Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 126, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1916 — Aged Kentland Citizen Committed Suicide by Drowning Self in Well. [ARTICLE]

Aged Kentland Citizen Committed Suicide by Drowning Self in Well.

Newton County Enterprise. Mrs. Jacob Alte, one of the oldest residents of Kentland, £ommitted suicide at her home on the west side at some hour during Sunday night. The body was found in an old abandoned well in a field near the house early Monday morning. Mr. and Mrs. Alte were alone Sunday night, and Mr. Alte says they retired at the usual hour. He did not miss his companion until he awoke Monday morning. A 'search was immediately instituted and the body was found in a well east of the house. The well is probably fifteen or eighteen feet deep and was full of waiter to within five or six feet of the surface. One of the searchers noticed that the boards covering the well had been disturbed and this led to the discovery. The well is in 1 a field that had but recently been planted to corn, and the footprints of the unfortunate woman could be easJy traced. She had on only a pair of stockings and night robe. The body was removed to the home and prepared for burial. Coroner Best was called, and held an inquest, rendering a verdict in accordance with the evidence of the neighbors, the purport of which was that Mrs. Alte was possibly mentally deranged when she committed the act. She liad been in failing health for some tnhe and the condition of her health had been of much concern to her children.