The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-22
BULLET IN HIS BRAIN
CHARLES r. FRAMHEIN. OF ,ruD
CITY TREAsURER's OFFICE,
KILLS HIMSELF
IN A SPELL OF MELANcHoLIA
He Had Been Ill for n weaL
More, and LatterIy His Mind Hal
Been AcuteIy Affected - He
Leaves Wife and Three
children - Lived Less Than
Three Hours.


Three Hours.
Charles f. Framhein, for some wears
employed in the city treasurer's office
shot himself through the head. in front
OF his home, 234 West Ninth street
shortly after o'clock last evening. The
bullet crashed into the brain. StiII
breathing, however, F'ramhein was
taken to st. Joseph's hospital. where
ne fingered in a state of coma until
shcrtly after midnight, when he ex-
plred. Mental arrangement Is beIiey-
ed to have been the cause of his act
FOR number of years, it is said,
Framhefn had been subject To
oppressive spells Of melancholia, but he
Always rallied from the attacks within
short time, without any apparent
permanent effects. Two weeks ago.
however, he was seized with a severe
attack of la grippe, and though the
illness IN its primary form was over
come, his friends and family noticed
that his mental condition was alarm
ing. The melancholia settled upon him
more acutelv than ever before and he
seemed unable to throw off it's effects.
acted strangely at the Office. A week
ago last Monday Mr.. Framhein left
hcme to go to the office, apparently in
the best of spirits. About II o'clock
he quit work and informed his associ-.
ates that he intended returning home
Ibis was the last seen of him until
the next day, and when inquiry was
made 1T was learned that he had not
gone home when he left the Office, nor
that night either From this time
FTamhein's conduct was erratfc He
was several times seen about the
streets by friends, but he spoke to no
one. and, in fact, avoided every one
that endeavored to accost him. He
would go home some days. while other.
times he would not be seen for two or
three days at a time Once, at the
offlce, he remarked that he thought he
had not long to live
Framhein's condition alarmed his
FAMILY and caused concern in the treas
urer's office. Important work was de-
layed because of his absence. and
Bookkeeper Davis called at Framhein's
home to inquire why he did not return
TO work. Meantime, whenever Franz
helm saw any one on the streets he
knew, he would avoid them. On one
occasion, when an acquaintance up
preached him, he broke into a run and
fled wildly UP the street. AS nearly
as can be learned he was last at home
Friday
SOUND OF PISTOL SHOT.
The first intimation of Fraynbei,,s
rash act last evening was the sound
of pistol shot outside of his home.
Mrs Framhein and her brother, Peter
Fernholz, ran to the front door and
saw a dark form. collapsed. in a corner
against the fence. Examination proved
it to be Framhein. BY his side Law a
revolver. telling the story of self-de-
struct1on, while in the right side Of his
head, slightly back OF and above the
ear, was a bullet hole. He was nm
conscious and DR.. Stamm, who was at
once called. Immediately saw that he
was fatally wounded Framhein was
quickly taken to the hospital, but the
nature Of the wound placed him be-
yond human aid and he died without
regaining consciousness
From the indications Framhein had
doubtless been sitting on the small ter
race in front of the house before max
ing up his mind to fire the fatal shot.
He seemed to have been leaning
against the fence and when the bullet
entered his brain, he fell back against
a post. while blood spattered the
boards. Mrs. Framhein was terribly
shocked by the suicide of her husband
and was last evening too much over
come to be seen.
By all who knew Framhein it is gen.
orally believed that he was mentally
unbalanced. His strange conduct of the
last two weeks seems to support this
belief and it is furthermore. said that
in his right mind he could have had
no cause for ending his life, as his
family relations were most happy,
while he is said to have been in COM
Portable financial circumstances He
leaves wife and three children, the
eldest eleven years of age. Framhein
was fortyfour years of age.
With the exception of about four
years Framhein had been employed in
the city treasurer's office for nearly
sixteen years. His thorough knowledge
of the methods of the Office made him
valuable assistant and he was, as a
rule, retained whenever there was a
change in the head OF the department.
During the four years he was out of
the office he was clerk Of the probate
court, under Judge Oliver.
He was a member of the Modern
Woodmen.
rsu naI CrnNX CAsro