The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-25
LEAPS IN RIVER;
FIGHTS RESCUERS
David j. Aston Attempts to Take
Own Life by Leap From
K keokuk and Hamilton
Bridge.
WORRIED OVER DEBTS?
Belief He Would Be Unable to Pay
Debts and Excessive Drinking
Said to Have Been
the Cause.

Rescued from the river by two fish
iermen after he had attempted to end
MS life by jumping off the draw of
the keokuk and Hamilton bridge here
Yesterday morning. David J. Aston,
until recently of Wayland, and form
erly of this city, made frantic efforts
/, to jump back into the river from the
Il boat before he could be taken to the
shore. He was rescued by William
Kelly and Otto Jackson, who saw him
Jump. from the bridge into the river.
He was taken to the Graham hospital
where it is said he is in no danger.
Aston was unable to talk coherent
ly when taken to the police station in.
mediately after being rescued, and be-
fore he was removed to the hospital.
Efforts to learn from him the cause of
his act brought only the statement
that 'he wanted to do it,
Excessive drinking during the last
five or six days, coupled with the be-
lief that he ~cver would be able to e IT
out of debt, were reasons advanced by
his wife for his attempt to end his
own life, according to the Police. He
had threatened several times in the
last few days to commit suicide, his
wife told the police.
Condition Not Serious.
Aston was not in the water long
enough to endanger his life. He Wen:
on the bridge about 10 o'clock, and
walked directly to the middle of the
draw span, where he removed his
coat, placed it on the railing, and then
leaped over into the river. Jackson
and Kelly saw him jump from the
bridge and put out Immediately in a
boat to rescue him. When they had
dragged him into the skiff he tried
desperately to break away from them
and get back in the water.
Aston formerly was travelling
salesman for the American Cement
Machine Company here and worked for
them for some time. Later he went
to Wayland where he operated res
taurant for about one year. He re-
Gently sold this business and came u
this city. He and his wife have been
residing at the Grand hotel here.
Worried over Debts7
Mrs. Aston told the police that her
husband had been ,despondent for some
time and believed that he would be
unable to pay his debts. These she
Sdlu, dUOuHLSu 10 OHiy dDouI %SoV,
and would not be difficult for him TO
meet. He had worried about them,
however, and had magnified their i'm
portance In his own mind.
When Aston was taken to the Pc
lice station his wife was notified. She
arrived a few moments later with a
supply of dry clothes for him. A
physician also was summoned and 1t
was decided to remove him to the
Graham hospital until he has recover
ed from his experience and regained
his normal state of mind.
Mrs. AIston's Statement.
Mrs. Aston, wife OF D. J. Aston, |
stated to The Gate City last night |
that her husband did not jump off |
the bridge. She said he was |
on his way to visit his mother in i
Hamilton, and was sitting on the !
bridge railing, and fell over into the /
water. She said she could prove this |
statement. She said her husband was ;
not an excessive drinker, as had been /
stated, but that he drank periodically.
Mrs. Aston denied the statement
which had been made that her hus-
band was financially EN- barrassed.
She said they owned their own
home and some land and that firm
owed him some money.