The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-09-02
BICKLE COMMITS SUICIDE.
CUT HIS THROAT WITH RAZOR
AT HIS HOME IN AUGUSTA.

Death Occurred Almost Instantly.
Ill Health Supposed to be
the Cause.
L. A. Bickle. aged forty-tnree
wears, of No. II Greene street, yester-
dav morning almost severed his neao
from his body with a razor and oleo
almost instantly. Worry over SICK,
ness and death in his family is salo
to have unbalanced Bickle's nina
and he has not been himself Tor a
wear The deceased leaves a vile
and five children.
The tragedy is peculiarly sad oe-
cause yesterday was the hrst anniye,-
sary of the death of one OF Blckie $
daughters with typhoid fever. At the
time of the girls death her motner
and three brothers were also Vlctims
of typhoid and they all came near
dying. .+,o +ro,-
BILE of last year Bickle mas Deen
brooding very much and seVeral
months ago he quit his posltlon as
mail clerk on the Southern ha1i"ay'
between Augusta and BranchVlile, ..
n on account of ill health. For
several days prior to his death the
deceased ate practically no food anu
wonId take long walks down the
Sand Bar Ferry road. His mlno
co1ldn't be concentrated on one SUD,
ieet for long and his family belleveo
that oyerwork was also one OF the
causes of his mental trouble.
About ten-thirty o'clock SUNDAY
morning MIR. D. G. Stebbins, VINO
lives next door to the Bickles, was
startled by screams emanating from
the Rickle home He Immediately
vent to the Bickle house and the
wife and children of the deceased
told him that Bickle cut hlmseil
with razor while IN the DAHL
Mr.. stebbins found the dying man
with a razor grasped in his rlgnt
hand. living on the bath room noor.'
Mr.. w. H. Green, another neighbor,
arrived about the same time that MI.
Stebbins did, and they took the razor
from the hands of Bickle, who died
within few minutes. DR.. G. A.
TAYLOR, the family physician, arrived
soon after the deed was committed
but he could render no assistance
3 since the head lacked but little from
being severed.
DIR. Taylor had urged Bickle for
some time to go to North Carolina
to visit relatives, saying that the
change in scenes would do him good.
However, Bickle always refused 10
20, despite the pleadings OF MS Wl1e
and children.
Bickle happened to be a mail clerk
on the Charleston train which was
robbed on the night of May IL, when
the express car was rif1ed of its con-
tents and the express messenger, L..
M. Hutto, was found in a chest when
the train reached the union depot
However, express company ohclals
do not conect Bickle with the affair,
although he was questioned about
the robbery, as were the other peo-
ple on the train.
About two months ago. George r.
Humphries, baggage master on the
train on the night of the roDpery'
cut his throat and died shortly AFTER
wards on the corner OF Houston ana
Ellis streets, because suspicion tnat
he was connected with the robbery
was directed at him. 1t is coincl-
dence that both Humphries and
Bickle, who worked on the same
road, were on the same train on the
night of the robbery and who lived
in the same portion of the city
should kill themselves in the same
manner, but as stated, Bickle Is not
suspected of being party to the ex-
press robbery.
L. A. Bickle was member OF
Erhardt Lodge, Knights Of Pythlas.
of Erhardt, S. G. AS consequence,
from feeling of brotherly love, the
members of Vigilant Lodge, No: T.
Knights of Pythias of Augusta have
taken charge of the body and are
looking after the funeral arrange
ments.
The funeral will be held this after
noon at five o'clock from Holy Trim
ity English Lutheran church on
Greene street. The body will not be
taken to the house, but will be car
ried directly from Wilson's undertak-
ing establishment to the church.
The following members OF V1gllant
lodge have been asked to act as pail
bearers: Mr.. J. w. Lass, Mr.. w.
Easterling, Mr.. J. F. Roessler, Mr.. D.
G. Stebbins, Sr., Mr.. Henry Hogrefe
and Mr.. S. E. Marston.-Augusta
Chronicle, Monday, August 30th.