Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-01-16
Reichel Did Not Die.
THE WOULD-BE SUICIDE IN A
ST. LOUIS HOSPITAL.
Untold Story of George P. Reichel,
Who Attempted to Kill Him
self at Macon, Mo.
From the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

self at Macon, Mo.
From the st. Louis Post Dispatch,
A man with his throat cut from ear
to ear, his windpipe partially severed,
was brought here. from Macon, No.,
Yesterday and taken to st. Johns
Hospital at Twenty-third and Lucas
avenue.
He was bundled in blankets and an
ambulance was in waiting at Union
Station to remove him. A corps of
physicians accompanied the wounded
man on the train.
The wounded passenger was George
P. Reichel, a well-to-do furniture and
hardware dealer at Macon. Thursday
morning he attempted suicide by cut
ting his throat from a to n. We'd
nesday he fled suit for divorce ,eharg-
ing his wife, Virginia, with infdelity.
The suit caused a profound sensation.
Wednesday night be called on his
brother-in-law, John Eldridge, for the
purpose, he said, of seeing his wife.
He acted strangely and was told that
she could not be seen.
az must see her, he said.
"But it is an impossibility," said Mr..
Eldridge.
ssThen l will remain here until l
can,n he said, seating himself in the
kitchen.
He was left alone, the members of
the family retiring.
At 1890 O'Clock Eldridge awoke
from a light sleep. He heard the
voice or Reichel. He stepped to the
partly opened kitchen door. Reichel
was kneeling on the floor, his hands
clasped as though in prayer. Then he
suddenly arose, and before his broth
er-in-law could reach him, he had
laid open his throat, almost severing
the head, with a long carving knife.
Physicians were called. They said
that death would ensue Immediately.
1t was only the magnificent physique
of Reichel that kept him alive.
DIR. Theodore Brewer, of this city,
was telegraphed to,and arrangements
were made to have Reichel trans
ferred here.
A Post Dispatch reporter called at
st. Johns last night. AT the end of a
long hall, on the first floor, in the far
end of the building, Reichel lay. He
had just recovered from the influence
of opiates, and owing to the weak
condition of his heart, no more was
administered. He had apparently re-
covered from the excitement and lay
there pale as death. The nurse asked
him questions about how he was rest
ing, etc., but he paid no attention-his
thoughts appeared to be elsewhere.
The appearance of the reporter seem
ed to startle him.
81 would like to get your statement
in regard to the charges against your
wife?" said the reporter.
Reiehel gasped for breath and tried
to speak, half rising in bed. But his
voice failed him. ale can't talk"
said the nurse.
ReicheI motioned for a pencil and
paper. The reporter handed him a
pad. He closed his eyes a few Sec
onds, then he raised himself to write.
He wrote the word, "She," and stop
ped. He lay back again. He clutched
the pencil nervously. A second later
he was a maniac. He almost threw
himself out of bed. He threw his
arms wildly above his head, still
clutching paper and pencil.
The raised muscles on his neck and
forehead and his unintelligible gasps
showed his efforts to talk. He was too
nervous to write-his hand trembled
even then. The nurse grew white with
fright.
"He is in deaths grasp" she said.
"Let me die," came in an audible
whisper, and Reichel lay back as in a
faint. Restoratives were applied and
an extra nurse placed at his bedside.
REICHEL ESCAPES FROM Fl HOSPITAL
From the st, Louis Chronicle.
The quiet of st. Johns Hospital,
Twenty third and Locust, was dis
turbed at 5 a. m. Monday by a desper-
ate struggle between one of the at
PENDANTS and a mailman. The latter
was George P. Reichel, 80, of Macon,
Mo-; who four days ago slashed his
throat and was brought here by his
brother for treatment.
Weakened though he was, Reichel
overpowered the nurse and escaped.
He was found by the police and is now
at the City Hospital.
Information was hard to obtain. At
st. Johns Hospital, efforts were made
to conceal the facts of the outbreak.
Reichel can not talk and all that could
be learned was the patients history
given on entering the hospital.
1t appears that Reichel bad been
more or less violent since his advent
into st. Johns, but it vas not deemed
necessary by DIR. Prewitt to strap him
down. Male nurses were constantly
with him. The nature of his wound
prevented his talking but he wrote
frantic notes demanding various things
and abusing his brother, mother and
friends.
Snortiy as4sr 5 O'Clock Monday
morning he suddenly sprang from his
bed and rushed upon the night nurse.
The nurse attempted to defend him
self and was knocked down. Reichel
pursued his advantage, it is said, and
when the nurse was hors du combat,
he sprang over the PROSTATE form and
fed to the wardrobe.
Locking the door after him he found
and donned his W clothes, then
kicked the window out, and, impro-
vising a rope of some bedding, he slid
to the ground and fed south.
At Twenty-second and Chestnut ex-
haustion overeame him, There officer
Slattery found him.
On a cot at the City Hospital, strap