The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-12-06
Dead Body Found in Hotel Bed
On Wednesday Night.
St. Paul Girl Says a Domestic
Jar Caused Tragedy.
Was at One Time Employed at
the Mode in This City.
From Fridays Daily.

John Wanke former resident of
Mankato, was found dead in his bed
at the Pioneer hotel, No. 8. second
street south, Minneapolis early We'd
desday evening when the door was
forced open by chambermaid. A
bottle that had contained carbolic acid
was beside the bed, giving evidence that
the man had committed cuicide.
Wanke registered at the hotel on
Monday and Tuesday nights. He did
not appear to have been drinking and
nothing unusual was noticed about him.
He was about thirtyfve years of age.
Wednesday it was noticed that he
did not appear about the hotel and
finally chambermaid knocked on his
door. Receiving no answer, she burst
open the door and discovered the mans
lifeless body lying on the bed The
coroner was notified and the body was
removed to the county morgue.
Writes Several Letters.
Wanke wrote four letters just be-
fore he committed suicide. One was
addressed to Miss Amanda Johnson,
623 Pine street, another to Mike
Wan>e probably brother, third
to May Wanke, Rochester, MIMI, pro-
badly his wife or sister, and the other
to ''the city of Minneapolis"
The letter addressed to Miss John
son notifies her that her watch is at
Melville, Mimi, and that by writing
to John Elgin at that place she can
have it sent to her.
In the letter addressed on the out
side to the city of Minneapolis, and
evidently intended to be opened by the
police Wanke again addresses Miss
johnson. The letter reads in part:
Dear girl: l am sorry to think I
am doing this, but would not be salts
fed unless 1 did. 1 have suffered
enough. l want the authorities to no.
tify you so that you can take your
last look at one that loved YOU"
The letter also contained some
assertions about another man and in
Dictated that YANKEES act may have re-
suited from a love affair.
She Was Not Surprised.
Miss johnson said last night that
she had known Wanke for some time,
and that she was not surprised to hear
that he had killed himself, as he was
respondent over domestic matters. She
said she did not know that he was in
Minneapolis, but thought he was in
North Dakota at Edgerly, where his
brother lives.
ago." said Miss Johnson, "but have
not seen him since. l thought him
still at Edgerly. He was a middle aged
man and was married, although he
was not living with his wife, who now
resides at Rochester, MINI. His parents
live on farm near Pottsdam, Mimi,
and are we'll known in that part of the
state'
Miss Johnson said that Wanke had
two children, boy and a girl, but
she did not know where they were. The
dead man was very respondent over
domestic troubles, she said, and lately
had been drinking heavily.
He had been in Minneapolis about
four years and was employed in a
clothing house as a clerk until last
summer, when he left the city, and
went to Edgerly for a short time. He
and Miss johnson had been very
well acquainted, she said, and he once
carried her watch as a keepsake.
Was Employed at the Model.
Wanke was employed at the Model
Clothing store in this city, several
years ago. He was quite popular among
men here, yet he was peculiar in his
manner. He imagined things. When
in his cups he would accuse his best
friends of attempting to wrong him
in some way. He was a man of good
appearance and competent in his
line of work He had been employed
in leading clothing stores in Minnea-
polls for a number of years.
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