Woman Takes Own Life; Ill Health Cause.

Napoleon, N.D. Dec 11 — The family and neighbors of Louisa Stoecker, wife of Johannes Stoecker residing seven miles northeast of Lehr, were shocked upon learning that Mrs. Stoecker had taken her own life.

Mr. and Mrs. Stoecker arose at 7 a.m. They intended to go to Lehr that day. She started preparation of the morning meal and he went to the barn to do the chores. Their six children, the eldest fourteen and the youngest four, were still asleep up stairs when Mr. Stoecker left the house.

After a half hour had passed Mr Stoecker started from the barn to the house. At that moment his daughter, Otillia, thirteen, appeared and asked "Is mother at the barn?" The father replied, "No," and a search was made at once, resulting in finding the unfortunate woman hanging on a 4x6 center support in the cellar of their summer house nearby. Mr Stoecker severed the rope and himself and daughter carried the lifeless woman to the top of the cellar stairs. All efforts to restore her were unsuccessful.

Mrs Stoecker had used a cow barn tie rope, which she run through a small shawl around her neck and tied to a big spike on the post, having stood upon a small keg and then, evidently, having leaped from or kicked the keg away and strangled herself to death.

The unfortunate woman had been in poor health for the past two years.

12/11/1922 Bismarck Tribune