Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-07-16
Insane Man
Kills Self In
RiChardsHotl
Locks Himself in Bathroom
and Slashes Throat and
Wrists.
THOUGHT SOMEONE
WAS AFTER Hi

Fred Heidershal Of Minneapolis COM
mitted suicide in Libby Monday r.
ternoon, in the Richards hotel, -
slashing his throat and both wrists. -
had gone into the bath room upon
the plea of desiring to take q bath e.
W. Richards, the proprietor Of ~
hotel, became alarmed after He33sv-
shall had remained in the bath roow
between two and three hours and upou
his failure to elicit any reply ituin
Heidershal in response to his rcpeaasf
calls 70 HIM Whereupon Mr.. RichaFdk
notified UNDERESTIMATE Spery who broke
into the bath room and found Heidog-
shall dead, lying in pools Of blood. H
ut once notified Coroner Gompf who
took charge of the body. II WIS
shipped to a sister in Minneapolis.
An inquest was considered unneces-
sary as it was plain case of suicide
The razor used by Heidershal was ~
ing close by and the bathroom Wa
locked from the inside and there was
no possible way for anyone to grim
entrance to it after Heidershal locked
the door except by breaking in.
Heidershal arrived in Libby Thurs
day evening from the east on Great
Northern train No. 8. He made his
way to the Hotel Libby and sought
lodging but because of his queer talk
was put off with an excuse. He began
complaining to the hotel clerk that he
was in trouble, that some one was II
ter him, also asking if there was q
good Jail in town where he could OBJ
tain protection, and if there was
hardware store where he could buy
gun. He was directed to the county
Jail.
At that time Undersheriff Sperry
took the man in. He went quietly to
bed and caused no disturbance and
was very quiet all the time he was at
the Jail, although when he first APP
peared there he continued his talk
about needing protection, that some
one was after him and would kill him.
BY Saturday noon he apparently WINS
alright mentally and wanted to 60 over
town and get a shave. Mr. Sperry
thought the man had probably been
taken Ill while travelling and that he
had become delirious and was in that
condition when he first arrived here.
He let him out but watched him to
some extent Heidershal went to the
Delzer barhershop and was shaved and
then went out and bought some cigars,
soon returning to the Jail where he
gave the officer one of the cigars.
That evening Mr. Sperry suggested
to the man that it would be alright for
him to proceed on his journey and
offered to go to the train with him
Heidershal replied that he believed he
would rest up for two or three days
more. He remained at the Jail until
Monday about noon when he again
said he would get shaved. This he did,
later returning to the Jail and again
giving Mr.. Sperry a cigar Shortly af-
ter noon he said he believed he would
leave, paid for his board at the Jail,
took a grip he had with him and left.
In time he showed up at the Rich
ards hotel and asked Mr.. Richards per-
mission to take bath, with the result
as recounted above
The man undoubtedly was insane,
suffering with the delusion that some
one was after him. An examination,
after his death, showed that he had a
scar across his throat extending al
most from ear to ear and that both
wrists also bore scars. He evidently
had attempted suicide at some former
time but had recovered
The unfortunate man had money. He
had $50 in travellers checks besides
some S12 to SIS in currency and sill
yer. He had placed the travellers
checks in an envelope and addressed
them to a sister in Minneapolis. Also
found in the bathroom were two tele-
grams which he had written but had
not sent. One read, mo flowers on
me Bury anywhere you wish and in
an economical way
A wire to the sister brought back
instruction to ship the body to Min
neapolis, the wire being accompanied
with remittance to cover expenses.
He had bought his ticket at Devils
Lake, N D., and was on his way to