The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-08-26
SUICIDE IS
STRONGLY SUSPECTED
Joseph Rekahr, Struck by Interurban
Car is Picked up Twent- Five Feet
Away-Friends Say He Was
Dazzled by Strong Headlight as it
Approached Him.
Especial to THE T1MEsJ.

Indiana Harbor, Ind, Aug. ga
skilled surgical operation and a wild
midnight ride to st. Margarets hospi-
tai in Hammond sufficed to save the
life of Joseph Rekehr of Oklahoma.
for time at least. but his condition
is believed to be critical.
Rekehr was struck by a westbound
c., L. S. & S. B. street car at 9:15
o'clock last night Whether the acci-
dent was the outcome OF a pre-ar-
ranged plan of self-sacrifice or wheth-
er Rekehr merely failed to see the ap-
preaching car. is not known. Consid-
erable credence is given the theory of
suicide, however. although no despond-
ency on the part of the victim has been
noticed by his friends.
Well Known in Harbor.
Rekehr is a Lithuanian, about 35
years of age. He is a wen-known
figure in Indiana Harbor, having been
employed for two years as bartender
in the Bremen buffet. He recently
took position in the c., l. & S. yards
at Gibson, Ind. and has been working
steadily.
ne lS IepOIlEu 10 nave T6dCn6u HIS
boarding place at the Martin home,
between East Chicago and Indiana
Harbor, about o'clock After per-
forming his evening ablutions he went
to the saloon of c. EartIey at One
Hundred and Thirty eighth street and
Euclid avenue and while he never
| drank to any unusual excess. he had
considerable liquor aboard when in
jured.
At els o'clock Proprietor Eartley
| declares he saw Rel1ehr rise from his
chair and glance down the street In
terurban car No. so was approaching
at a terrific speed. under the control
of Motoramn Albert Kull. With an
! inarticulate cry. he rushed from the
saloon and literalls threw himself in
front of the moving car.
Victim Badly Hurt.
The grewsome collision was almost
! deadly. and Rekehr was picked up
/ twenty five feet away, at the side of
| the road, fatally wounded and bleed
/ ing profusely from a deep scalp wound.
| Closer examination showed that the
man was suffering with a severe frac-
ture of the skull
Mortician TeaTs Red Cross ambuI-
| ance was called into service and the
| unconscious man taken to the office
( of DR.. T. H. Sauers on Michigan ave-
nue.. DR.. Ainsley. the railway COM
pany's physician. soon joined DR.. Sauers
and a consultation of the two physi-
clans found it necessary to prosecute
an immediate operation.
The mans life was in the balance
said DR. Sauers to a TIMES represen-
| tative, and we decided that the opera
tion would give him a new lease of
life. if not enable him to wholly re-
cover"
Nature of Operation.
A piece of the skull bone, portion
of the base, and located Immediately
above the lobe of the left ear. was
removed. The bone structure taken
away, evidences of consciousness began
to appear and the doctors, strong fr
the belief that the man would recover
ordered him taken to st. Margaret
hospital at Hammond
Undertaken Tears ambulance con.
veyed the injured man from Indiana
Harbor to the hospital in forty min
utes Although it was feared that the
jarring ride would affect the patient
he reached the hospital safely and wa.
put to bed by Interne Miller.
Motorman Kul1 was deeply shocked
by the unfortunate accident, to which
he was made an unwilling party. %
saw the man rush from the street cor.
ner and throw himself in front of the
car before I could reserve the brakes
explained Mr.. Kull to THE TIMES cor.
respondent last night. Dispatcher Kel.
log of the Hanna line made thorough
investigation of the near-tragedy and
announced that he was fully convinced
that the accident was one of suicida
J intent
Had Made Other Attempts.
According to the story told me b,
an Indiana Harbor saloonkeeper," h.
declares, "Rekehr has made two o,