Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1894 — A Sad Case of Suicide. [ARTICLE]

A Sad Case of Suicide.

MRS. DEDRICK DEKKEU OF DEMOTTE DROWXS HERSELF IX A WATER TAXK. A lamentable case of death by suicide occured in Keener tp., last Saturday night. Mrs. Sutgerdina Dekker, wife of Dedrick Dekker, both old and highly respected residents of Keener tp., drowned herself in a water tank near her home, during the temporary absence of the other members of the family. The deceased and her husband were Hollanders by nationality. An inquest was held Sunday, by Squire J. M. Troxell, as acting coroner, and the circumstances and supposed cause of the suicide are clearly set out in the finding of the justice and the evidence of the various witnesses, which are here given. DEDRICK DECKER, (husband of deceased,) My wife was fifty-two years old last September. I last saw her alive about eight o’clock, p. m., July 21, 1894. She then appeared about as usual both as to mind and bodily health. After Bp. m., I went to the village of DeMotte and returned home at about fifteen minutes before ten, on that same evening, and missed my wife as soon as I came into the house. A few minutes after I came home my daughter came and I told her that her mother was gone. I at first thought she was at the neighbors and sent to some of them before my daughter found her in the tank. She lay on the bottom of the tank face down. There was a piece of cloths line around her neck, drawn v cry tight with a slip knot, and a stone which would weight about fifteen or twenty pounds was attached about six inches from her neck. We found her and took her out of the tank about midnight or something over two hours after I came home. Her mind for some time has been disturbed on religious matters, and she has talked strangely, but she never at any time intimated that she bad any idea of taking her own life or doing herself bodily barm. We have never had any family troubles or serious disagreements.

— 0“ ROSA DECKER. (daughter of deceased.) Came home at 10 p. ml, July 21, 1894. Father came out and said mother was not in the house. I found her first. She was in the water tank. There was about 1£ feet of water in the tank. It is a square cornered tank. I think she was lying on her face. I was by when she was taken out of the tank. There was a rope tied around her neck arid a stone about feet in (Liffm etcr ~ was- attached.- Was., atllie. ice cream social at school house in the evening, before I came home. My mother was left at home alone in the evening. My mother has appeared to be sane in every way except that for the last few weeks she has talked and acted strangely in regard to religious matters. We found her near the hour of twelve o’clock, midnight, July 21, 1894. -o-

JOHN lIA AN. I live about thirty rods from Mr. Dedriek Dekker’s house. I have been acquainted with Mrs. Dekker for about thirteen years, and saw her almost daily during that time. Have Seen nothing unusual in her talk and actions except that a few weeks ago she said to me when talking about religious matters that “it was wrong with her.” -0JACOB HA AN. Have been acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Dekker about twelve or thirteen years and live about thirty rods from them, and see thqm frequently. She was until recently a woman of sound mind, and was well educated and very intelligent. Since the revival meeting held at DcMotte in the month of February, 1894, her mind seemed to dwell on religious matters and she said that she had committed unpardonable sins which idea troubled her greatly. I last saw her alive on Tuesday evening, July 17, 1894 at which time she seemed inclined to stay by herself, anddo be afllicted with melancholia. -oHENRY GROENBAUM. I came to Mr. Dekker'a house at

about Bp. m., July 21, 1894. I saw Mrs. Dekker then and she spoke to me and acted in her usual manner. I went from Mr. Dekker’s house to the ice cream, social at DeMotte m company with Rosa Dekkef and returned with her at about 10 o’clock, p. m. When we arrived at the house Mr. Dekker told us his wife was gone from the house. I helped to look around the place and went to the neighbors to look for her. I had come back to the house and was in the yard when Rosa found her mother’s body in the water tank. I stood by and held the lantern while the others took the body out of the tank. I saw a rope around the neck of the corpse and a large stone attached to it. Mr. Dekker, Rosa, and her five brothers were near when the body

was taken from the tank. The finding of the acting coronor was that the deceased came to Tier death by d rowing, perhaps by strangulation from the cord; that it was a case of sel f-destruction from melancholy caused by religions excitement. Dr. L. N. Wells, the examining physician testified that death was produced by strangulation and drowning, and that he found no marks of violence upon the body. A. Halleck, Esq. of DeMotte, acted as clerk at the inquest.