Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-02-05
SCARED INTO SUICIDE
Jewish Merchant, Of Sioux City,
Killed Himself Because Of
Threats.
Had Bought Stolen Goods, But
Had Received Them
Innocently.
Lawyers and Officers Made Him
Believe He Would Be
Punished.
special to Times-R republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Sioux City. Feb. Sit has developed
that Louis silvermai,, who suicided
Saturday evening, was driven to the act
by fear Of punishment because he had
bought some stolen goods.
The young man who was terrorized
into ending his life Went to his home.
Gil Park street, Saturday night about
Is O'clock. He complained of being sick
and his face was white and drawn.
During the day he had given up about
$50 worth of stolsn goods that had been
sold TO him by r.. j. Grace, who I ad
|purloined them from a store in Onawa.5
This occurrence frightened him and
when he consulted lawyer about the
matter he was further frightened by
the attorney Who limited that a term in
the penitentiary might await him. Re-
Icalling the tortures of priaon life in his
native Russia, and the fact that his
wife and child We're yet over in his
home land awaiting for him to send
money to bring them across, his mind
became unbalanced and ne sought his
room and shot himself.
Mrs. William Prusiner and her little
son We're in the. house at the time.
They testified that the young man
! went to his room complaining of sick
/ ness Later they heard a dull noise,
but thought it was nothing but the
Fclumping Of children 9 feet in the other
! part of the house. Finally muffled
Il grooming like that Of a man in a night
mare frightened Mrs. Pi,usiner- She
sent her little boy TO investigate and
he came back white aS death and said
silverlnan wa 3 covered with blood.
Investigation showed the man had
sent a bullet into his brain, from the
i .effeets whichshe died. The Body was
4 removed to Westectt's uorgue and the
4 inquest held in the morning.
Silverman bore a good reputation
. among the Jewish people of the city,
He owned stock Of goods at sos Fourth
Il street and was man OF steady habit.
and of a quiet nature. He had not beer
In this country more than two years ant
was unused to its NAYS He left a pitt
full letter to his wife statiilg that h
loved her, but she would never see hin
again.
Chief Nelson expressed the opinion
that the persons who had gone afte
81 the stolen goods had been unneces,sa,;
8 iIs' harsh in their treatment of III
5 young man and that he had s.mpi
! been frightened into taking his life
d Mrs. Rrusner, a whose home Silver
g man lived, said he was an exeinplar
u young man. and thought he must Ia,
Ii been terribly abused before he woul
{ haze committed such a deed.
Silverman was trying 10 save up NOR
n ely 70 bring his wife and little child ovt
n here, and had ABOUT $500 ii the banl
6 He said he had purchased the cutler
n kfron man who passed himself off AZ
travelling man Ing some of his sam
E lSplss, ard that hesd not knox this. coed
e We're stolen.
: The body was buried in Nj SIM
a cemetery, With but little ceremony q
e ths. laws OF the Jaws forbid any srea
! ceremony over the body Of a suede
: The deceased has an uncle, Mr.. BarielS.
and an aunt Mrs. Singer. in this cit,
and his brother, O. Silvernaii, is a pho
tographer i'll New York