Benjamin "Ben" Bulman 1891 - 1919

BULMAN, BULLMAN, ROWE, MEYER, HARTLEY, PADEN

Posted By: Errin Wilker (email)
Date: 11/7/2007 at 05:35:30

FARMER IS SUICIDE AFTER DROWNING OF WIFE AND DAUGHTER
All Allamakee county was shocked and saddened today upon learning that Ben Bulman, 30 years of age, a prosperous farmer residing near Dorchester, had committed suicide Tuesday afternoon by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun. His wife and only child, a girl of 3 years, were drowned in a dry run flood near their home three months ago and the body of Mrs. Bulman was never recovered, though constant searching was continued for weeks, bloodhounds covered the run in a vain attempt to scent her body beneath the debris, and a large reward was offered by the husband for her remains.

BROODS OVER LOSS
Mr. Bulman's continued distress has led him into deeper gloom and despondency as time elapsed and of late he has been seen walking along the scene of the drowning tragedy at late hours of the night, brooding over his distressing trouble and suspense. He had made his home with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bulman, since the tragedy and Tuesday afternoon about 3 o'clock he remarked to his father, "You will never see me again," and started for his own place. His father is past 80 years of age and did not realize or think seriously of what his son had said, and supposed he had only gone to look after his farm work.

But as night came on his father worried about his continued absence and went to his home about midnight. He entered the house but finding nothing to arouse suspicion and believing his son was out somewhere, returned to his own home. This morning, however, he went again to the place and in an upstairs room found his son lying dead on his child's bed, the shotgun lying on his body. On a table downstairs was found a note, scratched on an old envelope with the point of a file, which read: "I am going to be with Alice (his wife) and my little girl." Tied to a fence outside stood his team hitched to a corn plow. Coroner Heucker of Waukon was called and conducted and inquest, the jurors being Ed Sadler, Leonard Bulman and Daniel Sires, and their verdict was suicide.

THE FINAL CHAPTER
Thus is recorded the final chapter of one of the saddest and most heart-rending tragedies ever known in this county. This entire family, loved and respected by friends far and wide, and by a large number of relatives, has passed to its eternal home in the brief space of three months and their loved ones have been plunged into the deepest mourning, while the entire community is saddened beyond the power of expression in words. Mr. Bulman is survived by both parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Bulman, and a number of grown brothers and sisters, most of whom reside in Canada and North Dakota. Arrangements for the funeral have not been made, awaiting the arrival of the distant relatives.

SERIES OF TRAGEDIES
This little community in Union City township seems to have plunged successively from one period of mourning into another of late, beginning with the sudden death a few months ago of Supervisor Joseph Hartley, followed soon after by the flood and drowning tragedy. Only two or three weeks ago Donald, the 18-year-old son of Rev. Robert A. Paden, suffered a mental collapse and was committed to the hospital in Independence, and on the following morning the young man's father, pastor of the Mt. Hope church, overcome by the shock of his son's misfortune, was prostrated by a stroke of paralysis which resulted in his death a week ago. Widespread sorrow was was occasioned by the death of this beloved minister, and it seems a strange stroke of fate, indeed, that the same community should so soon be called upon to mourn this latest tragedy and sequel of the drowning accident.

Source: La Crosse Tribune, La Crosse Wisconsin, 20 June 1919

BORN: 02 August 1891 in Union City Township, Allamakee County, Iowa to George & Anna (Rowe) Bulman

MARRIED: 2 September 1914 to Alice Minnie Meyer at Mt. Hope United Presbyterian Church in Union City Township, Allamakee County, Iowa

DIED: 17 June 1919 at his home near Dorchester, Allamakee County, Iowa

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