The Demise of Herman 29 March 1898

 To Take ones own life is serious and very sad and I struggled with the idea of posting the whole story.  This happened one hundred and thirteen years ago (29 Mar 1898-9 Apr 1898) and I'm sure you will be captivated as much as I was in the reporting of this story.
 Points to Notice:

• Description of wounds.
• He wrote and signed a statement.
• Fred Kidgell's reaction.
• Details of Herman's whereabouts leading up to the event.
• Next day's article retracts the report concerning Sarah Ann.
• Reported the sum of money Sarah Ann will receive if he dies!  

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Herman Vogel Attempts to Take his

 Life With a Shotgun.

Succeeds in Blowing Away his Lower,

and Portion of the Upper Jaw—With

These Terrible Injuries he Still

Survives – Made a Statement  Attributing

The Cause of his Deed to F. C.Kidgell. 

             
 One of the worst tragedies that ever occurred in Logan took place yesterday morning when Herman Vogel, the proprietor of the Logan City Brewery, attempted suicide by trying to blow his head off with a shotgun.  
About 11:30 yesterday morning people living near the brewery were startled by the report of a gun, and the men employed by Vogel in his Brewery, hastened across the street to the bottling house, which is within a few feet of the residence, and from whence the report seemed to come. 

                


A horrible sight met their
 gaze. Vogel was seated on the floor
 in a pool of blood, while his face
 presented an appearance that was

sickening to all who saw it.  The

whole lower jaw had been shot

 away, and blood, teeth and pieces

 of- beard –covered flesh were

spattered around the room and on the

victim’s clothing.  The gun had

 evidently been placed under his

chin, on the left side, and when

fired the load of shot had

 torn away the lower part of his face

and, coming out on the right  side

 of it, had lacerated the cheeks in a

fearful manner.

                Vogel was quite conscious of all

his surroundings, and when Dr.

 O. C. Ormsby who, with the Marshal,

had been hurriedly summoned,

arrived, Vogel with but little

assistance arose and walked into

 the house.  When asked by the Mar-

shal the reason for his act, he

motioned for a paper and pencil,

which, being furnished, he wrote

and signed the following state

ment:

                “I have done this of my own

Free will, and F. C. Kdgell, is the

Cause of it.    H. P. Vogel.”

                And then, with a look of defi-

ance, he threw the pencil down

and sat slooping over a basin while

the doctors, (O. S. Orm-by having

arrived in the meantime) prepared

to dress the wound.  When  offered

a drink of brandy by the physi-

cian, Vogel was unable to swallow

it, because of the blood clotted in

his throat.  If he lives it will

be a condition which would render

death a thousand times preferable

to life.

                Fred C. Kidgell is Vogel’s step

son, and is married and lives in

 the Seventh ward.  A representative

of The Journal talked with

Mr. Kidgell, who was quite as

 much astonished over the state-

ment made by Vogel  as was the

Marshal himself.  Mr. Kidgell is

well known in Logan,  having

worked for Mr. Vogel for years,

and they have always managed to

get along fairly well until Satur-

day evening, when they had a few

words over some money which Mr.

Kidgell claims was due him as

wages.  No bad language of any

kind was used, however, by either

of them, nor any threats made ex-

cept that Kidgell notified his em-

ployer that unless he received the

money which he claimed was due

him, he would bring suit to obtain

it.  Yesterday Mr. Kidgell thought

better of the matter, and notified

an attorney to whom he had

spoken in regard to the matter,

that he would endeavor to settle

the matter amicably without legal

intervention.

                Vogel was somewhat intoxicated

when he and Kidgell quarreled

on Saturday evening and had been

drinking considerably ever since;

and the only supposition as to the

cause of the crime warranted by

the facts, is that while crazed from

the influence of drink, he deter-

mined to be revenged by killing

himself.

                 The first intimation of trouble

came to Mrs. Vogel yesterday

 morning, when her husband took

his shot-gun and went out of the

house with it, refusing to tell her

 what he was going to do with it.

She thought that he intended us-

ing it upon her son Mr. Kidgell,

and warned that gentleman to be-

ware.  He laughed the matter off,

however, and finally, when Vogel

went to town nothing more was

thought of the matter.  While

Vogel was in town he purchased

the ammunition with which he

tried to kill himself.  He seemed

quite cheerful while on the street,

and spent some time in Charlie

Warner’s carpenter shop on Second

Street, talking and laughing, and

nothing unusual was noticed in

his manner.

                When he left there he went

straight home and again securing

the gun, loaded both barrels and

started for the bottling shed.

His wife followed him and de-

manded to know what he was

going to do with the gun.  He

 turned, and leveling it on her,

ordered  her to go back into the

house, which she did as rapidly as

possible.  She had hardly closed

the door when she heard the

report of the gun.  Vogel having

stepped into the shed and

immediately fired it.

                The surgeons dressed the

wound and sewed it together as

much as possible, and in conversation

with a Journal reporter the doctors

stated that if Vogel survives the

shock which is bound to follow,

and blood poisoning does not set

 in, there is a strong probability of

his pulling through all right.

There is great danger of blood

 poisoning, however, and it would

be far better for the man to die

than to live in such a horrible

condition as he would be in.

                Vogel seemed to be possessed

 of iron endurance, as three-quarters

 of an hour after the shooting he

climbed unassisted on to the

improvised operating table to have

the wound dressed.  In his actions

he did not seem to evince any

regret over his deed, and if he gets

 an opportunity he may attempt  to

complete his job.  In this con-

nection it is a strange thing that

 he didn’t finish his work, while in

the bottling house, as he was in

possession of all his facilities and

the gun had another load in it.

Just why he didn’t use that load

in effecting his purpose of self

destruction, is hard to explain.

Vogel is upwards of 50 years of

age, and this may tell against his

recovery.  He is a member in full

standing of the A.O.U.W. lodge

No.14, and in the event of his

death his wife will receive the sum

of $2,000 from that organization.