Obit: Schultz, John (1836 - 1895)

Contact: Stan 

Surnames: SCHULTZ STURNER

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 06/20/1895

Schultz, John (26 OCT 1836 - 17 JUN 1895)

The residents of this city (Colby, Clark Co., Wis.) were shocked Monday morning, by the announcement that John Schultz, residing on his farm adjoining the northern boundary of this city, had committed suicide by hanging himself in the upper portion of his house, where he was found Monday morning by deputy sheriff Blanchard. W. C. Pradt, justice of the peace, was at once notified and a jury empanelled, who returned a verdict of suicide by hanging.

The facts brought forth by the inquest were, in substance, as follows:

Mr. Schultz had been downtown nearly all day, Sunday, returning home about ten o’clock in the evening. After his return home trouble arose between he and his wife in which blows were passed, after which Mrs. Schultz and two children left the house and came to the residence of Fred Sill, where they passed the night.

Of the movements of Mr. Schultz after they left the house nothing is known except from conjecture. He had two cuts, one on his face and one on the top of his head, where Mrs. Schultz testified to having struck him in self defense. These cuts bled quite freely and it was only from that his movements could be traced. It showed that he had gone upstairs, had laid down on the bed, also that he had went to the shed, where Mrs. S. testified the rope had been hanging. Beyond this and the fact that he was found hanging, nothing is known.

Mr. Schultz was born in Prussia, Oct. 26th, 1836; came to America in 1858; Nov. 12th, 1865, he was married to Miss Barbara Sturner in the town of Lowell, Dodge Co., Wis.; and went from there to Lansing, Iowa; the next spring they removed to Dubuque, where they resided until the spring of 1878, when they came to this place. In the 17 years that Mr. Schultz has lived here he has made many friends by his quiet, inoffensive ways, and has alsway been considered a sober, industrious and honest citizen, which caused all the more surprise at the manner of his death.

Deceased leaves a wife and four children to mourn his untimely end. The funeral took place at the house yesterday, and the remains were interred in Colby Cemetery, Rev. Jos. R. Fiehler officiating.