New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-01-12
COMMITS SUICIDE
BECAUSE OF WAR.
FEARS THAT: NATIVE COUNTRY
MAY BECOME INVOLVED
IN CONFLICT
FARM HAND cOFS
HUNTING AND FAILS TO
RETURN

Great excitement prevailed in Cambria
township, just across the Brown county
line in Blue Earth county, last Monday.
when the report was circulated that q
man had been shot and killed on the Ben
Hughes farm, but it later developed that
it was plain case of suicide and the
neighborhood quieted down.
The suicide is Eric Anderson, farm
hand, about 20 years old. He had been
working on several farms in Cambria
since April of last year, most of the time
TOR &. A. Alkire, but for the past few
months had hired out as a wood chopper
and boarded at the Alkire place.
Last Sunday afternoon he left the
house, taking repeating shot gun with
him, but did not say where he intended
to hunt, If that was his object in taking
the weapon. Mr.. Alkire's young son
wanted to accompany him, but Anderson
told him to stay home. That was the
last seen OF the man alive When he did
not return Sunday night Mr.. Alkire began
to inquire at the neighbors', thinking that
ne might have stopped there for the
night and when this failed to locate
Anderson, search was made in the woods
where he had been seen to go.
A little dog had accompanied Anderson
on Sunday and the queer actions of the
animal attracted such attention that it
was followed up the creek to near what
IS known as the Hughes bridge. There
the frozen body was found "a grewsome
sight. The entire top of his head was
blown off, the brains oozing from the
gashing wound where the shot had come
out Of the head. Mr.. Alkire did not trv
to investigate whether it was murder or
suicide, but at once notified Coroner.
Jones OF Blue Earth county at Lake
Crystal, who arrived upon the scene
about noon, accompanied by the sheriff.
A cursory examination revealed it to
be a plain case Of suicide. The body
was on it's side with one knee drawn up.
The other leg was stretched and cord
attached to the toe of the shoe at one end
and to the trigger of the gun at the other
showed the means the unfortunate had
used to end his existence. The barrel
OF the gun had evidently been held close
to the mouth before the trigger was
pulled with the cord.
All this being plain on the face of it.
the coroner decided that an inquest was
superduous, pronounced it case of
suicide and ordered the body taken to
Lake Crystal, where it was prepared for
burial, but is being held until word has
been received from a brother who is
supposed to live at Rivertown, Wyoming.
Anderson came to Cambria last April
from Minneapolis, where he is said to
have been at work as laborer. He was
an industrious young fellow, but never
mingled much with other young folks.
The only topic which he would discuss
with anybody was the European war.
always bringing up the subject whether
or not his native country, Sweden,
would also become involved Following
such discussions he always became down.
hearted and Respondent He was in
one of these moods last Sunday AFTER
noon when he left the house, but no one
ever suspected that he would go to such
extremes to end his worries.
Although no definite information can
be gathered from the effects of the
suicide, it is known that his parents and
three sisters and two brothers still live in
Sweden and the other brother in Wy
oming.
Mr.. Alkire came to New Ulm yesterday
afternoon to deposit the money found
upon the body and in the trunk of the
dead man. There was about $50 in
money and an insurance policy; the
latter, however, had not been kept paid
up and is void. Mr.. Alkire's version of
the suicide is substantially that given
above. r..
A call is expected in the near future
from the Democratic county organization
for a convention at which to elect dele
oates To a state convention which will