Mrs. Robert Rimpau Commits Suicide After Attending Divine Service Sunday - 1915
October 21, 1915 Anaheim Gazette.
CORONER'S VERDICT IS THAT UNFORTUNATE YOUNG WOMAN WAS TEMPORARILY INSANE
Temporary insanity was the official verdict given by Coroner Winbigler as the
cause of the suicide of Mrs. Enid Rimpau, wife of Robert Rimpau, after his
investigation of the matter Sunday night. Only her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph
Rimpau, parents of Robert, Fred Rimpau and Dr. J. W. Truxaw were examined, but
after hearing their evidence no other reason could be assigned for the rash act.
Mrs. Rimpau ended her life by taking a dose of cyanide of potassium at her
home on Zeyn Street shortly before ten o'clock Sunday morning. She and her
husband had attended services at St. Boniface Church in the morning, and left
the church together at nine o'clock.
Mr. Rimpau remembered an errand and parted from her to attend to it while she
went to her home. He was absent only half an hour, but on his return found his
wife struggling in the agonies of death. A note which she left explained that
she was taking her own life and hoped God would forgive her for the act.
The distracted husband hastily called several physicians on the phone. Dr.
Truxaw arrived in a few minutes, but found she was beyond the aid of medicine.
He discovered a small vial containing a solution of cyanide. She had swallowed a
small portion of it, but there was still enough left in the vial to kill several
people. Where she procured the cyanide, and how long she had been in possession
of it is a mystery.
It is supposed that she had been concealing it for a long time and had
purchased it at some period for the purpose of self destruction. The body was
removed to Backs & Terry's undertaking establishment, where Coroner Winbigler
held his investigation Sunday night.
Mrs. Rimpau was only 22 years of age. Before her marriage to Robert Rimpau
she was Mrs. Enid Stone, but had separated from her former husband, Charles
Stone, of Long Beach, a year after her marriage to him. Parties who knew them in
Long Beach declare that she was justified in divorcing herself from him because
of his intemperate habits. She came to Anaheim two years ago and made her living
by working in a millnery store and at Weber's book store.
By reason of her sunny disposition and pleasing manners she made friends of
all whom she had dealings. She and her affianced husband watched the building of
their beautiful home on Zeyn Street for many months, and when it was completed
and ready for occupancy they were married, less than four months ago.
She had been clerking at the Weber store the past few weeks, telling her
friends that she was lonesome at home, and would rather be working than staying
alone. Friends who saw her in the store Saturday night observed no difference in
her demeanor, and many who talked to her after the Sunday morning service
declared that she was in her usual spirits at the time, yet within an hour she
was dead by her own hand.
Owing to the note which she wrote before swallowing the poison declaring her
intention of destroying herself, the coroner deemed it unnecessary to hold an
inquest. It was a plain case of suicide, and no reason for the act was known to
anyone. Her friends state that for some weeks past she had at times been morbid
and melancholy without any known cause, consequently it is supposed that she was
mentally unbalanced.
Mrs. Rimpau's father, W. S. Williams of Los Angeles, came down Sunday in
response to a phone message. Her mother, Mrs. Katherine Williams, is separated
from her husband. Mrs. Rimpau's first marriage was contracted without parental
authority and it is said, her mother was never reconciled to the match. Mrs.
Williams arrived here Tuesday morning shortly before the hour set for the
funeral, and was grief stricken at the fate which had overtaken her daughter.
She also resides in Los Angeles but is not living with her husband.
She gave way to her grief in a Center Street restaurant where she stopped for
breakfast and considerably startled the waiters until she told her name and
explained her errand to Anaheim.
Mrs. Stone was forced to leave her husband within a year after marriage, and
was granted a final decree of divorce early last spring. She came to Anaheim two
years ago and the friends with whom she lived declare that she was always even
tempered, independent and self-reliant, and had never showed any signs of a
diseased mind.
Mr. Rimpau had been head clerk for the Miles Grocery company for some months
past, but his connection with the firm was severed Saturday night, and Moody
Lyttle of Santa Ana has taken his place.
That Mrs. Rimpau had contemplated suicide is indicated by the statement of Al
Nowotny, who is agent for a life insurance company, and who was asked in Weber's
book store on Friday last by Mrs. Rimpau whether his company paid a policy held
by a suicide. Mr. Nowotny was in Weber's store soliciting insurance from an
employee when Mrs. Rimpau asked him the question. He informed her that his
company did not pay this policy until the lapse of one year, and that the only
amount paid by his company to a suicide the first year after death was the
amount paid by the suicide to the company.
The funeral was held at St. Boniface church at half past nine o'clock
Tuesday, Rev. Father Dubbel officiating. The house was crowded with friends of
the unfortunate young woman, who has known her and esteemed her for her many
excellent qualities. There were many floral offerings both at the church and at
the cemetery, and a long procession of friends followed her to her last resting
place. The remains were placed in a crypt of the mausoleum in the Anaheim
cemetery.
The knights of Columbus attended the funeral in a body, the pall bearers
being from that order. They were C. O. Servatius, L. B. Webber, Ben Dauser, E.
E. Brus, Leo Sheridan and Al Erikson.
The body was removed from Backs & Terry's mortuary chapel on Monday to the
residence of Adolph Rimpau on East Center street, where the remains were viewed
by many sorrowing friends of the deceased. At nine o'clock on Tuesday morning,
the body was taken to St. Boniface church, and was followed by many relatives
and friends in autos. The parents and brother of the unfortunate woman attended
the funeral.
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