The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-06-04
COMMITTED SUICIDE.
By Hanging Himself in the County
Jail-John Stahlbusch.

jail u-JOQu SldUlDuSCu.
John Stah1busch, a we'll known
German, hung himself in the Ben
ton County Jail last night. Dur
ing the day he had been adjudged
insane and was held in Jail impend-
ing the arrival of the Asylum at
tendants to take him to Salem.
While alone in his cell, he first at
! tempted the deed with his hand
kerchief, but when it broke with
his weight, he tore strip from his
blanket, and tying it to the door
frame above his head, succeeded in
carrying out his design. The body
was found at $50 by Sheriff Bur
nett who entered the Jail to give
Stahlbusch his breakfast. When
found, the body was suspended by
the strip of blanket, the feet resting
squarely ON the floor. The body
was cold, and death had evidently
| come several hours before, probably
before midnight. 1t was apparent
that Stahlbusch, after fastening the
strip of blanket around his neck
had deliberately held his feet up
until the deed was accomplished.
The body was allowed to remain
undisturbed until the arrival of
Herman Stahlbusch, a brother re-
siding on Kiger Island, for whom
a messenger was at once dispatched
| by the sheriff.
Stahlbusch was adjudged insane
after an exa1ninationby the county
court. The action was based
on belief that his mental condition
! is snch that he ought not to be at
| large. At the hearing that occurr-
ed at the county court house at 10
O'Clock yesterday morning, a num-
| Der of witnesses swore that they
did not believe Stah1busch safe to
be at large. Others testified that
! they had heard him make threats.
In the evidence was a statement of
his doings nearly year ago, when
!. he was disarmed by Officer Wells
in the sherif's Office because of his
threats ''to fix" retiring County
Judge Waters and other members
of the court, whom he fancied had
wronged him with reference to his
taxes. He also stated at the time
that he had brought along his gun
| to "start the new court off right, -
displaying his weapon as an evi-
dence of his good intentions.
There was also testimony to The
effect that Stahlbusch had received
injury in the head which was be-
1ieved to have effected his mind.
The physicians were DR.. Newth
of Philonath, aud DIR. Farra, OF
Corvallis. Judge McFadden, who
is now district attorney, appeared
for the state.
Stahlbusch arrived FROM Port
land Sunday, and was at ouce taken
in custody by Sheriff Burnett fol
the insanity hearing. At Portland
Stahlbusch had purchased an i'm.
mense thresher and portable saw
mill, the engine for which is said te
weigh 81 tons being too large to be
allowed to cross Marys river
bridge. The character of the -pur-
chase was accepted as a sign of de-
raugsd mental condition. tits also
strongly suspected that he was in
some way connected with the death
of 6ne colt on the Hamlin place,
which was SO badly MANNED and
cut as to produce death. the facts
of which were related in Fridays
TIMES. He was questioned about
the colt in the examination as to
sanity, he invariably replied that
'you have no evidence against
me" in which of course, he was cor
rect. His actions when the ques-
tioning was in progress tended to
confirm the suspicious of those
present that he knew something
about the matter. In fact the in.
sanity exa amination was largely the
result Of the horse incident. While
under examination, Stahlbusch
said he had ''dreaued' about the
colt aud of its being killed. He al
SO stated that his head had beer
huring him for several years partlc.
ularly since he had been injured
three years ago by fall. 1t is al
SO fact that he sustained a heavy
blow on the head by shot gun il
4 the hands of NJ. W. Smith, severa
years ago.