Ross Neil Hendricks 1881-1907

HENDRICKS, NEAL, GAGE, PICKARD

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 10/23/2010 at 17:34:34

Took His Own Life
Ross Hendricks, Contortionist With Traveling Dentist Becomes Despondent
Took Strychnine
Became Enamored of a Woman He Had Only Seen a Week Before, Is Supposed to have Been Cause of Death

Ross Hendricks, or “Heine Hendricks Ross,” lies dead at the undertaking rooms of A. Barber, the victim of his own hand.

He came to Estherville from Superior Monday afternoon with Guss Marcott, George Martina and Chas. Ballard of Superior. He had been drinking some before leaving Superior, but the evidence before the coroners jury was to the effect that he was not intoxicated.

On the way down, he told his companions that he was coming to Estherville to see a lady, about going with the show with which he was connected, and if she refused to go with him, he was going to commit suicide, the same as Carl Presley did at Webster City a short time ago, only that he was not going to blow his brains out, but was going to take something. His companions thought nothing of the matter. After arriving in Estherville and putting the team in the Emmet House barn, he left his companions and went to the Estherville Jewelry and Music store where the lady, Miss Martha Quandahl, was demonstrating some face preparations, and asked her about going with the show. There were some other parties in the store, and she asked him to meet her at the postoffice and talk it over. After leaving the music store he again met a couple of his companions and while talking with them Miss Quandahl passed them, and he followed her to the postoffice where he again asked her to join the show company. She said before the coroners jury that she informed him that she could not, under two months time, and also that she had other positions in view. He then informed her that if she did not go with him that he would take his own life. She told him he most not doe it, and after a few minutes talk she returned to the store. Where he went from the time he was in the postoffice till just before four o’clock his companions did not know. It was close to that hour when he again met a couple of his companions who came from Superior with him and he informed them that he had procured a half pint of whiskey and asked them to “come and take a drink.” He also informed Geo. Martin that he “got the other stuff, too,” and exhibited a package that he took, from his pocket. He asked for Harry Ruckman and was told that he was in Coon & Son’s butcher shop and walked down the street in the direction of he shop. Mr. Martin followed in a minute or two. On entering the shop, after saying a few words he made an excuse to step out the back door. As soon as he was outside he poured the entire one-eighth of an ounce of strychnine into his mouth and immediately returned to the shop and grabbed up the bottle of whiskey that he had previously set upon a table and took a swallow to wash it down. He was gulping to swallow the poison when he returned through the door and the crystals were running down his face at the corners of his mouth. As he walked into the shop, after taking the poison, he thrust a note that he drew from his pocket into the hands of George Martin and said, “I have done as I said I would.” Mr. Martin inquired for a doctor’s office and was informed that Dr. Bradley’s office was up stairs in the next building. He and a companion ran to the office of Dr. Bradley and informed him that the man had taken poison. Dr. Bradley told them to bring him to the office. Hurrying downstairs they found him lying on the sidewalk in front of the butcher shop, the poison having already taken effect. Martin caught hold of him and dragged him to the stairway, and by that time Chas. Coon came out and helped to carry him up the stairs to the doctor’s office. While they were getting him up the stairs Dr. Bradley was preparing a hypodermic injection and also a tube to wash out his stomach. He was so far gone that no medical aid could be rendered, when they got him up stairs. The doctor gave him the hypodermic injection of morphine and inserted the tube in his stomach but his jaws set on the tube and nothing could be got through it. He went into convulsions almost immediately afterward. Drs. Anderson and Birney were also called and immediately responded, but the poison seemed to have taken effect immediately after being taken. He was dead within ten minutes after swallowing the does.

The note handed Mr. Martin, which was very poorly written, read as follows:

“Misses M. E. Neal.
Dear Gran and Ant.
I am taking my life in my one same as Carl Presley did. Don’t think I am off, but please Come to My funeral.

Yours with love
Ross.”

