Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-29
Tries Twice to Ell i'd His Existence
With Fins il Success.
FIRST ATTEMPT WITH LOG CHAIN
Was Discovered by woman and in Re.
sponse to Her I inquiry as to What
He Was Doing S; aid She Talked Too
Much.
from Mondays Daily /

probably induced BY the excessive use
Df cocaine, Howard Padgett, a young
man who had mad e his home in Ot-
tumwa for several months, committed
suicide yesterday fternoon by hang
ing himself to raj tier in the barn on
the farm of Henry seidrich, two miles
west of Ottumwa. 4 short time after
ward the dead body of the man was
found by neighbors! of the Deidrich
family hanging by a ihitching strap he
had taken from th harness in the
barn. The remains which could not
then be identified, w ere cut down and
Coroner David Throi le and the police
of this city at once N ptified The body
was brought to this city and taken to
the undertaking room Is of Scott & Sui
Ivan on West Seco nd street, where
the remains were ide ntified this morn.
ing by Chief of Poll ce Gray Captain
Peter Gallagher and officer Maloney,as
those of Padgett.
Between 3 and a o CLOCK yesterday
afternoon Padgett ent cred the yard at
the Deidrich farm M II. Deidrich was
away from home at th e time, his wife
and daughter being alo me on the farm
While Padgett was pu. mping water at
the well he was asked by Mrs. Deid-
rich not to se SO rough with the pump.
Without replying he lie. t the well and
proceeded to the barn.Lard where he
found log chain. Fastening one END
about his neck he went into the chic
en- house where he atter lpted to find
e.. IL. IL. 4 L.,
he was accosted by Mrs. Deidrich who
asked him what he was trying to do.
Here Padgett spoke the only words
he is said to have uttere d: "You talk
too much" Leaving he chicken
house he disappeared around the barn
and nothing more was seen of him un-
til he was found half arl hour later
dead in the barn.
Help Summoned.
Frightened by the gruffl answer of
Padgett and unable also to understand
his actions, Mrs. Deidrich and her
daughter, after locking up the house,
went to the home of the De Mrich boys
short distance away where they noti-
fed them of what had happened. The
men immediately went back to the
place where Padgett had been last
SSGu dliu lOuhu illo pOuy ilolSiL5 III
the barn.
The Authorities Notified.
Intelligence of the affair was. sent
to the authorities in this city Coroner
David Throne fastened to the scene
of the suicide. The remains were
brought to this city and taken to Scott
efforts were made to identity them.
The clothing of the deceased was
searched for something that would aid
in the Identification but all efforts in
this direction failed, the only thing
found in the pockets being a lhandker-
chief bearing the laundry ninrk of
three ''js" About 2 o'clock this morn
ing Captain Gallagher and Officer Ma.
loney went to the undertaking. rooms,
where they identified the rem aims as
those of Padgett, who had beert in Gus
tody in Ottumwa few weeks ago.
Positive Identification.
This morning Chief Gray, upon see
Ing the remains Immediately confirmed
the Identification. He had seem Pad
gett in Ottumwa yesterday morning
and had warned him to leave town i'm
mediately, giving him until last even
ing to do SO. Padgett stated to Chief
Gray at the time that he had just been
released from Jail in Sigourney. where
he had been taken from Ottulnwa on
suspicion of completely in larceny
cases in KeoRuk county and the selling
of stolen goods in Marion.
Visits the Jail
1t is learned this morning thfit after
leaving Chief Gray Padgett visited the
county jail, where he asked to see
Grace Huff, with whom he is said to
have lived in Smoky Row during his
previous visit to this city. When ask
ed this morning as to the whereabouts
of Padgett, Grace Huff stated that he
Z had left the city. She declared that
she knew nothing as to the where
abouts of his family or any of Ills rela-
tives. When told that Padgett had
committed suicide she seemed tb be in
credulous but stated that on previous
occasions Padgett had told her that
he would sometime go in this manner
and that he did not want his folks to
know anything about him. lille told
Chief Gray after that his family lived
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