RAMSEY CO OBITS

Ashby/Grant County Farmer of March 4, 1891

Frederick De Haas Commits Suicide Without a Single Motive Known to Friends.

Mr. Frederick De Haas, of the firm De Haas & Van der Velde, managers of the Germania Life Insurance Company, died at 5:30 yesterday afternoon, from the effects of a gunshot wound which was self-inflicted at 9:30 yesterday forenoon. Mr. De Haas resided at 744 East Sixth Street. On his way down town yesterday morning he called in at the residence of his brother-in-law, Mr. Charles Frey, 735 East Fifth Street, to accompany the later on the way. Mr. De Haas was very much agitated about something, and invited Mr. Frey to go upstairs with him to a private room to talk over some matters. They started upstairs together, and Mr. Richard De Haas, brother of Frederick, followed them. The three went into a bedroom, where Frederick at once began to talk excitedly and incoherently. Mr. Frey, becoming alarmed at his conduct, talked soothingly to him, with the hope of quieting his nerves. Mr. De Haas finally became silent, but continued to pace from one end of the room to the other, while his brother and Mr. Frey sat quietly at one side of the room, looking at him. All of a sudden Mr. De Haas wheeled around the end of the bed, and as he did so the two who were watching heard the report of a pistol and saw him fall. This was the first they knew that he had a revolver with him.

The presence of Dr. Stamm was secured as quickly as possible, and within a few moments after his arrival Doctors Ohage and Senkler were there. Everything possible was done to save the unfortunate man’s life, but all was of no avail. The revolver was evidently aimed at his heart, but the bullet passed below and the right of the mark.

As is well known De Haas & Vander Velde have for some time past, been the managers of the business of the Germania Life Insurance company in St. Paul, with offices in the great building of the company, at the corner of Fourth and Minnesota streets, of which they also had charge.

About two weeks ago Mr. H. Cillis, secretary of the Germania Life Insurance company, and Mr. Cohn, an expert in the employ of the company, arrived in St. Paul to look over the company’s Northwestern business in general. There was nothing unusual in their visit, as it was simply routine in character. Mr. Cillis was seen at his room last evening by a Pioneer Press reporter.

"This is a most sad affair," said he the first thing. "I haven’t eaten since it happened; I am absolutely sick. There wasn’t a reason in the world why the man should kill himself. There is no possible way accounting for it. Our visit here is purely of a routine character. Mr. Cohn does nothing else but travel over the country and visit our various important places of business. I occasionally go out with him. This is my first trip to St. Paul, and I came here more to see what our building looked like than any other purpose. Yesterday afternoon I met Mr. Haas in the Commercial bank, and he was so agitated that he could not talk intelligently. It is a most sad affair and I am heartsick over it."

Mr. De Haas was thirty-eight years old. His wife is a daughter of Mr. Paul Hauser and a niece of Hon. Albert Scheffer. He leaves with her five children.