Patterson Cemetery District 

Obits listing for 1914

Submitted by Gale Stroud 23 Aug 2007

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Heil Gus 140905 p3a
Gus Heil Commits Suicide with Shotgun;  Gus Heil, a young man employed by Thomas Lynam, the ice man, committed
suicide Monday morning in the Lynam home on South Third street.  The. deed, which ended his life was presumed to
have been done about 8 o'clock in the morning, but the body was not, discovered until 2 o clock in the afternoon.  At the
latter hour J. H. Durbin, Southern Pacific freight clerk, went to the house with some freight bills to collect, as Mr. Lynam
was away on his vacation and Heil was temporarily in charge of the ice business.  A young man named Deckwa
accompanied Mr. Durbiti, and the two, being unable to find Heil about the premises, finally looked into the house, the
door of which was partly open. The man they were seeking was lying on the bed, and to their horror they discovered that
he was dead and that there was a gaping gunshot wound in his left breast.  They immediately left the place to give the
alarm, and meeting Deputy Constable Blue told him of what they had found.  Blue and others went to the house and the
proper authorities were notified, and later on Deputy Coroner Davis of Newman took charge of the body until Coroner
Bowker could hold an inquest. The testimony given at the inquest, which  was held Tuesday forenoon, showed that Heil
had used a pump


Heil Gus 140905 p3b
shotgun with which to end his life, discharging the weapon by means of a stick.  He had evidently sat down on the bed,
cocked the gun and then poked the trigger with the stick, this being indicated by the position of the body and gun and the
fact that the stick was still grasped in his right hand. The gun used had been borrowed a short. time before from Joe
Marchan, Heil saying at the time that he wanted it to shoot cottontails. Neil was fully dressed when found, and apparently
the deed had been committed deliberately, although testimony given, by Joe Marchan showed that the deceased had been
drinking claret more or less that morning, getting the wine at Mr. Marchan s home.  Gus Hell was a native of South
Dakota, aged a little over 27 years.  He came, to Patterson from Tracy about three months ago, and was for some time
was employed by Thomas Lynam to drive the latter's ice wagon. When Mr. Lynam left recently on his vacation Neil was
put in charge of the business. While he drank some, he had a good reputation and was considered steady and reliable.  No
reason for his suicide has been brought to light, and why he should have ended his life in such a manner is a mystery.
Besides a mother and father now living in South Dakota. the deceased left two half brothers, Albert Heil and Henry Heil,
both residents of Tracy.  Albert Heil is an attorney and was formerly located here. The body was shipped to Tracy
Tuesday evening by Davis & Evans, local undertakers, for burial. The verdict of the coroner s inquest was to the effect
that the deceased had come to his death by a gunshot wound inflicted with suicidal intent.