The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-03-23

as easy to bear by the family as pos
sible The manager asked when tho
funeral will be held, so that 1t is sup
posed he will attend the services Sun
day afternoon.
And so It was, with these especially
touching details arranged for in ad
vance by the veteran drummer, that
he started out yesterday morning upon
a trip into an entirely new territory
a long, long trip from which he knew
there would be no return at the end of
the week to his family fireside.
The remains will be taken to the
residence tomorrow morning and
friends who desire to do so may call
at the house, as the casket will not be
opened at the church.
Story of the Tragedy.
Otto +. Tappert, one OF the oldest
travelling men out of Norfolk was
found dead in the paraphernalia room
of the Elks club shortly after 1 o'clock
yesterday. His body was discovered by
James Ellis, porter, about lis, and
he Immediately summoned DR.. Bear
and members of the lodge, who found
that the end had come. Death had
not occurred long before, because his
body was still warm. Mr.. Tappert was
tyler of the lodge, a position which
he has held since its organization six
years ago, and he, besides the porter,
was the only one who carried a key
to the paraphernalia room. The por-
ter seldom has occasion to visit this
room, but today for some reason he
went there directly after he returned
from his dinner. After he unlocked
the door, it met with yielding re.
sistance and on peering around he
saw that Mr.. Tappert's feet we're in
the way. Finally he succeeded in get
ting inside the room, and was Mortified
to find the body stretched out on the
floor, the head raised slightly by a
blanket that he had used as a pillow.
The porter summoned help at once, but
when the doctor arrived it was appar-
ent that nothing could be done.
The indications are that Mr.. Tap
pert took his own life, though what
the motive might be is impossible to
understand. His family relations were
most agreeable, and he leaves bis wife
and two fine boys and two lovely girls.
He had good position with the STAN
dard Oil company, and was one of it's
Oldest men on the road. He was popular
with his trade and has hosts of friends
not only in Norfolk but in every town
in north Nebraska and southern South
Dakota. He was a member Of num-
ber of fraternal orders and among all
he was particularly we'll liked for his
genial good nature and free hearted
ness. Yet his friends are forced to the
belief that it is a case of suicide.
1t was strange mixture of human
nature, and one that only makes the
case more pathetic, that led Mr.. Tap
pert to choose for the tragedy the one
little room in all the world where he
had spent most of his joking hours.
AS tyler of the lodge ever since the
institution was organized in this city
six years ago, Mr.. Tappert had never
missed a single meeting excepting
once, when he was snowbound out
west and even then he telephoned into
the lodge so that his name might be
recorded as present" And so it was
that on every other Saturday night he
was on hand promptly at o'clock to
administer all that there was of fun
making for the young Elk initiates.
And it was in here, surrounded by
apparatus that he had so long enjoyed,
that he chose to lie down quietly and.
having locked the door from within,
became forever after IAN absent men,
ber" of the lodge that he loved.
An Elk carried the sad news to Mrs
Tappert, at the home on the west side.
and she is completely prostrated by
the shock of the awful thing that has
happened. Kind friends are with her
and are doing what little lies within
human power to do under the terrible
circumstances, but that is not much.
1t seems that he was confined to the
house all day Wednesday by illness,
and next morning got up early to make
his trip. He left home at 430 stating
his intention OF going to Sioux City
on the early freight. How he came to
be in the club rooms at | o'clock is
not clear but it is surmised that he
left on the Sioux City train and re-
turned to the city at II o'clock. The
porter was in the rooms all the morn
ing and until 1890, and he is positive
that Mr.. Tappert did not come there
until after he had gone. So he must
have entered the rooms shortly after
that time. No other solution can be
assigned for his rash resolution than
that he had not yet recovered from
his illness of Wednesday, and that in
his weakened state he did not realize
what he was doing.