There was no address given on the note, but it was learned from Dr. T. J. Miller, the traveling dentist by whom he was employed, that Mrs. M. E. Neal was his grandmother and lives at Fort Louden, Pa. Nothing more is known as to his family.

He told Gus Marcott that he had $782.00 in a Webster City bank, out of which sum he wanted “a decent burial,” to send $200.00 to his grandmother, and he could keep the rest for his trouble. Inquiry at Webster City elicited the information that he was not known there.

Hendricks was a professional acrobat, and a good one. His first appearance in Estherville was about two years ago, when he and a woman he claimed to be his wife, gave an exhibition on Main street near the post office. One of his stunts was to throw his neck out of joint, and while here at that time he had a physician examine him to verify the statement. It is a fact that he twisted his head around as if it were only held on with a string. He was here again with the carnival company last year. Dr. Miller and his wife, with whom he has been traveling the past month, both testified before the coroners jury that he was a very gentlemanly fellow, and that he only recently took to drinking. One day about a week ago he picked up a revolver that was one of the show properties and pointed it at his head and snapped it three times. It happened that it was not loaded and they thought he was doing it to scare the people he was with.

Coroner Wilson empanelled a jury and held an inquest at the court room. The finding of the jury was that “deceased Ross Hendricks came to his death by an overdose of strychnine administered by his own hand in Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa, at about 4 o’clock p.m., Sept. 10th, 1907.” J.P. Littell, N. H. White, John H. Wilson: Jury; M. E. Wilson, Coroner

Deceased was 27 or 28 years old, and weighed perhaps 170 lbs. He was dressed in a coarse shirt, overalls and heavy shoes. His pockets contained a pocket book and 38 cents in change, and a pocket knife. He borrowed a dollar and seventy-five cents of Chas. Ballard on the way down from Superior, with which he paid for the feed of the team he drove, the whiskey and strychnine. (Vindicator and Republican, Estherville, IA, September 18, 1907)

Commits Suicide
Ross Hendricks Takes Dose of Strychnine and Dies on Street
Was With Medicine Show
Came to Estherville From Superior – Wanted to Marry Martha Quindahl – Left Note

Late Monday afternoon this city was greatly excited over the report of a spectacular suicide that occurred upon our streets. A young man, Ross Hendricks between the age of twenty-seven and twenty-eight years, planned and successfully carried out the design which resulted in his death. He came to town with George Marcott, of Superior, during the afternoon acting cheerful and was apparently in his proper frame of mind, though he had mentioned that he intended to take a bottle of strychnine which he had in his pocket. After wandering about the streets he went to the butcher shop of Coon & Son, went through the back room and stepped out the back door just long enough to take the dose of strychnine, came back in and took a drink of whiskey and holding up the bottle, exclaimed, “There’s the bottle, I will be dead in fifteen minutes.” He then walked out on the front sidewalk and fell down unconscious. He was immediately carried upstairs to the office of Dr. Bradley where heroic efforts were made to overcome the effects of the deadly drug but without avail. He died about ten minutes after, suffering terrible agony.

Mr. Hendricks left a note addressed to Mrs. M. E. Neal, Port London, Penn., which read:

“Dear Grandmother and Ant: I am taking my life into my own hands like Carl Pressley did. Please come to my funeral. With love, Ross.”

He was a partner of Carl Pressley in the show business. It will be remembered that Carl Pressly killed himself about two weeks about two weeks ago in a most sensational manner at Webster City. After taking a roll of bills amounting to $2,500 and burning them he went into a tailor shop, borrowed a pair of shears, cut his diamond studs from his shirt front, removed his diamond rings and threw all through a man-hole into the sewer. He afterwards walked over to a park, flourished a revolver in his hand and invited the many people who were passing, for it was the noon hour, to stop and see a man kill himself. He then deliberately fired a bullet into his brain.

