Henry Bouck 1831-1901

BOUCK, MATTICE

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 10/19/2012 at 00:25:41

Herny Bouck Commits Suicide
The people of this vicinity were shocked Friday morning when the news was spread around that Henry Bouck had ended his strange career by taking his own life.

He was stopping at a boarding house in Gruver at the time and was sleeping in a vacant stor room a short distance from the house. On the evening before the tragedy he read his paper as usual and when put to bed by the landlord seemed in his usual condition, but when they went to call him in the morning there was no response. Nothing strange was thought of this, as he had been accustomed to getting up in the night and taking long walks about the country.

The tinners of the Estherville Hardward Co. were doing some work on B. Jacobson’s neew house, and when the men arrived on the way freight, at about 7:35, and went to the house, the gruesome sight of Bouck’s body, suspended from a joist, contorted by the awful agony of death by strangulation, met their gaze. After summoning several witnesses, they cut the body down and awaited the coroner. The body was found to be still warm, but the fact that he had his fur coat on, makes it impossible to set the time of his death. To accomplish the purpose he had used an old harness line, which he fastened to a cross piece on the joist. Then, standing on a carpenter’s bench, he placed the noose around his neck and stepped off into the great unknown.

His nephew, P.J. Mattice, arrived from Middleburg, N.Y., Tuesday, and took charge of the remains, which had been lying in Atwood’s undertaking apartments. The body was shipped to his old home in New York, Wednesday night. Mr. Mattice will remain here until the estate is settled.

The deceased was born in Middleburg, Schoharie county, N.Y., January 1831, being the oldest son of Bartholomew and Elizabeth [Mattice] Bouck. At the age of nine years he had the misfortune to lose his arm while helping his father in the lumber woods. Being of a sensitive nature, and thinking himself a burden on his folks, he struck out for himself, handicapped as he was. In 1851 he came to Freeport, Ill., and taught school in Stevenson county until ten years ago. He saved his money and invested in real estate, which made him comfortably wealthy. He leaves two brothers, Geo. Brouck, of Fulton, Ill., and John Brouck, of Gilboa, N.Y.; also three sisters.

He always carried money upon his person as well as large sums in certificates of deposit. When he was searched, certificates of the following amounts were found: On three of the Estherville banks, $1,200; $1,200; on one of the banks in Armstrong, $3,000 on a Le Mars bank, and $3,000 on Freeport banks. He had also $50 in cash. He was worth about $60,000. Being highly educated, he always carried his books and was a great student of Greek and a fluent speaker of English. His, indeed, was a lonely life. A stranger to all that makes life worth living, he went his way, freely giving but never asking aid. Marked by his eccentric habits, he was known over a wide section of the country.

How many have been awakened in the still hours of the night to hear the slow, heavy footsteps and the mutterings of a feverish brain, and peering out from your darkened window have seen the stooped figure and bowed head of “Old Bouck” as he passed on into the night and upon returning to your bed have felt the keenest sympathy for the old man and a desire to do something for him? But it was impossible. (Emmet County Republican, Estherville, IA, December 5, 1901)

Henry Bouck Suicides
Henry Bouck, an eccentric old bachelor who has for the past few years made this city and county his home, ended his life by hanging himself at Gruver last Thursday night. Bouck had for the past two weeks been boarding at the Taylor Hotel in Gruver and up until the evening of his death nothing unusual was noted in his behavior as he was known to be very eccentric. On Thursday he ate dinner and supper at the hotel and from that time he was not seen alive. Some one connected with the hotel called at his room to ascertain whether or not he was there but on noting his absence concluded that he was out for a walk, it being one of his hobbies to take long walks in the night. Early Friday morning, Thomas Kennard, in company with a tinsmith who is in the employ of the Estherville Implement Company, went to Gruver to do the tin work on the new Jacobson residence, recently erected there. Upon opening the door they were startled to find a huge form suspended from the ceiling. Thinking that perhaps it was a scarecrow hung up by somebody to frighten them, they advanced to remove it. On coming near to it they were horrified to find the body of Henry Bouck suspended from the rafters. All appearances suggested that he had taken a leather line and fastened it to the ribbon ties of the rafters and after tieing the other end about his neck had stepped from the tool chest and had been strangled to death. Upon his person were found bank certificates to the value of between ten and twelve thousand dollars and currency to the amount of $55. He was the owner of a farm of 80 acres in Illinois. In all his estate will amount to about $30,000. He has a cousin who resides in Grandville, Ia., who is now in the city, also a sister in New York whose husband arrived in the city Monday. The body was taken to the Atwood morgue after a coroner’s inquest was held. The coroner’s jury consisted of L.L. Lawrence, E. Dawson and L. Irwin, and the verdict was that he came to death by his own hands. His remains were buried yesterday in the Oak Hill Cemetery. (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, December 4, 1901)