New Ulm review., 1920-12-01
EX-SLEEPY EYE
MAN IN SUICIDE
DEAD BODY OF VIM. j. EICH
is FOUND AT MANkATO
EARLY SATURDAY.
UNIQUE NOTES LEFT BEHIND
DESIRED A PINE BOX FOR
HIS COFFIN.

William J. Eich, a resident OF Sleepy
Eye, some 20 odd years ago, and who
shot and killed Wallace M. Greene at
that place, January II, 1898, COM
mitted suicide at Mankato last week.
For the shooting of Greene, Eich was
tried in the Brown county district
court here during the following term
and acquitted, as the evidence indi-
Gated that he had committed the act
in self-defense.
Saturdays Mankato Free Press con-
tanned the following article relative
to the suicide:
Used Sawed-off Shotgun.
Lying dead in a pool Of his own
blood in the rear of small brick
storehouse near the site OF the old
malt house on Rock street, William
]. Eich was found this morning at
$50 o'clock, where he had committed
suicide by the aid of sawed-of shot
gun, which lay near the body.
That the rash deed had been pre-
meditated for some time past is evl-l
denced by letters the deceased lett
for the public and the press OF this
city. One of these letters, dated Aug.
16, 1920, states plainly that the ur-
fortunate man had fully determined
at that time to take his own life,
owing to the fact that he had become
very respondent over family affairs
and things in general. He went into
the minutest details of describing his
property and it's disposal.
Letter to Police Chief.
In letter to Chief Of Police Jacob
Hilgers the dead man tcld where his
last will and testament could be found,
at the home Of his sister, Mrs. Ed.
ward Enfield, $40 North Front street.
He gave explicit instructions to have
his Ford car, which is now in the
Finley & Johnson garage, given to his
wife, Mrs. w. j. Bich, 148 George
street, st. Paul.
Bid Goodbye to World.
In closing his letters to the press
and the public, the deceased bid
goodbye to the world and his friends
in general. That he wishes the most
simple funeral possible, is evidenced
bv the fact that he requested that he
be buried in rough pine box with
rope handles, and that his body be
taken to the cemetery on dray.
Scrubbed, no doubt, last night in the
dark, just before he took his life, was
penciled note on the bottom of one
of the letters asking forgiveness of
his sister for the deed Of taking his
own life. &,
Police Were Notified.
AS soon as the police were notified
they hurried to the scene and found
that the body was then cold and rig
or nocrtus had already set in, indicat-
ing that the body had lain there for
sometime. The body was lying dag
cnally across the road in the muddy
alley with a large gaping wound on
the left side where the, muzzle OF the
sawed-off shotgun had evidently been
placed when the gun was fired. Ex-
animation of the firearm by Chief OF
Police Hilgers after the arrival OF
Coroner Roy N. Andrews, disclosed
the fact that both barrels of the twelve
guage gun were fred at once and both
charges of fine shot must have tern
regions ofSthe heart.
Death Was instantaneous.
That death was instantaneous, is
evidenced by the fact that there are
no signs of struggle following the
firing of the fatal 81 OTIS Near his
feet was found ''guEnv sack, which
was evidently used by the suicide IN
which to carry the short sawed-otf
shot gun, with which the deed was
committed. 1t was found upon exam
ination that the stock OF the gun was
broken off just back OF the hammers,
SHOWING plainly that the butt end o.
the stock had been placed against the
stone wall with the muzzle OF the gun
pressed tightly against the man, lett
ide while he worked both triggers
with his hands.
Clothes Near Body.
Just to one side OF where MS deac
body was found, his coat and ves1
and overcoat were found piled or
some old iron pipes, and on top O
the pile was his cap. 1t was IN tht