New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-19
Dies in Hospital From
Bullet Wound a Few
Hours After Shooting at
His Home in Potsdam
Had Suffered From
Mental Depression
Believed to Have Been
i'm Financial Straits;
Was Recently Divorced

BERLIN, July 18 (By The Asso-
ciated Press).--Prince Joachim of
Hohenzollern, youngest son of for
mer Emperor William, committed
suicide Saturday in Potsdam.
The prince shot himself at his
residence, the Villa Leignotz. He
was removed to st. Joseph's Hospi-
tai, where he died few hours later.
Joachim had been suffering from
great mental depression. He is be-
lieved to have been in financial
straits. He recently was divorced.
The only member of the former
imperial family now in Potsdam is
Eitel Friedrich, second son of the
former Emperor.
Prince Eitel, questioned as to the
motive for his brothers suicide, de-
clined to make any statement, referring
the correspondent, at the same time, to
the official announcement that Joachim
was suffering from "a fit Of excessive
dementia."
Least Talented of Sons
The body was transferred to Potsdam
Chapel this morning. Prince Joachim
was the least talented of the Emperor's
sons. He held the rank of captain,
but, according to statements now made,
he was never actively at the front.
He leaves one son.
The whereabouts of Prince Adal.
bert, Prince August William and
Prince Oscar are unknown. The for
mer Crown Princess is reported to be
staying on Rugen Island
Prince Joachim was born December
~, 1890, in the imperial palace In Ber-
lin. He was educated at the Princes
University. Although his first inten-
tion had been to enter the navy, where
four of his brothers had preceded him,
and to serve under the ex-Emperor's
fourth son, Adalbert, who was then
in command Of the torpedo boat fo-
tilla, Joachim finally decided to seek a
career in the army.
Decorated for Bravery at Namur
At the outbreak of the war he was
first lieutenant in the LIST Regiment
of Frontier Guards on the French
boundary. With the advance of the
German forces through Belgium and
into France, Joachim took an active
part in the operations, being decorated
with the Iron Cross for his bravery
during the siege of Namur.
Two months after the outbreak of
hostilities he was reported wounded,
when struck in the thigh by five
scraps of shrapnel. In message to
the Dowager Grand Duchess of Baden,
Immediately afterward, the prince
telegraphed: God has allowed me to
be wounded. Bless Him! I am proud
of the day I fell. 1t was the finest day
l have ever lived"
hospital near the front line. Although
the wound healed rapidly, the flesh
had been torn and he was several
weeks in the hospital. The shrapnel
did not touch the bone. The Empress
and the surgeons at the hospital had
considerable trouble keeping their
patient in bed, as he treated the wound
as a "trif1e," and at first kept insisting
that he would rejoin his regiment
within fortnight. On his removal to
Berlin for a complete rest after the ac-
cident the prince greeted an old palace
servant whom he had known since
childhood with the remark: cam
not lucky dog?"
In Hottest Part of Battle
An officer, who was with Prince
Joachim when he was wounded, de-
scribed the prince as exposing himself
under fire in the hottest part of the
battle.
"While acting as information Off
cer" the officer said, prince Joachim
was dispatched to the firing line to
learn how the situation stood. He had
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