New Britain herald., 1916-05-18
Brother and Friend Find Body of
 Richard SederVall in Cellar
MOST PECULIAR SUICIDE
Bent on Self Destruction, Sedervail Lies Backward Across Tub With
 Head Hanging Submerged in the Othcr-Made Careful Preparation.

Richard Sedervall, who boarded at 331 South Main street. committed sui eide this noon at the home of his brother, Charles sedervall of 1o2 Linwood street, by drowning himself in a tub of water.
 At 12:32 o'clock Mrs. Charles Se- dervall telephoned into the police station, stating that Richard Seder- wall had tried to commit suicide. Of- icers Fred Wagner and John Carl son hurried to the scene in the police ambulance, but Sedervall had been dead about quarter of an hour when they arrived. The body was found by Mrs. Hazel Sullivan and Charles Sedervall, who went down there looking for the 1atter's brother. When the police arrived an employe about the place had lifted SedervalIs head from the water, but life was extinct and Medical Examiner Harry E. El- cock gave the cause Of death as suf- location by drowning and turned the body over to Erickson & Carl son to prepare for burial
 Lies Back With Head Submerged.
 Sedervall's method of self -destruc- ton was the most weird of any that has occurred in this city in long time. Although his method was not of the bloodw, grewsome kind. it was nevertheless cumbersome and must have been extremely painful. In the cellar of the Sedervall home are set tubs similar to those in the kitchen washroom or basement of almost every tenement One tub was filled with water while the other, to which was attached a wringer, was empty. The suicide had apparently calmly climbed into the empty tub, twisted one leg around a water pipe that his position might be secure and let che other leg hang over the edge of tre set-tub beside the wringer Then he leaned over backwards, his hips acr oss the dividing section between the two tubs, until he was in a prostrate po- sition across the tubs with his head submerged in the water. He lay Ill that position until he drowned.
 When the police arrived they found that preparatory to committing Sul- eide SederyaU had carefully placed his hat on a nearby table. So care fully had he made preparations for suicide that his head was beneath the water only as far as his neck and
  clothing wet.
 Poor Health May Be Motive.
 While friends of the dead man are somewhat at a loss to account for his rash act, they are inclined to think that poor health is the cause. For two or three months Sedervall has been in poor health and for the past four weeks had been i'll with gastrisis and was attended by local physician. On Monday he had sufficiently recoV- cred to be able to return to work aG an expressman for his brother. While he seemed to be the same as usual he steadfastly refused to drink liquor, explaining that his health would not permit it. He worked all morning today but his companion states that although they stopped at several saloons all Sedervall would drink was ginger ale.
 It is a peculiar coincidence that the last work done by Sedervall yester- day was to bring a quantity of ma- terial to the store owned by Erickson & Carlson, the undertakers who, this afternoon, less than twenty-four hours later, are preparing his body for burial.
 Suicide Was P Years Old.
 Sedervall was a single man, P years of age last February. He leaves two brothers, Charles Sedervau, a well known expressman and Emil Se- dervalI with whom he lived and who also worked for his. brother.
 The funeral arrangements have not been completed.