Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-04-13

GIRL JUMPS
UNDER TRAIN
Elizabeth GutuUeiLer, %,
Commits Suicide
Here Thursday.

Elizabeth Gutweiler, p, daughter
of Mrs. Otto Gutweiler of Fennimore,
committed suicide by throwing her
self in front of the evening passen-
ger train just north of the outskirts
OF Lancaster last Thursday evening.
The tragedy took place on the sharp
curve about one hundred yards north
of the canning factory crossing. The
young lady was seen by Miss Alice
Edge, Whitcomb school teacher en-
route home, to be walking on the
right-of- way toward the incoming
train. AS the train neared her Miss
Gutwei1er placed her body across the
rails.
Engine driver G. w. Long of Madi-
son, subbing for Charles Williams,
saw the young lady on or near the
tracks as he rounded the curve. She
was about two car lengths away Mr..
Long closed the throttle and applied
the brakes in an effort to stop and
the train almost left the rails.
Mr.. Long and his fireman, A. Hide
brand of Baraboo, say that Miss Gut
weller stepped forward and then lay
PROSTATE with her head, shoulders
and arms on the inside of the track
The rail was under her body below
the chest with the lower part of the
body outside and north of the rail
The train ran over the young wo-
man stopping about two car lengths
ahead. The train crew went back
finding the upper part of the body
about fifteen feet down the track from
the lower part. The body was cut in
two below the chest. The remains
ho1 ho priv nf tho
district attorney and then taken to r.
~ Hoskins' Sons, Morticians.
No reason except mental derange-
ment is ascribed to the case. Miss
Gutweiler was next to the oldest of
nine children, the family residing
with the mother on the farm four
miles north of Fennimore She had
been in poor health for a year and
came to Lancaster two weeks prior
to her death to take treatment at
the sanitarium. While here she lived
with her sister, Miss Mildred Gut
weller, stenographer for Clementson
& Frantz The young women resid-
ed with the Tom Welsh family in the
south part OF town.
During her residence here Miss
Gutweiler seemed depressed but her
hSSOCldI6S ulu luGII pcSI W CIISCl LCl.
During the day she spent much of her
time with Miss Name Gull of Fenni-
more, also a patient at the sanitarium.
Miss Gull returned home the middle
of last week
Last Thursday the sisters planned
to meet Miss Gull coming in on the
evening train. Miss Mildred spent
part of the afternoon with her sister
and left her at four o'clock with the
understanding that they would meet
again at the evening train. Miss
Mildred went to the depot at $50
and was unaware of what had hap
pened until called to Mr.. Clementson' S
home across the way.
The deceased was known as a win
some and attractive young lady. 1t is
said that she had made several walk
ing trips toward the railroad and that
she might have been planning self
destruction but the family had not an
inkling of any such intention. 1t is
also said that she had limited at such
an end to one of her associates during
the week previous. This disclosure
was dismissed as yagary although
the girl was known to be depressed
and her sister and friends endeavored
TO De WIN nef dS muCH DIS poSSIDle
The only conclusion is that she left
her boarding place around five O'Clock
and walked north until she came tC
the place where she thought the train
men could not stop the train owing
to the sharp curve. She then waited
until the right time when she threw
herself upon the rails.
The father, Otto Gutweiler, was
committed to Mendoza in 1916 He
was later paroled and then taken back
for further treatment At present he
is patient in the county asylum
The body was taken to Fennimore
Friday by auto hearse and the funeral
held Saturday