Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-02-19
FORMER WlLLMAR
TAILOR SUICIDES
Kills Self So Children May Get In
surance, but Suicide lnval-
idateS Policies.

1QdteS POl1CleS.
Minneapolis Journal, Feb. 18: Fac
ing small debts he could not pay,
| despondent because of poor business
and tired by the battle with the drink
habit, A. c. Rasmussen, tailor, took
his own life early today in his little
shop in a downtown office building,
for the apparent purpose Of enabling
his two small children to collect two
life insurance policies of $1,000 each
he carried in fraternal organizations.
After he was dead it was discover
ed that each policy contained a
clause invalidating the insurance in
case of suicide. That Rasmussen did
not know this was indicated by a
note which he left asking that the
secretaries Of the fraternal organi-
cations be notified at once Of his
death. The father who was willing
to give his life to provide funds for
his children died in vain.
In one of the pitiful notes which
Rasmussen left behind he bequeathed
a pawned watch to his 10-year-old
son.
Rasmussen lived at 1922 Monroe
street NE and a patent, self-heating
tailor's goose in his shop on the
fourth floor Of the Lincoln building,
Third street and Nicollet avenue, was
used by him in taking his life. After
telling Halvor Halvorson, night
watchman Of the building, that he in
tended sleeping in the shop, the des-
pondent tailor, shortly after midnight
connected the self-heating goose with
gas fixture in the shop by means of
a rubber tube and placed the goose
on bench. Then he turned on the
gas, lay down on the bench, thrust
his nose into the gas chamber of the
goose and breathed gas until he died.
His body was found by Charles and
John Anderson, janitor and engineer
tof the building, today.
c. NJ. Stocking, in charge of the
Union City mission, said that Ras-
mussen had been at the mission Fri
day night. ,-:,......,-.,.- y
"He said he wanted to get rid Of
the drink habit" said Mr.. Stocking
today, "and after the services I knelt
down with him and we prayed. told
him to fight the habit and to pray
when he felt it coming on. On Sun
day afternoon I went to his little
home and there I knelt with the man
and his little daughter and we prayed
for a long time. He told me his debts
were overdue, and he hated to face
the music"
Rasmussen leaves two children,
Sylvia, 13 years old, and Roy, 10
years old. That he believed he was
going to benefit them materially by
taking his own life and permitting
them to collect the insurance was in
dicated by two notes which he left,
in the opinion Of Coroner Gilbert
Seashore.
One of the notes which Rasmussen
left read:
"sylvia Rasmussen, 1922 Monroe
street Me-:
"Dear Sylvia and ROY have
been sick so long and cannot attend
to my work. Be good girl and boy
if anything should happen to me
Sorry I have to leave you, but cam
stand it any longer. I have insur.
ance Of $1,000 each in the Woodme1
of the World and the Danish Broth
erhood. This is yours. My watch i!
at 403 Washington avenue S., Shap'
iro's. It will take $3.50 to get it out
Give it to Roy. See that the secre
taries Of the Danish Brotherhood an,
the Woodmen of the World are mott
fed.
your Loving Papa"
Another note read:
, "John Grattun or John Anderson
| Lincoln building: Will you attend t
! some. Of the fall bills, the house ren
) and gas and electric bills7 Send m
body to Erl Olson on Franklin. Sc
to it that it is paid for.
e -"Rasmussen."
= DR.. Seashore said that on Feb.
Il he had attended both the Rasmusse
children when they had an attack Q
grip.
Mr. Rasmussen was we'll know
at Willmar. He came with his fam
y lily to Willmar in 1903 and RENAME
Il here three years, working for P.
5 Berg. He then left for Glenwoo'
q where he remained three years, whe
Il he again worked at Willmar for
year, after which he moved to Nil
: neapolis. His wife died z years ag
Two years ago Mr.. Rasmussen ":
= here on visit. r..