Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-03-31
BY HIS OWN HAND.
ITO Be or Not to Be-" is Answered in
the Negative by Edward Anderson.

At about five O'Clock Friday evening
some small boys in walking along the
river bank near the foot of Franklin
street, discovered the body of a
man, lying on the walk near the
site of the old band hall They notified
other people and an examination of the
corpse proved the man to be Edward
Anderson. an employe of the ID j
Murray Mfg. Co. An ugly wound in
the head showed the manner of death,
and new 80 calibre revolver, lying be-
side the body, revealed the cause of
the wound. Those aware of Ander-
sons past actions at once surmised the
story, and their deductions were that
he had committed suicide.
Last September Mr. Anderson, who
was then working at the Murray foundry
was taken i'll aDd later, upon advice of
his physician, was examined and COM
mitted to the Northern Hospital for In
sane. Previous 10 his commitment he
had opened up correspondence with
wholesale houses of the cities, and be-
gan ordering goods for which he had
no use. Among them were gold
watches, lawn mower to be hauled
by horse, barrel of Pabst Tonic and
many other things, and after his com
mitment to the hospital. for week
large quantities of circulars aud sam
piles We're sent here TO his address.
About Christmas time he was returned
as cured and Immediately went to
work in his old position. About week
ago he again began acting strangely,
and his fellow workmen were of the
opinion that it would be but a short
time before he would have to be re-
turned. He worked Friday forenoon
and at noon he drew s., saying that he
intended paying some insurance pre-
miums. During the afternoon he went
to hardware store ami with the money
he had drawn, purchased a cheap 80
calibre revolver, paying So 80 for the
same and also buying box Of car
tridges.
After he left home Friday noon all of
AndersOn's actions cannot be account
ed for His wife walked about town
with him for time and left him at
about three O'Clock. Shortly after that
it appears he went to the bicycle shop
of John Fehl and negotiated for revol-
yer, stating that he had lost his old one
and needed a new one. He visited
Fehps place twice. The first time he
did not make any purchase but came
OdCh dLOut du nOQI ldlCl anu OOuGub
cheap revolver of the bull dog pattern,
also box of cartridges. His doings
from that time on are unknown 1t
was somewhere around five o'clock,
perhaps half an hour before, that he
took his life No one saw him at the
timezand as the spot. he selected is so
removed from residences on First street
no one heard the shot fired After the
body had been removed to Helke's
shop, DR. Dickens was in
structed to make an examination. He
found that the bullet had entered the
right temple and then ranged down.
ward, and lodged somewhere Death
had apparently been instant, for there
was no sign of any struggle, the man
lying where he had fallen, and his head
being in pool of blood. The few peo.
pie who saw him during the afternoon
state that he did not appear worse in
mind than usual, or gave no indication
of contemplated suicide Mr. Fehl, of
whom he bought the revolver, did not
know the man, or would not have sold
him the weapon.
At niue o'clock Saturday morning the
sheriff empanelled coroner's jury,
of the following gentlemen |
Andrew Smith, Robt Larner. VIM
Waterhouse. Fred Rienow, John Wolf |
and VIM. Hett The coroner being
absent from the city the inquest was
neld before Justice j. A. Jones. After
viewing the body and the surroundings |
an adjournment was taken to two
} clock in the afternoon that witnesses |
might be secured
The inquisition was again convened |
at two O'Clock, and after listening to I
The testimony offered by a number oI
a recess was taken and ver- |
lict returned to the effect that deceased i
came to his death between five and six |
D. m, March 9th, 1903, by gunshot
wound inflicted by himself while insane |
Deceased was insured for $4,000, carry |
ng a policy of $1,000 in each of the |
lodges of Equitable Fra /
ternal Union. Modern WOodmen and .
Order of Foresters.
Mr.. Anderson was son of the Rev |
Jos. Anderson, at one time pastor of |
5he Nj E church of this city He was
born in this state nearly forty-four
years ago For number of years he /
lived at Rhinelander, where he con-
iucted bicycle shop in the summer,
md would work in the Murray foundry |
acre during the winter He was one of /
he first to join the Light Guards of this /
,ity at the organization of that com
Dany. Before his illness he had always /
been jolly, good-natured fellow and
we'll liked by employer and employe
Of late he had been disposed to be /
'ulen and melancholic. The funeral I
y as held Sunday afternoon from the |
home, the Rev f. A Pease officiating