Rock Island Argus., 1901-09-13
MAKES DEATH SURE
AdoIph C. Knocke Takes Poison
and Then Uses a Re-
VoIVer.
SHOOTS HIMSELF THREE TIMES
Mrs. Andrew Dickstron Dies of
Strychnine Poison.
ing.

Three bullets from 80 -calibre re-
volVer and the greater part of an
ounce of carbolic acid were the means
used by Adolph e. Knocke in a des-
perate and successful attempt to end
his life early this morning. Either of
two of the bullets or the acid would
have accomplished the end.
Mr.. Knocke had been living with
his family at 1926 Seventh avenue.
family this morning and about z
O'Clock some OF those in the house.
who were still in bed, heard three
shots they supposed had been fired in
the neighborhood. About 7:15, the
10-year-olG daughter, Leona, going
into the cellar. was horriied to see
her father lying on the floor covered
with blood. Neighbors were notified
and Mail Carrier John Stengel and
Gus Eastberg were the first to make
an examination of the remains which
were still warm.
Clothing Burned.
The body was lying on the face.
There were bullet holes in the right
temple and in the left breast. the shot
which inflicted the latter setting fire
to the clothing and burning away
portion of the shirt. The revolver,
which was a short barrelled affair, was
under the body. Beside it was an emp
| ty ounce bottle that had contained
carbolic acid. with teacup from which
it had evidently been taken. The
mouth was burned by the acid. 1t
was plain the poison had been taken
first and the revolver then used. Which
of the shots was fired first is impossi-
BILE to guess. The ball that entered
the breast probably struck the heart
and the one that was fired into the
temple probably entered the brain.
The one in the forehead flattened out
on the frontal bone till it resembled
25-cent piece and was extracted.
Coroner Called.
DR.. II. H. Chase was summoned,
but there was nothing to be done.
Coroner Eckhart was also called aud
impanneled a jury composed of DR..
Chase, foreman; Samuel L. Nelson.
Charles Moody, Gust A. Eastberg,
j. +. Larkin and James Darnell. DR..
Chase, Mr.. Eastberg, Mrs. Louis Sea-
berg, Mrs. Isabel Rose and James
Mcbride were examined and the YER
dict returned was that deceased came
to his death "by pistol shot from
his own hand, and that deceased was
insane at the time"
| Mr.. Knocke was foreman at the
Rock Island Buggy factory. He was
Al years of age, in fair health and in
good circumstances financially. So
far as is known his domestic relations
were entirely harmonious. He had a
family of a wife and three children,
the eldest of the latter being 10 and
the youngest l year of age. He had
a beautiful home, we'll FINISHED and
desirably located. Contrary to some
reports. he was perfectly secure in
his position. About a year ago he
became affl cted with erysipelas which
mad troo bled him somewhat since. He,
however, has been able to work most
of the time and filed his position as
usual yesterday. In the past he had
confided to his friends that he was
subject to long spells of des spondency,
although he admitted that there was
no cause for it that he knew of.
4 Lately he had said to members
of the family that he thought he
was becoming insane. Last night he
| Lnc1 OAo On tuc SIICCI
without recognizing them, although
the family saw nothing strange about
his actions. That the deed was pre-
meditated, however, is shown by the
fact that about a week ago he made a
will. leaving all property to his wife.
Last night he sat up late writing, al
though no reference was penned, so
far as has been found, to the act he
contemplated
| Deceased was a native of Daven
port, where his mother. Mrs, Caroline
Knocke. is now living at 11124 West
Sixth street. A brother, Louis c
Knocke, lives in Davenport also. He
was carriage trimmer by trade, and
in his capacity as foreman at the
Rock Island Buggy factory was we'll
thought of by his employers as well
as those under him
Woman Suicides.
Mrs. Andrew Deckstron, living two
miles southeast of Moline, died at
$3.50 this afternoon as the result of
strychnine poisoning, supposed to
have been placed in the food taken at
dinner. Whether it was done by ac-
cident or design is not known.