New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1897-02-10
DREIS COMMITS SUICIDE
The st, Paul Druggist Takes His Own
Life in a Moment of Passion.


On Thursday afternoon. P. J. Dreis.
the St. Paul druggist, brother of Mrs.
Albert Schetfer and Mrs. Giesen and
father of Mrs. F. W. Hauenstein of this
city, committed suicide by firing bullet
through his head. The Pioneer Press
gives the following account OF his tragic
ending:
The Immediate cause of the deed is
said to have been constant worry over
financial matters, and quarrel he had
had with his Oldest son few minutes
| before he shot himself. E-.a a
At 2 o'clock the father was having
! angry words with his sor, George. be-
cause of claims that had been presented
on account of a runaway accident, alleged
to have been caused by his son. At the
end of the discussion Mr.. Dtis left his
son ia a passion and walked to the rear
of the. store, where the safe is standing.
surrounded 10y frame partition. He
took revolver from holster, which
hung on the side of the laartition, and
placing cartridge in it, Which he took
from the safe, placed the revolver to the
back of his right ear, fired and dropped
dead.
Mr.. Dreis is said to- have been
greatly worried for some time because
of financial difficulties. His building.
which he had occupied since it was
built in 1888 and represents most of
his savings, is said to be covered by
$4,000 mortgage, He is said also to
owe note of $1,000 in the. Germanla
bank. His efforts to meet these two
obligations are said to have beer fruit
less and caused him great anxiety.
H. A. White, who rents apartments
over The drug store, was in the store at
the time the alteration took place be-
tween father and son, and makes the fol-
lowing statement: "Mr. Drels has not
been in his usual frame of mind for
long t1ne. / understand from the fam.
lily, with whom I am very intimate, that
he has on several occasions threatened
to take his life. His monetary obllga-
tions, l think, are the main cause of his
mental troubles. I went into the store
about 2 o'clock and found the father and
son engaged in very angry discussion.
Suddenly saw Mr.. Dreis leave his son
and go to the rear end of the store. As
he did SO the son came to me and asked
me to pacify the father l think the
father then told the son, that he was 60
ing to shoot himself, as the boy was
very much excited. I followed MI.
Dreis, but before got near to him he
had taken the revolver, placed cart
ridge in it and fired it through his head.
| reached him rs he fell, but he uttered
not a syllable. II had not waited to
learn the cause of the trouble between
the father and son should have been IN
time to to have prevented the suicide
Several hundred people witnessed the
masquerade ball at Turner Hall last Sat-
urday evening. The number of mas ke1s
was not as large as on some former occa-
sions, but of fun and amusement there
was plenty. The heralds, floor, manag-
ers and committees were all finely uni
formed, while here and there were, little
girls and pages in unique and pretty cos
tunes. Among the more striking groups
on the floor were the bats, the hussars,
the faires and the minstrel band, and on
the stage an octette Of colored singers,
materially assisted BY Schell's small dom
key. The latter collection won the
prize for best comic group, while the
bats captured the laurels for beauty.
Miss Meta Setter was awarded first prize
for best character mask and Herman.
Schmidt prize for best comic representa-.
lions. Financially the ball was great
success.