Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-08-01
MERCHANT KILLS HIMSELF.
A. ~. Rothschi1d, weII-Known CHI
cngo Business Man, Commits
Suicide While Insane.

Chicago, Jul; 20.-A. NJ. Rothschild,
formerly of the firm of A. NJ. Roths-
child & Co., State street merchants,
committed suicide Monday afternoon
at his home at Thirty-seventh court
and Michigan avenue. Mr.. Rothschild
had been in i'll health since his sever
ance of relation with the company.
He had been in Minneapolis and re-
turned to his home last Thursday.
Monday afternoon he returned to his
home with his 15-year-old son Mel
vile. The lad went into the drawing
room and his father went up to his
room. The family on the lower floor
were surprised to hear a revolver shot
from the upper floor. Hurrying to the
room occupied by Mr.. Rothschild they
found him lying on the floor, blood
streaming from a wound in his head.
Mr.. Rothschild was unconscious when
his family gathered at his side. A
physician was summoned but was un-
able to do anything to delay the death.
The act of the dead leader in the
business world is attributed to tenn
porary insanity induced by i'll health.
The ailment from which Mr.. Roths-
child suffered was acute insomnia, and
1t is thought that, worn beyond endur-
ance by the tortures of the physical
infirmity, his mind gave way and the
fatal shot followed. At the Rothschild
home the members of the family were
prostrated and all discussion of the
death was denied.
The history of the life of the man
suddenly ended is one of struggle and
success. 4. NJ. Rothschild was born
SO years ago in the little German VIII
lage of Nordstetten. When child
five years old he came to America.
When he was youngster in his teens
he went to Davenport, Ia, and there
worked for his two brothers, who
were there established in business.
In 1873 he came TO Chicago and inn
mediately began making name for
himself. He first engaged in the re-
tail dry goods business and later en-
barked in the wholesale trade.
The magnitude of his enterprises
increased, and in 1895 he organized
the department store which now
bears his name. The store was the
product of the organizing ability of
its head and soon was ranked in the
forefront of the business world. The
present building was erected in 1898
and for a number of years thereafter
Mr.. Rothschild gave his personal SUI
pervision to the work of his subordi-
mates. Constant strain weakened the
originally robust constitution of the
merchant, and last May seven years
after the first occupancy of the
store building. he severed his connec-
tion with the firm of A. NJ. Roths-
child & CO., still leaving his name as
monument to the industry which
had placed him in the list of success
that he left the mercantile company
Mr.. Rothschild severed his connec-
tion with other enterprises with
which he had been connected, and re-
signed his position as director of the
National Bank of the Republic. He
then announced that he would travel
in the nope of recuperating his shat
tered health.
At the time of his death, aside from
his interest in the a. NJ. Rothschild
company, Mr.. Rothschild owned the
Van BureE building, at 1s5 East Van
Buren street, stock in various banks
and commercial enterprises, and his
home in Michigan avenue. His estate
is conservatively estimated to be worth
at least $1,000,O00.