Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-20

financial difficulties, and the fact that
! a note On which he was surety was due
/, today and he was unable to meet it.
f, Richard kloppenberg. aged IS, WELL
known young farmer living two, and
one-haif miles east Of Melbourne. COM
z1itted suicide at o'clock this morning
J by shooting himself thru the head with
q shot gun.
/! The dead body. with the gun lying
beside it. va. found by the mans wife
when she went to see Why her husband
had not got started to the home OF
Henry Malfeid. a neighbor, to shell
! corn.
/ Pulls Trigger Will, Forksd Stick.
/ Kloppea5org had arisen at the usual
hour ;,,;s morning done his chores. and
was preparing to go to the Malfeld
home. Because he was taking SO much
time to get away Mrs. Kloppenhorg
went 10 the barn. and there found her
husbands dead body lying in sone of
the stalls.
Klopperhors had taken his 1s-gauge
chot gun TO the barn with him. had cut
q forked stick from the branch OF
tree back Of the barn. with his left
hand had placed the muzzle of the gun
in his mouth and pulled the trigger
with the aid Of the stick in his right
hand
Strange as il may seem the charge
Ct the gun even tho fred at close range,
did not penetrate the skull, and scaceiy
G!sfgured the mans face. Aside from
the powder burns on the lips, and the
blowing away of the teeth. there was
little 10 indicate from front view OF
the victim that his death came from
shooting. The left hand that held the
nuzzle OF the gun was also badly
powder burned.
Cheerful Before Act.
So far as any outward appearances
were concerned kloppennorg hao not
been respondent or mcrose prior TO
the shooting Fifteen minutes before
ne killed himself he was talking over
the telephone with his landlord, Henry
Hesscnius, and his conversation was
perfectly rational and in its usual vein.
Farm projects were talked over at
some length. and plans for the coming
season discussed. Kloppenborg had
been en- the Hessenius farm during the
past two years.
Little Known Of Financial Deal.
But was hHOHu d. AS
todav of the real or imaginary f.nan-
cal difficulty that appears to have
,3reyed on the young farmers mind. 1t
is known that while he had a few per
sonal obligations III Melbourne. they
We're not OF sufficient moment to cause
the man any worry.
AS near as can be learned Kloppen
borg mad signed a note with friend.
ana the note was due today. Kloppen
Borg feared he would be called upon
to pay it,and was unable to meet it.
Was Well Known in Melbourne.
kIoppenborg was we'll known in the
Melbourne VancIeve neighborhood.
there he had been reared from boy
hood. He was son OF Abel Kloppen-
borg, who lives three miles southeast
of Melbourne. The young farmers
family comprises his wife and two
small sons, the older 2h years and the
younger months. Mrs. Kloppenborg
was tcrrneriy Miss Lille Nay, OF this
city. daughter of the late Frank May,
who died here about four years ago.
Mrs. kloppenborg brother, Clifford
May aged II, makes his home with his
sister.
Aside from his immediate family and
mas 1ather hloppenporg Is survived oy
two brothers. John, vino lives on farm
near his brother, and Frank, who
makes his home with his father Mr..
Eioppenborg's mother and sister died
eTera! years ago.
No Inquest Held.
Coroner F. II. Boucher was apprised
Of kloppenborg's death shortly after
$50 this morning, and got in touch
With DR. w. A. Jensen, of Melbourne,
who was called as soon as Mrs. Klop-
penborg discovered her husbands body.
Dr. Jensen informed DR.. Boucher that
there was no doubt but that Kloppen
borg had taken his own life. and the
coroner decided that there was no need
for an inquest.
kioppcnborg carried life insurance
policy for $1,000 in the National Life
Association Of Des Moines. He took
out the insurance about eighteen
months ago. 1t was not known at Mel
bourne today whether or not the policy
contained suicide clause"
PRISON WORKER HERE.