The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-05-27
HARD LUCK DROVE
HIM To KILL SELF
From Tuesdays Daily.

A stranger, whose lodge card indi-
Gates his name and address, to be J.
f. M%cIlbenna, Chamberlain, $. d.,
committed suicide in MankatO today
by taking strychnine. He was despond
ent because he could not find work,
and ended his life because ri this. His
health was not good, and he was
obliged to do light work.
McIlbenna arrived in the city yester-
day and applied TO Joseph Hampl, see
rotary of the Eagles erie, and showed
him the card and said that he was
out of work and in poor health, and
asked that he be assisted TO get work.
Mr.. Hampl tried a number of places
to get work for the man, but was moi
successful. The man remarked after
these disappointments that he guessed
he would Kill himself, but this was
not taken seriously and an effort was
made to cheer him mp. Some of the
Eagles Clipped in and raised a small
sun TO assist their brother member.
rUuuu oH INC oiuCWolh.
At about eleven o'clock this fore
noon Michael Kiffe found McIlbenna
living on the sidewalk near the j. l..
Case building, on North Front street.
suffering much pain. He assisted him
into an election rig. and just then DIR.
Roy Andrews came by and was hailed,
and had the man taken TO st. Joscph's
hospital.
1t was learned from McIlbenna that
he had taken strychninc about ten
O'Clock, hut this information was not
cleaned at first. DR.. Andrews asked
him whether he had been drinking, and
the man replied that he mad not-that
he had taken only a few glasses of beer.
Mcllbcnna was shouting during this
time that he was going to die, and
was in great pain. He finally remark
ed to DIR. Andrews: Il will he hon
est with YOU. | took ~strychnine, but
doI't know how much | took" The
man soon passed into Inconsistencies,
probably ten minutes after arriving
at the hospital, after suffering convul-
NloIS, .lu i'll ttU illiitutf6 iIolt istH9Nt
away. in spite of what was lone for
him. 1t was too late when he was
discovered to save his life.
Coroner Is Notified.
Coroner Kennedy was notified, and
went to the hospital, bat decided that
an inquest was not necessary. He
ordered the remains removed to the
undertaking rooms of the Klein Under
taking establishment. a book in his
pocket contained his lodge card, and
through this he was identIned. The Of
ficars of the erie were notified ard
took charge of the remains and tele-
9raphed to the erie at Chamberlain,
asking what disposition should be
made of the remains, but up to the
middle of the afternoon no answer had
been received.
Nothing is known about McIlbenna,
as he talked but little Of himself. 1t
is supposed that he had Il wife and
children. He was forty-five to fifty
years old, to Judge of his appearance.
Where Did He Get the Poison?
EIloIlS 10 hHu out where LHt Suitiut
secured the stryciminc nave failed. The
ease is Il sad one. There is plenty of
work for well, strong men, and the
highest wages in years are being paid
in order to induce them to come bit
for a sickly man there seems little
to do, especially for a stranger.
M~cIlbenna's card showed that he was
paid up to May l in his erie and he
was apparently an honest. unfortunate
laboring man, with perhaps too great a
fondness for liquor for his own good,
but as TO that nothing definite is
known. The Eagles seem to have done
all possible for him. and To have
shown the right spirit.