The Tragic End of an Eccentric Artist
A talented musician and former pupil of Liszt takes his own life at his ranch near Olympia.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Fred Nitschke, a music teacher and artist who has led an eccentric life in this county for twelve years, committed suicide at his ranch in Sherman Valley, fourteen miles from Olympia, last night by hanging. Neighbors had been guarding him at his house, but as he would not permit the lighting of a fire in the building, they went out to build one in the barnyard and when they returned in fifteen minutes found him suspended by a rope from a nail over his door. Nitschke came here with a small colony from Brooklyn in 1880, became unstable two years later and spent a year in the Steilacoom asylum. He was a talented musician, having been a pupil of Liszt. He frequently appeared in concerts here, and his musical genius was much admired. His last public appearance was during the recent campaign, when he attempted to speak at a People’s party meeting and became so incoherent that he had to be taken from the stage.
“His last public appearance was during the recent campaign, when he attempted to speak at a People’s party meeting and became so incoherent that he had to be taken from the stage.”
Nitschke’s story reflects the historical lack of support for those struggling with mental health in the late 19th century. His isolation in a rural setting, marked as 'eccentric' by his community, mirrors the tragic outcomes often faced by artists and veterans of that era who fell through the cracks of society.
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