Iowa Old Press

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
December 20, 1925

Strike Wife, Runs as Police Come; Returns to House, Drops Dead
    August Mohring, 61, a resident of Cook's Point, died suddenly at 9:25 last night under strange circumstances after he had engaged in an altercation with his wife a few minutes before his death, which was due to heart trouble.
    Mrs. Mohring told police and Coroner Cantwell that she and her husband quarreled Saturday morning. Last night she came home, but when she prepared to eat supper she said her husband refused to allow her to eat. An argument followed. Mohring struck his wife, she said.
    "I'll not stand for this any longer," she told him as one of their children ran to a neighbor's home to call the police.
    Mohring ran from the house. Officers Lamont and Schlueter came a few minutes later and searched for the man in a a tangle of underbrush and weeds near the Mohring home. He could not be found, so the officers left.
    After they departed, Mohring returned, knocked on the door and begged to be allowed to come in. The door was opened. He staggered into the room, his face drawn and white, his hands over his heart.
    "Get me a salt bag," he ordered as he made his way to a room in the rear. Then he toppled over on the floor and died.
    Police were called for the ambulance, but the man was dead when the officers arrived. Coroner Cantwell was called and after a brief investigation decided an inquest was not necessary.
    Mohring had been in ill health for several months and was under the care of a physician for some time last summer. One of the strange things about the case and one that would indicate that the man had a premonition of what was to happen was related to a police officer. Mohring called all the children together about 6 o'clock last night and talked with them and a chance remark, at least it was taken to be a chance remark by the older children, indicated that the man had a belief that he was not to live long.
    An old house boat is the home in which the Mohrings have lived for eight years. The husband and father was not able to work so his daughter has been supporting the family.
    The widow, Mrs. Margaret Mohring, and six children survive. They are Florence, George, Richard, Lillian, Effie and Mabel Blanche. The oldest is 17 and the baby is 7 months old. The body was removed to Nissen & Hartwig mortuary and funeral arrangements will be made later.

Submitted by C.J.L., Dec 2005