Amador ledger., 1903-06-05
SUICIDE OF F. HOFFMAN
Sick and Despondent He Sends Bull
let Into His Brain.

emu 10 lie JrOuOleS Dy shooting him.
self through the head The deed was
committed in the rear of his residence
on the edge of the town site on the
road to Sutter Creek. No one wit
messed the shooting. The report of the
pistol was heard by those working
about the premises, but nothing was
thought about it, as the discharge OF
firearms is almost an every day occur
renee. 1t was fully an hour after the
shooting that the victim was dis
covered; life was then extinct.
AS soon as the sad affair was re-
ported, the Ledger reporter repaired
to the scene. Not more than an hour
had elapsed since the body was found
The coroner's jury was then in session,
and witnesses were being examined. 1t
was not more than two hours from the
finding of the body before the inquest
was concluded and the verdict of suicide
rendered.
The place selected for the sudden
termination of life was close to the
door on the north side of the kitchen,
which forms the extreme west end of
the dwelling. Here was small recess,
partly inclosed. A wash bench ex-
tended along the west side, and small
mirror was suspended on the wall. 1t
was the place where the ordinary
ablutions were performed. Here, still
seated in the chair opposite the looking
glass, reposed the remains of Frank
Hoffman.
A POOL of half coagulated blood lay
on the ground outside the wash bench,
over which it had evidently flowed
Another smaller pool lay on the wood
floor OF the recess, near the victim s
feet. A wash bowl rested on the bench,
turned upside down. This was spatter-
ed with the crimson fluid. An old
fashioned rusty revolver was found on
the floor. 1t had fallen from his grasp
when the weapon was discharged.
When found, the head reposed over the
wash bench. 1t had been raised to an
upright position in the chair by those
who were first upon the scene. and a
towel placed over the head to conceal
the fatal wound. Raising the towel
bullet hole was seen over the right
temple. There was no exit wound,
but the bullet could be plainly felt
against the skull on the back part of
the head, where it had shattered the
skull to considerable extent. All the
circumstances pointed to carefully
arranged, premeditated suicide. The
aged victim had taken his seat before
the mirror so as to be able to select the
vital spot, and watch the method of
holding the weapon so as to give the
bullet its deadly course. TIE elbow of
the right hand no doubt rested upon
the upturned wash basin when the shot
was fired, so as to steady it. A peculiar
feature OF the case is that the bullets
were inserted in the chambers of the
revolver upside down, the fiat end to-
ward the object. Several unexploded
chambers showed the same conditions.
The old-fashioned percussion caps were
used.
The only persons about the premises
at the time OF the shooting were Miss
Christina Rickert, niece of deceased,
who, since the death of Mrs. Hoffman,
has been attending TO the household
duties for her uncle, and her brother,
Antoine Rickert. The latter did not
live on the premises, but was accus-
toned to go there daily, and do the
work about the garden and field. After
dinner Miss Christina went about the
housework and Antoine was working
in the yard, hundred yards from the
scene OF the tragedy. He says he heard
shot between one and two o'clock.
Miss Rickert noticed the absence of the
old man, and inquired of her brother
about him. About this time w. F,
Detert called. Frank Hoffman sent
word that he wished to see him, and
he called in response to that request
Miss Rickert met him, and told him
that Mr.. Hoffman had not been seen
for some time. She opened the north
door of the kitchen, and Immediately
gave scream, on seeing the body of
her uncle with his head resting on the
bench. Seeing the blood, she exclaim-
ed that he had had hemorrhage, to
send for the doctor Mr.. Detert then
stepped up to the body; and a slight
examination showed that he was dead,
and said that the coroner should be
notified.
That the deed was premeditated is
corroborated by the fact that the day
before he summoned his nephew Ernest
Eisher-the only blood relation he had
in the county, and who lives close by
and gave him the com bination of the
safe, lntimating that it was precation-
ary measure.
The Ledger believes that the correct
policy in such cases, in Justice both to
the quick and the dead, is to to sift
all the facts and circumstances sur
rounding the homicide. That is what
a corOner's jury is for-to set at rest
all idle talk, as far as possible. We
therefore deem it proper to mention a
fact that was not brought to the atten-
tipn of the jury, but which has called
forth considerable comment, as might
have been anticipated. Fastened on
the outside OF tho kitchen door, within
few feet of the body, was white en-
velop, on the face of which was written
in pencil: Mrs Shacht is ia caus of
mai deaf, Frank Hoffman" That it
was in the deceased's handwriting is
hardly questioned. This notice shows
the extraordinary condition of mental
strain, outside of the suicidal mania, to
which the victim was subject. We
interviewed Mrs Schact-whO is niece
of deceased on his wife's side-and
were told that since the funeral of Mrs
Hoffman, seven weeks ago last Sunday
she had neither visited the Hoffman
home nor spoken to the deceased in
any way. 1t is merely simple act of
justice to Mrs Schact to mention this
fact, as her name has been so singularly
and unaccountably brought into this
affair.
The funeral took place Wednesday
afternoon from the family residence on
Sutter street. The services at the
house were conducted by Rev. G. H.
Van Vliet of the M. E. church. Jack
son Lodge, l. o. o. F.. of which Mr.
Hoffman was an esteemed member,
turned out in body, and escorted the
remains to their final resting place in
the Protestant cemetarV Ursula Par