The Detroit times., 1912-05-02
IMAGINARY CRIME SEEMS
TO HAVE DRIVEN DETROIT
YOUTH TO TAKE HIS LIFE
c. z. Radtke, Who browns Self
In Philadelphia, Told of
Being Wanted Here
NOT KNOWN TO THE POLICE
Appeared Despondent For Some
Time Before Disappearing
From Home April 13
NOT KNOWN TO THE POLICE

Having led the life OF a rover for
five years, ever since he was IA years
old, Clarence Edward Radtke. OF NO.
500 Fourth-ave., left behind him no
tangible clue TO the cause or MS
suicide by drowning in the Schuylkyl
river at Fairmount park, Philadelphia,
Tuesday. His mother, Mrs. Marguerite
Radtke, had seen nothing OF him
since he left home in his working
clothes, Saturday, April 13, and the
local police report they have no
records to substantiate Radtke's let
ter to the Philadelphia chief of police
stating that he was wanted for
crime committed in Detroit a few
weeks ago.
The young man, who would have
celebrated his twentieth birthday,
Oct. 22, next, had appeared despon-
dent but had given his mother no In
timation of the cause for his depres-
sion. Having become an industrious
and efficient railroad fireman, he had
worked ON railroads all over the coun-
try and gave many indications of hav-
Ing become enamored of railroad life,
with the big wages attending 1t in
the west, But this spring he had been
unable to find employment at his fav-
orite vocation, and there is also the
suggestion OF a romance in remark
he made TO a fellow workman short
ly before he disappeared from Detroit.
He had taken employment in the
yards OF the G.. H. Little Co., in High
land Park, but worked there only
three days in March as a laborer.
II am a married man and my wife
is coming here from California; |
don't know how am going to keep
her." he remarked with a facial ex-
preston making it impossible to
Judge whether he was jesting or in
earnest.
In the Little yards the young man
was known as Clarence Pangburn.
his legal name. but since his mothers
marriage, two years ago, he had been
going mostly under the name OF his
stepfather, 10 whom he had taken
great liking
Sometimes" said Mrs. Radtke.
who received the news of her sons
death, Tuesday night, IL would not
hear from Clarence for year at
time. But when he would come home
10 stay for a while he was always
bright and happy until the last time.
Then | noticed that he would want TO
stay I'm the house all the time, and he
would follow me around while | was
doing my housework. But IL any of
the men boarders were here he would
20 up to the third floor and stay there.
Often he would sit for n long time on.
the davenport with his face resting
in his hands, looking down at the
floor. He appeared TO have no partic.
ular girl friends and he spent prac-
tically all his evenings here at home"
April 13. the day he disappeared,
Radtke called at his mothers home
during the morning Apparently he
had returned from his work to spend
a few minutes with relatives who
were spending the day here. But Mrs.
Radtke's sister remarked afterward
that while the boy was talking with
the others, his eyes were fixed affec-
tionately and uninterruptedly upon
his mothers face. He did not return
that evening from work. and the next
word Mrs Radtke had of her son was
Tuesday nights notice OF his death.
Radtkes letter to the Philadelphia
chief OF police announcing that he
was wanted in Detroit and saying he
intended 10 kill himself was received
by the Philadelphia police official
Tuesday morning and at noon of the
same day body was taken from the
dam in Fairmount park, which was
later identified as that of Radtke.
A thousand dollars insurance that
Radtke carried in the Modern Broth
erhood, appears to be void because OF
a suicide clause.