The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-19
HE ENDED 1T ALL.
Hugo Suffer, Asylum Inmate,
Hangs Himself.
Homeless Man Who Was Picked
Up i'm Topeka.
NO BLAME FIXED.
Jury EXonerates Man
agement of Institution.
Insanity Was Brought ON by At
tack of Typhoid.

! Driven to suicide by Authorizations of
sight and hearing. Hugo Suffer. aged
| 65. an inmate of the state hospital for
| the insane, was found hanging from the
| transom bar of his room early today by
| L. z. McLelland, the attendant. Suffer
| was admitted to the institution from
Shawnee county five years ago. and
had previously been treated in asylums
in Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa
and Missouri He has no known rela-
tives or friends and will be buried in
the DOtter's field.
He has numerous Authorizations of
sight and hearing. Voices tell him
that asylums are too good for him,
and he should be in the workhouSe or
penitentiary; that he will go to hell;
that he must kill himself, ETC.; he sees
a moose suspended over his head at
night; witches and devils appear, but
vanish when he attempts to touch
them"-that entry regarding Suffers
condition is found in case book No. 80,
register No. 5497 to 5791, Topeka state
hospital.
Coroner H. H. Keith this morning
empaneled jury and an inquest was
held at which the facts of the suicide
were brought out generating the man
agement of any blame for the af-
air. 1t developed that the Attend
ant McLelland, who is on day shift,
locked the door of patient at o'clock
last night. at which time he noticed
When he went on duty al $50 O'Clock
this morning the attendant testified,
he unlocked Suffers room, and noticed
that something was against the door
Although he knew Suffer to be very
deaf the attendant called out to him but
received no reply. He had pushed hard
on the door by that time, could see the
bed, and knew that Suffer was up.
Then 1 carefully pushed the door, ,
expecting to have something thrown at
me- the witness said, then advancing
to the left saw his body hanging ,
against the door, his feet about six J
inches from the floor. His hands were
cold and he had no pulse so that I |
called DR.. John NJ. Hall, who assisted |
me. AS we pushed open the door the |
strip of sheeting with which Suffer had |
taken his life, dropped, and the patient |
fell to the floor"
1t was believed b. the witness that /
sewing table which stood by the right |
of the door was used by Suffer to
fasten the improvised moose and to let |
himself down in hanging position.
The attendant testified that Suffer,
who was a tailor by occupation, and |
who was nttive of Switzerland, would
at times bite other patients, but that to
his own knowledge. had never heard /
DR.. Hall was examined by the cor
oner's jury, and was sworn as to the
authenticity of the asylum records.
These archives showed that Suffer
when admitted to the institution had
been travelling about the country,
without destination and ostensibly
without intent.
He was afflicted with paranoia, and
was almost deaf He had been con-
fined, the record shows. in hospitals
At Indianapolis. Rochester. Mimi,
Louisville, Ky. Oshkosh, Wis, CIar-
nda. Ia, and st. Louis.
The patient at no time in his life
had been addicted either to liquor or
% the use of tobacco. but his afflic-
ion was brought on by an attack of
Uphold fever sixteen years ago.
Suffer escaped from the asylum
avn. September 90. of this year. and
reached Kansas City before appre-
lended and returned to the institu-
ion. He was absent from the latter
place three days at that time
The following verdict was returned
~ the jury:
The said jurors upon their oaths.
10 say that the said Hugo Suffer.
anne to his death by strangulation.
caused by hanging. The
'nicers and employees at the state hos
lital were in no way responsible for
C. Bailey. foreman,
calvin Brewer. William Stewart W.
;. Horn. P. H Souther. George A.
JarrOnr