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Vinton Eagle; January 26, 1883
SUICIDE NEAR VAN HORNE-"Dutch Bill" Shoots Himself. Van Horne-January 23, 1883
Wm Hovenditz
Wm. Hovenditz, familiarly called Dutch Bill, committed suicide on Sunday morning, by shooting himself in the head with a 32-calibre revolver. He died in about an hour. The shooting was done about three miles from town, in the barn of Widow Cummins, where, it seems , he had laid all night Saturday, nearly freezing. The Squire and Constable went down Sunday night viewed the situation and had the body taken to the house and ordered it brought to town the next morning to hold the inquest on Monday. A jury was impaneled, which, hearing all the facts, agreed that he came to his death suicide. The deceased was 26 years old; had served in the Franco-Prussian war and had a medal to that effect. He had been from the old country some two years, working at Cedar Rapids in Sinclair's packing house. He came here as soon as the town was started and worked here to the time of his death. He was considered crazy and a love affair was the cause of the death. He will be buried today at the Evangelical burying-ground, three miles from here. He had no friends in this country.
{Submitter comment: unmarked grave at Salem Cemetery}