81 lOuR ullutlGCleu
busch began business as a real estate
agent twenty years ago in Juneau. He
and his partner bought out Judge
Lewis abstract office.
Suspected but Never Tried.
In October 1871 the building in
which the Dodge county real estate
records We're kept was burned and the
records destroyed. 1t was charged
the fire was incendiary and Rambusch
was suspected of the crime, but was
never tried. After the fire, being the
only one who could furnish an alb
stract Of title TO county lands, he made
q contract with the county TO make
all its abstracts for twenty years, and
this is still in force. Rambusch had
duplicate keys TO the new courthouse
and to every office. The records OF the
case Of d. II. Behment of whom he
was the guardian, were missing when
he disappeared, and it was presumed
they were stolen by him. The tract
index in the register of deeds office is
filled with erasures, believed to have
been his work. Rambusch was es-
pecially active in politics. For sixteen
years he had been chairman OF the Re-
publican county committee. He bought
the MayVille Pioneer and changed il 70
a Republican paper. The general opin-
ion in Juneau is that he had saved
- . ft,n. t4sa