Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1905-01-12
A MISTAKE.
No "FOnvlIIe" Real Estate
Agent in Mexico.


Martinsburg. The Wellsville OPP
tic. News gives the following ac.
count:
One of the saddest deaths that
has occurred in this county in many
years, was the death Of John j.
Koepke, living between this place
and Martinsburg, on last Satur-
day.
The facts surrounding this trag-
ic death, as gath cred by repre-
sentative of this paper, areas fol-
lows:
Deceased formerly lived at
WOefe, Ia. where he owned a
good farm of 160 acres. Four
years ago a daughter 10 years old,
and pet Of the family, died.
and it is said that the death so af-
fected his mind that he has not
been considered mentally right
since. Last November he decided
to move to Missouri, and came to
Mexico where he fell into the
hands of an oily tongued" real
estate agent named Fonville, who
sold or traded him the Milt Me.
haus farm, one mile southeast Of
MartinSburg. The agent took in
KOepke's Iowa farm at $50 per
acre, SO, 600, and sold him the
Niehaus farm of 26O acres at $50
per acre or $4,000, which the
agent had bought or held an OPP
ton on at $50 per acre, leaving a
balance due the land of SO, 400, for
which Koepke gave a note and
deed of trust on the farm. In the
mean time this agent had sold the
the Iowa farm for $65 per acre, OF
a profit of $500. This, together
with a profit Of $40 per acre,
So, 200, on the Niehaus farm. net
ted the agent the sum of $4,000,
sides the usual commission.
Some days before committing
the rash act Koepke decided tC
borrow $500 to be expended in
improvements on the larm, anC
applied to the same agent for the
loan aud was informed, 30 it is
claimed, he would not loan him
the money unless he would give
him mortgage on all his persona
property; this KOepe refused tC
do. He returned home despOnd'
ent and disheartened, realizing
that lie was up against it," Hi;
neighbors told him in meantime ht
had been beaten, that farm was
only worthy about half what he
had paid for it. He, broodiug
, oyer these facts, on last Saturday
was found dead in his barn by
members of his family, having
committed suicide by drinking car
bolic acid. DR.. Cox, coroner ot
this city, was notified aud held al
inquest on the body. The remains
were taken in charge by the mem
bers of the Odd Fellows Lodge o.
this place and after funeral ser
vices at the home OH last Tuesday
conducted by Rev, j. Gibbons o
this city, the remains were shipped
to his former home in Iowa to bt
buried beside that Of his daughter
We extend to the bereaved one
our heartfelt sympathy.
john j. KOepke was born il
Germany Feb. 10, 1851, aud dice
in Montgomery Co., Mo-, Dec. 81
1904, aged SO years. 10 month";
, and 81 days. He was married t.
) Miss Dora Clark, Dec. %, 1889
, TO this union were born four chill
dren, one boy and three girls. On
3 dead, three Lying. He was con
f firmed in the German Lutheran
4 church while young. He came from
| Germany to America when 2
, years of age and settled in Iowa
The annual meeting Of til
: Christian church of Mexico wa
held January 4th. Reports fror
the different societies were heard
Two elders were elected at thi
meeting, A. Hughes and j. W
Boles; DeacOns, Roy Ferris, W.S
F., Eller, j. W. Dry andJ. q. Viii
u kins; treasurer, p. Il. Locke. !
> very pleasing feature was the sci
9 ting apart of DR.. W. NJ, HOuSto
. and b. l.. Locke as honorar