KOMPANKANS, Fritz (1866-1890)

KOMPANKANS

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/21/2024 at 13:27:53

Fritz Kompankans
(1866 - January 6, 1890)

Fritz Kompankans who worked for Winfield Williams in Battle twp committed suicide last Monday morning by shooting in the head with a revolver. The diseased was a German about 24 years old and came from the father land with the family of Mr. Rodji for whom he has worked for most of the time since their arrival in this country two year ago. He had been working for Mr. Williams for the last five weeks. His rash act is supposed to have been committed while temporally insane or despondent on account of sickness. he was subject to some chronic or hereditary disease which caused him considerable anxiety and from not in German he left behind him, addressed to Mr. Rodji, this was probably the cause of the killing. In the note he stated he did not believe that he was going to get well so that he believed that it would not be wrong to kill himself. After breakfast Monday he asked Mr. William’s what he should do first and was told to harness the horses. He seemed excited that morning but Mr. William’s thought nothing of it, and had been laughingly telling Fritz about the queer noises he (Fritz) had been making in his sleep. Fritz seemed disturbed and inquired about the noise he made and said he didn’t think he was getting better. After Mr. William’s finished breakfast he went to the barn were Fritz was and he found him dead with a hole through his head and a German revolver, which Fritz brought with him by his side. He was quite dead when discovered. Fritz had no relatives in this country. His parents had been urging him to return to the fatherland and join the regular army and this was to have added to his despondency. Source - Ida Grove Era, Thursday, January 9, 1890