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
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
“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
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
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
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
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
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.