Many of the people of Estherville remember this man Hendricks. He has been traveling with a medicine show which was here about a year ago. He was also here at Carnival time last fall with his wife. They had a small show on the corner by the Savings Bank. While with the medicine show he did a contortion act for them and was still in their employ at Superior where they have been showing for the past several days. It is reported that he has had domestic difficulties and was some time ago, separated from his wife.

Since writing the above we learn he formed the acquaintance of Miss Martha Quindahl, an assistant to Mrs. Phoebe Lincoln, the face doctor now in our city, and tried to induce her to join the medicine show as pianist. Not succeeding in this he wanted to marry her. He said he was desperately in love with her and by chance met her in the postoffice about three o’clock Monday afternoon. He proposed again, but was rejected. He told her that if she didn’t consent to marry him he would commit suicide. Miss Quindahl testified to this at the inquest held Monday evening.

After hearing the evidence the coroner’s jury composed of Messrs. J. P. Littell, N. H. White and J. H. Wilson, returned the following verdict:

“We do find that said deceased, Ross Hendricks, came to his death by an overdose of strychnine administered by his own hand in Estherville, Iowa, about four o’clock, Sept. 16, 1907.”

The empty strychnine bottle was also in evidence at the inquest and Coroner Wilson said, if full, contained 3,600 fatal doses. Hendricks told several that he intended to commit suicide and remarked to Geo. Marcott that he had $782 in a bank at Webster City and wanted a decent burial. He wanted $200 sent to his mother and the balance Mr. Marcott might keep for his trouble.

His body is still at the Barber undertaking rooms awaiting an answer from a telegram sent to Mrs. Neal.

A special from Webster City to the Democrat this (Tuesday) afternoon says Hendricks was raised at that place and when twenty-one years of age inherited several thousand dollars from his aunt’s estate. He spent it lavishly and soon run through with all he had received. He followed the theatrical business for a while. He had no money in the Webster City bank as told Mr. Marcott. (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, September 18, 1907)

Relatives Get Body
Remains of Ross Hendricks Taken To Webster City for Burial
Undertaker Comes Here
Hendricks’ Wish Was to Be Buried Beside His Mother – Grandmother Attended Funeral

After a grave had been dug and everything ready for the burial of Ross Hendricks, who committed suicide here on Monday of last week, word came from Undertaker Miller at Webster City that Mrs. M. E. Neal, of Fort Louden, Penn., had wired him to have the remains sent to Webster City for burial and she would stand the expense and also would be there to attend the funeral, consequently Mr. Miller came up Thursday evening, settled the expense incurred, with the exception of the expense of the coroner’s inquest, and returned Friday morning over the M. & St.L. with the corpse. At the funeral of his mother, two years ago, Hendricks remarked that he wanted to be buried beside his mother.

The Webster City Freeman Tribune in reporting the suicide last week said: “Ross Hendricks was about twenty-seven years of age. He was born in Webster City and spent his youth here. His parents separated years ago and whether his father still lives is not known. His mother, Mrs. Mary Hendricks, died here two or three years since.

Mrs. Harvey Gage of this city is his paternal grandmother and Mrs. Ira W. Pickard of Rolfe, until a few months ago of this city, is his aunt. Mrs. M. E. Neal of Fort Louden, Pa., is his maternal grandmother. It is presumed that the “aunt” referred to in the suicide’s note is Mrs. Pickard, but Hendricks may have an aunt living with Mrs. Neal.

On previous occasions Hendricks has attempted suicide over women. The last attempt prior to the successful one was about two years ago. Hendricks for years has been dissolute and brought much disgrace upon his mother and other relatives. Those who knew his character and knew that he was a victim of drink will be but little surprised at the tragic ending. When sober Hendricks was not a particularly bad fellow.

Hendricks was a contortionist of some ability.

A late dispatch from Estherville states that the suicide has no belongings but the clothing he wore. No money nor papers were found in his pockets except the letter to his grandmother and his aunt.

Hendricks has not been here for several years.

The story of him having $750 in a local bank is a myth.” (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, September 26, 1907)