Santa Fe Engineer Commits Suicide
Henry Kreitmayer, who up until a month ago was an engineer on the Middle division of the Santa Fe in freight service between Emporia and Newton, was found dead in the Cottonwood River at Emporia yesterday. A bullet hole through his head and a 38-revolver in his hand indicated that he had taken his own life and, to make doubly sure of not surviving, he waded out into the middle of the river to drown if the shot failed to take a fatal effect. A note, evidently written several days ago, was found last evening in his room, giving the address of the person to be notified in case anything should happen to the writer, leads to the supposition that he had contemplated suicide some time.
About a month ago an accident happened to the train Kreitmayer was pulling, which brought on an investigation. In the investigation Kreitmayer took all the blame on himself that his fireman might not be discharged, and he lost his own position. Brooding over his discharge is thought to have led him to take his own life, although he had plenty of ready money and owned a farm.
Kreitmayer had been missing from his rooming house for two days, but the condition of the body when found showed that it had not been in the water many hours. A young man out duck hunting saw Kreitmayers overcoat hanging on a limb near the river and followed the tracks to the water, where he soon made out the form of the dead man lying in a shallow place. The deceased is well known in Harvey County, his mother and brother are current residents of Halstead, having lived there several years.
The Evening Kansan-Republican, Monday February 29, 1904. Page 1
