Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-09
ROGER NHNENACK
ATTEMPTS SUICIDE
Tries to End His Life By Drown
ing in the Iowa River
EARLY Today
CLIMBED OUT; ALMOST FROZEN
Was Found Unconscious on tho Bank
of tho River by Driver for Ice Com
pany-confessed the Attempt, and
Wife Says Temporary Deransement,
Brought on BY Worry, Ill Health
and Lack Of Employment, tho Cause.

Believed to be temporarily derarsed
by melancholia, brought on by de-
spondency of i'll health, lack of employ
ment and debt, Roger S. Whitenaek III
West Boone street, attempted to ccm-
nit suicide by drowning In the Iowa
River near the Center street bridge
presumably some time early this MORN
| ing. Instead of drowning Whitefack
came near freezing 10 death. AT SIN
gleton's hospital, where he was TAKEN
| it was said today that he would I'M
doubtedly recover.
| Whitenack chose u place to drown
| himself near the Marshall Ice Com
pany's ice houses, where the water was
shallow and the bank sloping. he
waded in, and as he confessed to ms
wife today, "waded out again" the icy
GOODNESS of the water, and the lack OIL
sufficient depth being probably re-
sponsible for his retreat to the bank.
There he was found by driver for the
Marshall Ice Company, who had gone
to the river for load. He was uncon-
scious, and his clothes, which We're
soaked from head to foot, were frozen
stiff The driver fastened to their
| shanty near the bridge, used by the
night watch of the ice houses, e. w.
Fetters. The two carried the almost
dead man to the shanty, and the police
patrol was summoned, which took him
| to the hospital When he reached there
he was almost dead from shock and
exposure, but later revived, and was
able to talk to his wife and the attend
ants before noon.
Loft Homo at Noon Friday.
The story told by Whitenack, and
also by Mrs Whitenack, agree in gen.
eral as to the cause of the attempted
suicide At the hospital this morning
| Whitenack said that he was tired OF
living, because of his Ill health and his
failure to secure steady employment.
Whitenack left home at noon, accord
ing to Mrs. Whitenack's story. pre-
sumably to return to his work. having
just the day before regained his old
place as machinist's helper In the
Iowa Central shops Where he spent
the afternoon and night Mrs. White
mack was unable to say, further than
that her husband had told her that he
had been wandering -aimlessly around
Was Temporarily Insane.
It is the belief of Mrs. Whitenack and
the neighbors who know Whitenack
best. that his brooding over his real
and imagined troubles had brought on
temporary insanity, which prompted
the attempted suicide. Mrs. White
mack said her husband had been de-
spondent because he had been troubled
with severe cough, which he fire.
quently said he feared would lead to
consumption. Altho he had been en-
ployed for a time this winter by the
Lennox Machine Company, and later
by the Marshall Ice. Company, he had
not had steady employment, which
preyed on his mind Debts, caused
chiefly by sickness in the family, had
also had depressing effect.
Will Probably Recover.
Unless the exposure and shock should
bring about some severe Illness, 1t Is
believed that Whitenack will suffer no
serious result from his 1nidwinter
plunge. 1t was even stated at the hos
pital that he would doubtless be able
to be taken home before the day was
over
whitenack, who is about SO wears Of
age, is the son of Captain r. III. White
mack, now deceased, who was formerly
a prominent member of the local g. A.
r. post, and who, at one time, was city
marshal. Mr.. Whitenack's mother is
dead. and since her death Whitenack
has lived in this city. The family con-
sists Of a wife and one daughter.