East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-11-26

]. l.. Beckhusen, the horse dealer,
hung himself to a beam in the grand
stand at the baseball grounds last
night and this forenoon his lifeless
body was found by Cress Sturgis,
manager OF the high school football
team, who had Just gone to the
grounds to do some work preparatory
to the Thanksgiving day game. From
the circumstances In the case Beck
husen killed himself through despon-
dency brought on by business trou-
bles.
For a year or more the deceased
had been engaged in the horse busi-
ness here and sold German coach
horses which he had shipped from
the old country. He conducted his
business here in conjunction with his
brother william, who lives in Ger
many and had been shipping horses
for sale. Among the letters found on
his person this morning was one
from his brother in Germany. II
was written In German and was trans
lated by Attorney ]. p. Winter. In
the letter the brother repeatedly ask
ed that Beckhusen remit money that
was due so that the writer could then
meet his own obligations and obtain
money for further investments.
According to acqualntances Beck
husen had been worried Of late be-
cause OF his inability to pay his
brother and there is little doubt but
that this caused him to commit sui
eide.
Aside from the letter from his
brother many. other business letters
were also found, but nothing throw
ing any light on the cause Of his
death. Apparently he killed himself
without leaving word to anyone.
unless he had previously written his
old country relatives.
In his horse business here Beck
husen often sold horses for which he
took the purchasers notes. One note
for $500 was found in his pocket and
he also has others at local banks,
where they are security for money
loaned him. In his pocket this
morning was a statement from the
'Pendleton Savings bank showing that
on November 80 he was overdrawn
TO the extent of s7.7S at that insti-
tuition. He also had $32 In cash In
his pocket.
Beckhusen was 40 years of age and
was a single man. He came here
from Ritter. Grant county, where he
is said to have a 160-acre ranch. He
was generally regarded as being
fairly well-to-do and as being thor
oughly upright in all business mat
ters. II is believed by friends that
his scrupulousness In wishing to pay
his brother what was due him caused
him to become unbalanced mentally.
Was Probably Unbalanced.
Last evening an unknown man
was noticed standing on Lewis street,
near the residence of Darr Phelps,
and his strange behavior led Mr.,
Phelps to ask him to move on. The
man had been standing about In
strange manner of evenings for a
couple OF weeks and many of the
people of that neighborhood were
frightened over his actions. Last
evening Mr.. Phelps demonstrated
with him about his conduct and told
him ne would notify the police II he
continued II.
From the description of Beckhu- |
sen Mr.. Phelps is confident that the
man who killed himself is the same |
one he saw last night and he believes
he was partly crazed.
Parties who knew Beckhusen in
Grant county say that in a quarrel
with nephew several years ago he
accidentally killed his relative. 1t
was shown that he did not intend to
do SO and was not prosecuted. How
ever, the terrible incident may have
helped bring on a demented condi-
ton.
Personally the deceased always
seemed of q cheerful disposition,
though rather peculiar. He was tall