Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-09
SUICIDE.
Philip Deitz Found Dead in His
Room.
PIERCED WITH THREE BULLETS.
Two Penetrated the Heart-Had Been
Missing Since December ~, 1899
Was Recently Released
From County Hospital
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
The lifeless body of Phillip Deitz,
whose absence has been mystery for
the past week or ten days, was found
in room over John Wagner's saloon
at e35 East Main street, yesterday
morning about IL o'clock. Three bullet
holes in the left breast revealed the
cause of death, the supposition being
that the wounds We're self-administer-
ed. The body when found was frozen
and had pro bably been there for more
than week. The corpse was on its
knees at the side of the bed on which
the head and arms rested. In the,
right hand was gripped tightly a az
calibre SINCE action revolver, with
which the shooting is supposed to
have been done, as empty cartridges
corresponding with the number of
wounds We're found in the chamber of
the gun. Two of the balls were found
to have penetrated the heart and the
other entered the body diagona!ly,
passing in close proximity to that or
gan. None of the bullets passed
through the body. The body was dis
covered by Sebastian Yochum and Paul
Gobeat, who, by means of ladder,
climbed to rear window, and there
saw the body in the position above de-
scribed. The police and Coroner c. G.
Powell were notified, and the body re-
moved to the undertaking parlors of
John ODonnell, on West Second street
Drs. A. o. Williams. E. A. Sheafe and
Z. e. Powell conducted a post norton
examination yesterday afternoon at
o'clock. and the coroner's inquest was
held this morning alto o'clock before
a jury cnnsisting of j. w. Sampson, j.
II. Criley and Phillip Lang, at which
the above facts were brought out.
Other Evidence.
The coroner's inquest and other evil
dence obtained in the case, revealed the
fact that Mr.. Deitz has not been seen
by any of his friends in Ortumwa since
December 81, when he ate dinner at
the English Kitchen. His disappear
sance had occasioned his friends con-
siderable uneasiness and Mr.. Wagner
had inserted an advertisement in the
Courier with the hopes that either he
or some of his friends who knew of his
whereabouts would see it and notify
his friends in Ottumwa. Mr.. Wagner
did not suspect that he was in his
rooms, as he had left there and had
engaged rooms on West Second street.
The deceased had been suffering from
a deranged mind for some time past.
This affection, however, appeared to be
periodical. He was adjndged insane
and sent to the county asylum May 16.
George Wilson says that within thirty
days after he entered the institution
he appeared to have regained normal
condition in this respect, but that he
was suffering from broken leg which
he sustained when he first entered the
institution, by jumping from second
story window. December 10 he was
able to leave. the county hospital, and
DR.. Sheafe, the county physician, pro-
nounced him cured of the mental de-
rangement. Mr.. Wilson said that he
still suffered more or less from the in
juries sustained from the fall, and that
he urged MIN to remain at the farm
until spring, by which time he would
be able to go to work, To this Mr..
Deitz replied that he was anxious to-
get back to the city and to get TO work
He came directly to Mr.. Wagner's place
and again took up his abode over
the saloon where he roomed
and did his own cooking. This has
been his headquarters off and on for.
the past few years. Mr.. Wagner said
he did not charge him any room rent
the last time he returned. He was pre-
yiously engaged by Mr.. Wagner as a
barkeeper, and had also worked at a
number of other saloons in the city
in the same capacity. Mr.. Wagner said
Mr.. Dietz left his place Christmas
morning. He did not say where he
was going nor when he would return.
He said he became uneasy at his pro
longed absence and advertised for him.
He afterwards learned that he had
gone to No. 1923 West Second street the
day he left Mr.. Wagner's place and
there remained two nights at the home
of William Redding. The second night
he was at the Redding home he came
down stairs about 2 o'clock in the
morning and notified the family that
there was a bright light in his room
that pierced him like gun, and also
told them, it is said, that if anything
ever happened to him they would
know that it was that light. He then
returned to his room and the next
morning paid Mrs. Redding for the
two nights he occupied the room and
left. Apparently in his right mind at
that time. He also told Mrs. Redding
that he had been troubled with the
same light ait his former rooming place
on East Main street. After he left his
rooming house on West Second street,
little can be learned of him, except
that he took dinner that day at the
Enp1iSh Kitchen He carried a I.av 10