Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-07-06
FORMER OTTAWAN
PLANNED DEATH Of
HELPMEET AND SELF
WILLIAM kiRsCHENBERG WROTE
LETTER WHICH HAS BEEN
FILED AS WILL m PROBATE
COURT AT PHOENIX, ARiZ.

Details of the double tragedy ell
acted by William +. Kirschenbers
former Ottawa man, when he killed
his wife and then committed suicide
lated in copies Of newspapers re-
ceived here. One article follows:
A dramatic letter written by VIII
liam +. kir3chbCrg, 1913 Brush street,
Oakland. TO his brother, Ewald Kir.
schenberg, just four days before the
double tragedy at Phoenix, Ariz, Fri
day, In which William Kirschenberg
shot and killed his wife and then him
self was filed In the Superior Court
today In lieu CT will
The letter plainly ioretells the MUIR
der and suicide plan and states that
the writer had been harried by tn
actions Of his wife until he was de5
perate and no longer responsible for
his acts Directions for the disposed
OF his meager estate are contained in
the letter to the brother OF the dc.
ceased man.
The letter was written in Oakland
and is dated June 20, the day Kir
schenberg left for Arizona to kill his
wife and himself The letter follows
Again | am going to beg my wife
to come back to me. love her and
the children. II she don't come back
| cant help myself She has ruined
me and | don't know what to do.
am simply crazy. ! have begged her
not to leave me and | would treat
her well. | have done all ! could Tor
her ! worked every day to support
her the best | could ,.....
NOV she has left me without say.
ing goodbye and without leaving "a
note | didn't have chance to say
goodbye to the kids. If anything
happens now you can blame part OF
this trouble to Mrs. l.. Parrish, for
she has practically done the same
thing. So it runs in the family. II
she did not butt in On this, this would
not happen. And for the children'8
sake, please let her not have the chill
dren, Roberta and Gertrude. She is
not fit to take care OF them the way
they should be taken care OF. Give
them to my folks in Oakland, then
know they will have home. 80
please notify my brother and sis
ters, Ewald Kirschenberg, 2020 Brush
street, Oakland, and tell them what
has happeneded have the banh
book with me and l have sl396G COM
ing from where 1 worked last. And
collect my insurance .'itpa2 III
"Say, EWald, take care of this, See
that this Is done the way want to
have it done. Go and get my tools
and money and you will find a key
in, the dresser in one of the boxes and
get my insurance and get the bank
book, Then sell the rest of the stuff
and whatever is left over. alter pay.
ing the funeral expenses, that Will be
for the kids for taking care of them.
The tools you can have and the rest
must be sold.
There is some stuff at Phoenix
that belongs to the children, Don't
sell the jewelry, Save that for the
children Now be sure and take the
children away from Mrs. Parrish and
give them a decent home.
Il must say goodbye forever.
WILLIAM F. KIRSCHENBERG
"P. Snow don't forget to
straighten this thing out as | told
you, Ewald You can have all nv
clothes; they will come in handy to
you"
Kirschenberg killed his wife ct the
home of her mother, Mrs. h. e. Par
rish. mentioned in his letter as Mrs.
l.. Parrish, in Phoenix. Then he shot
himself, dying instantly.
Two children, Roberta, Z, and Cert
rude, A. survive the parents. Kirschen-
berg was mechanic.