The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-10-26
DR.. VAN TEIBURG- HOFFMAN DIES BY HIS
OWN HAND.
He Would Not Face Disgrace Following Ex-
posure of Brutal Treatment of His Wife
Sad and Tragic Ending Of Tai
euted Foreigner.

This city was shocked and horrihed
about 9 o'clock this morning by the
most horrible grewsome tragedy that
has occurred here in many years. DR..
Van Telberg-Hofman, the division sur
geon of the Atlantic Coast Line relief
department committed suicide in the
sitting room OF his home on South Main
street, a double barrel shot gun being
the weapon with which he took his life.
He placed the muzzle of the gun against
the left side of his head just above the
corner of the eye and when the gun
was discharged the whole side and top
of his head was blown off, The brains
and blood were spattered over the
walls and ceiling OF the room and pieces
of the, skull were scattered over the
icor. Death was instantaneous and
when the first person reached him
few moments after the discharge of the
gun he was lying stretched on his back
on the floor of the parlor just within
the door connecting that room with the
hall. with his head near the wall in o
great pool OF blood and the gun was "
ing across his body.
An inquest was held at l0.3G O'Clock
by Coroner Flowers:
The following testimony was taken:
DR.. J. A. Mood: Abut half past
nine O'Clock this morning I was hur-
ridly called to see Mrs. Van Telburg-
Holman and was told that DR.. Holman,
who was at his home next door was
probably hurt. On going into the room
I found the Doctor lying on his back
with a double barrel shot gun lying
across his body. The entire upper part
OF the skull was torn away by the dis
charge of the gun which had evidently
been held close to his head From the
statement made by his wife to me am
satisfied that his death was an act of
self destruction.
HI. Seymour, policeman: Just as
the bell struck o'clock I was going to
the depot and as Twas passing the house
was called into Mrs. Duckers. When
l got in I found Mrs. Holman there.
she was very bloody. She seemed to
have wound over her right eye. I
telephoned for Chief Of Police Brad
ford to come there at once. At the
same time DR.. Mood was telephoned for
and he got there before Chief Brad
ford did. He went in to see Mrs. Hof-
man. Then DR.. Mood and I went over
to DR.. Hofman's house and found the
body lying justas it is now. I heard no
words Or anything did not hear the gun
shoot. There was no one in the house
when I went in.
Rebecca Spann, cook for DR.. Hof.
man: They DR.. and Mrs. Hoffman,
were quarrelling at the breakfast table,
but what they were quarrelling about /
don't know. I did not hear any threats
made. I did not find out that the Doc
tor was shot until after the Chief of
Police came in.
Mrs. Ella Hewson, who boarded with
DR.. and Mrs. Holman: 'All that I
know about it is that when I went to
eat my breakfast I heard some scream
ing and thought it was some children.
I did not know that they (Dr. and Mrs.
Hofman) had quarrelled, never heard
any threats made any way I knew
that they were not on good terms yes
terday.
James Fielder, driver and house boy
for DR.. Holman: I was in the kitchen
by the stove during breakfast. I heard
DR.. Holman say that she (Nlrs. Hofman)
would have to leave or he would. I
went out to catch the horse. When I
came back Mrs. Hewson told me that
she thought DR.. Holman had killed
himself. Mrs. Holman left the dining
room first. They have been quarrel
ing ever since they came back from
Charleston on wednesday or Thurs
day of last week. I did not know the
cause of the quarrel.
The jury of which Mr.. r. F. Hayns-
worth was foreman rendered a verdict
that the deceased DR.. Van Telberg-Hof-
man came to his death from gun shot
wound inflicted by his own hand.
That is the official side of this shock
ing tragedy, but it is not all of it nor
the saddest part. The collateral facts
as they have been gathered from trust
worthy sources OF information are about
as follows: