Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-05-14
SUICIDE BY SHOOTING.
Ex.Sheriff 1ernick q
Stearns Does Away With
Self in st. Paul

Cloud, committed suicide this morn.
ing at II o'clock in Debach Bros.
Turkish bath rooms. on Fourth street,
by shooting himself through the head
with revolver. Bernlck went to the
bath rooms last evening about II
o clock ana took a Turkish bath and
remained over night. He was well
acquainted with he proprietors and
they thought nothing OF it but about
II O'Clock when he tailed to arise,
one of the attendants was sent to call
him. He answered ''all right A
few minutes later shot was heard.
The doors were broken open and
Bernick was found lying on the bed
with bullet from revolver through
his head. He was dead when medical
aid reached the place. Financial
troubles are said to have been the
cause of the rash deed.
Chief of Detectives, Capt. John
Clark, was In the barber shop getting
a shave when the shot was fired. He
rushed upstairs just as the door was
being torcd open and personally took
charge of the case. The body was
removed to the morguv, and the
relatives notified.
The news of Bernlck's self .destruc-
tion created much surprise IN St.
Cloud, where he was we'll known. For
the past year or more he has been
travelling for a st. Paul wholesale
liquor house. He was in st. Cloud
last week attending to the removal of
his household goods to st. Joseph to
which place he moved his family re-
Gently. Monday noon he went to st.
Paul. A friend who accompanied him
to- the depot states that he seemed to
be In his usual good spirits. He was
well supplied with money, having
several hundred dollars in his
possession. This morning the whole
sale house for which he worked in
CURED by telephone in this city as to
Bernick's whereabouts.
John P. BernicK was widely known
throughout Stearns county, because of
his connection with the sheriff's Office
for many years. He first entered the
Office as deputy for the late Capt. J.
E. McKelvy, in 1896, and remained as
deputy until 1902, when he received
the democratic nomination and was
elected. He held the Office for four
years. He did not run in 1906, but in
1908 he again tried for the democratic
nomination but was defeated by the
present incumbent, Sheriff Morltz.
He had a very large personal follow.
ing throughout the county Since
leaving the sheriff. g Office he has been
mkloyed tor different wholesale
houses travelling on the road.
He was about 36 years old and has
lived in Stearns county nearly all his
life. A wife and three children
survive him, two sons, John aud
Lincoln, and daughter, Leonella
Until very recently he lived in st.
Cloud. but when his mother, Mrs.
Anna Bernlck, of st. Joseph, and
daughter, Miss Anna, left for a trip to
Austria, Europe, a few weeks ago.
he moved his family to st. Joseph to
occupy his mothers home until she
should return. Besides his mother, he
also leaves two brothers, Charles A.
Bernick of Cold Spring, and Frank
Bernlck Of Chicago, and two sisters,
Mrs. Peter Loso of Staples, and Miss
Anna Bernlck, who IS travelling with
,, her mother In Austria
he was a prominent member of the
Eagles and Red Men, having been
instrumental in the organization OF
both lodges in St. Cloud, and also
belonged to several other fraternities.