Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1914-03-12
F0ELl SUICIDES

, by his own hand was the fearful
method used by Louis S. FoeII. fol
several years resident of the Tenn.
vik neighborhood. in ending his owr
life Thursday Of last week.
Louis S. Foell. 62 years of age,
displayed a superhuman tenacity OF
purpose in ending his life. His
mind has been more or less unbal.
anced and the tragedy followed
closely on plans he had under way
for dividing his property between
his three living sons and his wife,
previous to going elsewhere to make
his home. That the deed was long
meditated by him and perhaps
brooded upon for hours in diseased
and disorded brain is disclosed by a
letter written by him with extreme
care, a letter somewhat in the ma
ture of personal history or an au-
tobiography-and likely never COM
pleted. The letter, too. shows the
wanderings of a beclouded in
tellect.
! Thursday morning, about 0
o'clock. Mr.. FoeIl asked the loan Of
a revolver from Charles Kuehl.
a neighbor. Upon inquiry as to the
object he had stated that rabbit
hidden Under an old header was to
he killed. He was informed that a
22-calibre rifle hanging nearby ought
to fill the bill. Mr.. Foell secured
the rifle and some cartridges and
went 10 shed near the house.
Later, a son, Frank Foell, went to
the barn to see what kept his father
there and found him lying face down
in pool Of blood. Help was imme-
diately summoned and DIR. Wolver-
ton called. Eleven bullets had en-
tered the skull just above the eyes
and seven had gone out through the
top of the head, lodging in the cell
ing above. Death occurred at s
o'clock the same afternoon.
Owing to the seeming impossibili-
ties of man driving that many bull
lets into his own head. authorities
from Linton at once went to The
farm which is hut a shor distance
this side of Temvik on he Linton
road. A corone1's inques' was held
and the facts proved suicide conclu-
sively, the jury finding as stated be-
ing composed of Messrs. A. M.
Britss, Theo. Brenner and Herman
Brusch. Four If the bullets had
lodged in the head. Eleven bullets
we're all there were in the gun and
every one had been exploded.
The tenacity of purpose in the su-
icidal attempt is further shown by a
pool of blood some distance from
the place the body was discovered,
showing that the unfortunate man
had fallen once. partially recovered
and returned to his terrible purpose
| At the time of the tragedy only
Frank Foell, a son, was on the place.
Mrs. Louis Foell had been stayiug at
the home of another son because of
domestic difficulties. She, and the
sons, Frank. William and Fred, are
the only members Of the family
which he leaves. They all reside in
the neighborhood of the tragedy.
| What induced the suicide is more
or less uncertain, the dead man .hav.
ling communicated nothing of his
purpose or his reasons. However
some years ago he sustained an in.
!, jury to his head which may have af
fected his reason. The note which
was found in his writing desk. showl
an irrational condition of mind. WI
pTlUL ~ BclCWlLus ~ kUUu kIduc "
paper such as is commonly used fo
correspondence purposes had beel
used. There was no date, but line
had been carefully ruled to writ
upon as he composed the note. 1t
! as follows:
"My father and mother came fror
Vandenburge, Germany, in 1S4c sci
tied on a piece off land nine mile
north off where now the City off Dr
buque standes never moved off vi
D till there natchurl dead in 1874
was married to Louisa Reichert an
q in 1876 we moved to Cero Gordo {
Iowa where we stayed as rentt
4 most off the time in 1905 where
4 was born in 1853 in 1874 / vas ma
q ried to Louisa Reichert and in 49,
4 we moved to Cero Gordo Iowa whe,
i we lived until 1905 when we NOV.
4 to Linton Emmons CO NJ. d. s
Z children was born to us off who
I three died in infancy"
: The letter was unsigned, b
q shows many marks of careful nren