Rick, John died 1876

RICK

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 2/16/2013 at 19:48:18

Postville Review, 3 May 1876. From a West Union Exchange.

"SUICIDE AT WEST UNION.

Yesterday when the noon train from Postville stopped here, an insane man, by the name of John Rick, living near Elkader, Clayton county, who was in charge Sheriff Benton, jumped from the train and ran to a grove nearby. He was pursued by the sheriff and a number of citizens, and after a few hours chase, was captured and brought into town. For safe keeping the sheriff had put him in the "lock up" for the night, in order to take the 6 o'clock train in the morning for the asylum at Independence. On visiting him at his cell at 5 o'clock this morning he was found hanging by his neck, cold and lifeless. He had tied a strong handkerchief loosely around his neck and fastened the two ends to a bar of the window grate which was only four feet from the floor, and was resting on his right foot and knee, and in this strange position had strangled himself. The deceased was a German by birth, about forty years of age, a man of good reputation and a quiet and inoffensive citizen. His insanity was of recent date, and said to have been caused by the infedelity of his wife. If this be true, we think no one will envy her her feelings for the remainder of her life.-Ex."

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Submitter is not related.

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