Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-17
J|LTED GUEST
SHOOTS HIMSELF
IN BARRICADED ROOM MAN
ENDS HIS LIFE
Had Money in Bank and Was Building
Home When News of Heart Dis
appointment Discouraged
Him

The pathetic romance of Otta Preufer,
a bricklayer, rooming at SOC East Third
street, was ended early yesterday when
he shot himself through the heart be-
cause an old sweetheart in st. Louis
Tilted him and sent word that she would
marry another man.
"I wish you could be here, too, Otto,
to attend sisters wedding" wrote the
young brother of Preufer's early love
several weeks ago.
The man stopped work upon a pretty
little house he was building at Fortieth
street and Halldale avenue and spent
the following weeks in idleness.
He complained of heart trouble and
told his sympathetic landlord, Charles
e. Ellefson, that he was too i'll to work.
Sunday night he paced up and down
the sidewalk in front of the rather
dingy lodging house until nearly mid
night. He went to his room, locked up
his few possessions in his trunk and
went to bed.
Deadens the Report
At some hour Of the early morning
he drew pistol which he kept beneath
his pillow and shot himself through
the heart.
From the position of the body it was
evident that the man deadened the re-
port of the pistol by pulling the clothes
well above his head. At 10 o'clock Mrs.
Ellefson knocked at the door several
times, and fearing that her lodger
might be i'll. summoned her husband.
Mr.. Ellefson placed a step ladder at
the transom and looked into the dark
ened room. He could see a form lying
upon the bed and called several times
without obtaining any answer
He then rushed to the adjoining house
and summoned his friend J. Beck. The
two entered the room after opening the
door by means of pass key.
IT thought at first that Preufer had
died from heart trouble" said the land
lord, but when we looked closer we
saw the sheets were covered with blood
under the body. I notified the coroner
and he told me to keep everything
locked up until after the inquest.
II thought that Otto killed himself
because he was sick, but later we have
come to believe that he was feeling
bad because his girl back in st. Louis
went back on him.
Letter Breaks News
"He told us that he had letter from
her little brother saying that his sister
was about to marry a st. Louis boy.
lotto looked too old for any such fool
ishness as to kill himself for a girl, but
we cannot always tell"
Preufer came to Los Angeles last year
and has been stopping at 5O6 East
Third street since November 5.
He had about 5000 in the bank and
owned a home at Fortieth street and
Halldale avenue, not quite completed,
that was worth about $1,000. Up to four
or five weeks ago the man worked
steadily upon the house, but of late
complained of not feeling well. After
the letter came announcing the mar
riage of his old sweetheart, Preufer
seemed to lose all hope and courage,
according to his landlord, and did no
work.
He was about 40 years of age and
had few friends. He was very reticent
about his affairs and never mentioned
any relatives.
The inquest will be held this morning
at IL o'clock and Coroner Trout expects
to find information among the de-
cedent's personal effects that will throw
light on the suicide.