Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-05-18
END OF A TRAGEDY.
Funeral Services Of Mrs. Kothe, the
Enterprise Suicide, Held.

funeral services OF Mrs. Henry Kothe
who committed suicide in so tragic
manner Wednesday. There was a
large attendance and nearly all the
following children were present: Mrs.
Fred Yuhl and Mrs. M. Zeilunger,
living a few miles south Of Enterprise;
Mrs. Adam Huff and Mrs. Fred Hahn,
Evansville, Ind; Mrs. M. Roller,
Wichita; Mrs. Sam'l Meller and Chris
Kothe, Kansas City, Mo.
The Journal gives the following
particulars Of the sad event: Henry
Kothe and his family came to this
county in 1876. After their children
we're all grown up and married, the
old folks resided in large apartment
house built by them on South Factory
street. Some seven or eight years
ago the husband died, since which
time Mrs. Kothe has lived in the
same rooms alone. Some Of her chill.
dren would induce her to stay for
few weeks at a time with them but
she would soon want to 60 back to
her home, living almost like hermit.
The neighbors had noticed for sew.
eral days that her actions we're more
peculiar than usual. She would get
o bucketful Of coal and 60 to the by
drant and turn the water on to 1t. On
one occasion she was seen with her
head out Of the window and stream
OF blood flowing from her nose. She
resented any interference, however,
and said she was all right.
Wednesday morning she was no.
ticed out in the yard MS late as half
past seven o'clock, when she got a
bucket OF water from the cistern. Her
hands and arms were bloody, appear
ing to have been cut. She went back
| in the house and was seen no more
alive.
About II o'clock, Mrs Thos. Jones,
who lives in the same building, told
her husband she was afraid some-
thing was wrong with the old lady,
and he went to her door and called
several times, but received no answer.
He then went for Louis Loeb, who
has been collecting her rents and
looking after the old lady, and they,
in company with W. &. Froelich,
went to her door and called again.
The door was unlocked, and they
went IN. The first thing they saw
was an old, dull pocket knife lying
on the floor by an AK, both bloody.
There was blood on the floor and q
chamber vessel half full OF blood set.
ting near, besides number Of bloody
cloths lying around the floor. In the
next room everything was in order,
but no one in sight. On opening the
stair door they beheld an awful spec.
tacle. Half way up the stairs hung
all that remained Of the poor woman,
suspended by the neck from a hori-
zontal banister with two strands OF
large manila wrapping twine. The
arms we're covered with blood and
the tongue protruding from the
mouth proclaimed that death had
claimed another victim. One foot
was touching each Of two steps OF the
stairs, showing that she had died Of
strangulation. The coroner's investi-
cation developed the facts as above
stated, and an examination showed
that she had cut both her arms and
legs in several places, with the ap-
! parent intention Of severing an ar
, terry and bleeding to death. Failing
in this, she took piece Of wrapping
, twine, made loop around the banis-
ter and walked down stairs to the end
Of II, where she hung until strangula-
tion ensued.
No cause for the awful deed was
discovered. Mrs. Kothe was aged
IS, she possessed considerable pro-
perty and had money in the bank.
She had never had any trouble with
anyone, and had fair health for one
Of advanced age. She seems to have
tired Of life or became demented by
living so lonely and determined to
take her own life Following is the
verdict Of the coroner's jury; We,
the jury, find that the deceased came
to her death by hanging, by her own
hands.
His Brother Dead.