The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-05-24
WOMAN FINDS
DEATH IN
WATER
MRS. WILLIAM r. KOEHLER COM
mlTs SUICIDE BY DROWN
ING IN RESERVOIR.
NO INQUEST TO Be HELD
se't- Destruction Is So Apparent That
Coroner Decides Official Investioa-
ton to Be Unnecessary-kimono
Pockets Were Weighted With Rocks
Husband Is Engineer.

Husband Is Engineer
with the pockets of her kimona
iiiied with rocks, the body of Mrs
"liiiam T.. koehler thinly clad. was
taken 1foin the city reservoir yester-
! uay morning. On the edge of the ce.
lleht-flpbed reservoir were found n
pistol and a Woman's slipper, the cline
tial led to the recovery of the hodv
1t Is evident that Mrs. KoehIer who
was the wife of Engineer Kneblar ~
the Northern Pacific, and rasited -
sS6 street, met death at her own
hands, as she had intimated her in
ssne'on on previous occasions. On
thursday, May 20, the woman who
ilaa peen In poor health, stated to her
husband that she though death would
De the best way out Of her. trouble
ana that she thought he weuld ..ao
better If he didn't have $50 many
DOCTORS bills to pay. So, with mind
unbalanced with physical suffering
ana mental worry, Mrs Koehler three
Times mother, arose from her he'd
yesterday morning as the gray Of aawn
+tlrst stole over the hilltops and set
out to find her death.
| saturday night Mr. and Mrs Koch
lef' after putting the children to Had
| relifed 10 their room ard were soon
asleep AT $40 o'clock yesterday
| morning Mr. Koehler aMoke and fo,,nd
ms Wife missing, and feared that
something was wrong He arose.
dressed and, finding no trace of ira
missing woman, left the house in
| search of her He first waIl.ad st,,.
way up the Rattlesnake. where aha
aau oi.eh gone Tor stroll, but could
liha no trace of her, so started over
ne water works hill, and when near
.iie reservoir noticed slipper belong
ing TO his wife lying Just inside the
renee while a revolver which she had
Drought along was resting on the curb
which surrounds. the water.
Officials Notified.
|. Having a presentiment that his wife
was III the water, Mr.. Koehler dashed
down the hill notified County Coroner
w. p kendrick, who in turn notified
Sheriff Dave Graham, and the two. ac-
cofnpanied by B. B. Smith, an en-
pioye OF the Missoula Water company.
ana Y. e. Hafer went to the scene of
the tragedy. 1t was 9 o'clock when
Mr.. koehler noticed the slipper and
1890 when the coroner received m.
news. After the use of graphing hooks
Tor about Is minutes the BODY was 10
Gated In the bottom of the reservoir
near the north end, and was raised to
the surface and taken to the under
taking establishment of J. M. Lucy e.
Sons.
1t was sad affair, although NOT an.
tlfely unexpected, as Mrs. koehler had
as late as last Thursday threatened to
do away with herself 1t is said bv
women friends of the deceased thar
last sunday while roaming the hills In
'iie region OF the reservoir. she COM
ilieited on Wnat a desirable place the
reservoir would be for a suicide.
The married life of the couple was
all that could be desired. Mrs. Koch
Ter Is said to have been a cheerful
woman, sociable, and an ideal house,
keeper Tile couple had been married
Tor several years and was blessed with
three children, aged 6 years, years
and months respectively Their home
lie was OF the best, and there was
absolutely no reason for the tragedy
except that the woman was temporar-
lily deranged from i'll health.
Husband Is Engineer.
Mrs. koehler was 81 years of age
and had been married for a nnn,l,er
of years. Her maiden name was Alice
M Martin. Mr.. koehler is a we'll
Known engineer on the Northern Pa
cific and Is a popular man. AT present
he is financial secretary of the local
union of The brotherhood of Loeo1no-
tive Flremen and Enginemen Mrs,
koehler was a devout member of the
Catholic church.
The remains of the victim of the
sad affair will be shipped this evening
on No. 16 to Pasadena, Cal, for in
terment. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Koehler
We're former residents of that city.
They came TO Missoula more than 10
years ago.
No Inquest.
In the minds of the officials who
investigated the case there exists no
doubt that Mrs koehler's death was
That she had made
preparations for self destruction is ey-
denced by the fact that the pistol
sound lying on the reservoirs concrete
curb was loaded. The Woman's hus-
,and stated yesterday that there had
oeen no cartridges in the house to fit
he gun, which was a Colts OF large
saliber, and that his wife had been
shopping on Saturday afternoon, hav-
ng evidently purchased a box OF
'hells at that time. There were no