Robert Linderman
WAS IT SUICIDE?
Robert Linderman Ends His Life by the Use of a Shotgun
Iowa
City was startled this morning by the report that “Bob” Linderman had
committed suicide. The many people who knew the young man could
not believe the story and soon his father’s (Chas. Linderman) barber
shop was filled with inquiring friends. Mr. Linderman had been called
home and his partner Mr. Grimm could only give out the information that
the report was true.
Coroner Schneider was called to the family
residence at 402 Reynolds Street at about ten o’clock and pronounced
the cause of death as suicide. The young man was found lying on the
floor of an upstairs room with an ugly shot gun wound just over his
heart. The gun had evidently been held close to the person of the dead
man for the flesh was terribly blackened and burned. The young man was
partially undressed, his shoes and a portion of his clothing having
been taken off.
The story of the suicide is a sad one and no
cause for the tragic end of Robert’s life can be given. He had been
working at Frank Treptow’s dye s hop for the past two weeks and did his
work in a cheerful and painstaking manner. On Tuesday evening the young
man went home in his usual happy frame of mind and talked cheerfully of
his future prospects when he had completed the trade and would have a
shop of his own. Yesterday he did not come to work as usual but
complained of feeling sick and last evening when he went to bed spoke
of pains in his head. This morning, he still complained of a headache
and after eating a small breakfast went upstairs.
When his
mother had completed her housework, she went out into the garden and at
a quarter after nine was startled by the report of a gun and heard a
scream which seemed to come from across the street. Interested at once
she went to the front of the yard and seeing and hearing nothing
started into the house when her mother’s instinct seemed to call to her
to go to her son’s room. This she did and found her boy laying cold in
death with the tell-tale gun by his side and a terrible wound in the
young man’s breast. She immediately went for her husband who was
at the river and kind neighbors came in who did much to soothe the
heartaches of the loving mother.
The young man has hundreds of
friends in the city who are pained to learn of his sad end. For some
time, he was employed by Capt. Lauer as delivery man when that
gentleman was in business but later has been engaged in what ever work
his hands found to do. During the summer months young Linderman
was in camp with Jesse Ong up the river and always showed a cheerful
spirit. He was nineteen years old and his life has been a happy
one. What could have caused his rash act is a mystery and many of
his friends state emphatically that his death must have been caused by
an accidental discharge of the gun. The weapon was a double barrel
breech loading shot gun which has been in the house for years and one
often used by Robert on hunting expeditions. When examined it showed
that only one barrel had been loaded and it may have been that young
Linderman was loading the gun for a day’s hunt.
This afternoon
the mother states that her son had been downstairs and complained of a
headache which was caused at times by a wound in the head years ago.
That Robert had taken the gun down from where it was hanging in the
hall and had gone to a cupboard in the kitchen and secured two loaded
shells. One of them was found close to his body and the other had been
used in the gun.
The coroner held no inquest as he stated the death was caused by the victim’s own hand beyond a doubt.
(Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen, Thu., Oct. 5, 1899, pg. 5) |
|
|
