Researching select families from: Northampton County Pa; Bucks County, Pa; Sussex/Warren County, NJ

Home	Searches	Books	Family Notes	Argus Obits	Home	About Us

John Ettwein

(00/00/1869 - 04/08/1898)

		William Ettwein
	John Ettwein
Marriage(s)		Mary Ann Kaske
Not married Children: - No Issue Siblings: - Israel John Ettwein - Elmira Ettwein - Infant Son Ettwein - Lovine Ettwein - Charles Frank Ettwein - Augustus Ettwein	Born: Baptism: Place: Sponsors: Died: Burial: Notes: Los Angeles Herald, Los Angles, California, Sunday, April 10, 1898, Page 11 Wanted to be Clean John Ettwein Plunged Into Echo Park Lake He was Religiously Insone The Body was Receoved Yesterday Afternoon - Went in Search of the Rock of Ages Driven insane with the thought that he was spiritually unclean, John Owen Ettwein plunged in Echo Park Lake some time Friday night and was drowned. The death of the young man was a great shock to his widowed mother and friends, as they had no idea that his dementia would result so fatally. Ettwein evidently went insane on the subject of religion. He had recentely come to this city from the country, wehre he had been employed ona fruit ranch, and for some weeks past had resdied at 434 North Alvardo street, with his mohter for the purpose of settling up some business connected with the estate of a sister who died two months ago. His mother is old, and natrually would not be so apt to notice anything strange in his actions as would an outsider. Some time this week he visited a female phrenologist on Main street, and she examined him, during the "Seance" told him that he was unclean in some way. In a rambling statement that he wrote about the affair he refrers to this, but exactly what kind of uncleanliness she had reference wto was not state, although the indications are that it related to his spirituality. In any event, his preyed on his mind to a terrible extent, and was one of the things which doubtless drove him insane. Finally he could stand the thought of his uncleanliness no longer, so he Wednesday he went to the Hammam bath and took a Turkis bath, including the steam and vaor rooms and plunge. During all the time that he was in teh bath he was talking in a rambling sort of way about religion and being unclean and filthy, and it waws evident to the employees about the place that they had a demented person to deal with. he retuend the following afternoon and toook another bath and continued with his talk about being unclean, and wanting the Lord to be with hime. This was on Thrusday, when he was accosted by Officer Broadhead and sommoned to serv on a jury the following day. Broadhead stated that the man actied perfectly rational when he subpoenned him. Early fraidy morning Ettwein again appeared at the Hammon bath and toook another hot bath. He had not got into the place before he began acting queerly again and afeter he had left the rubber's hands he ran into the hall entirely naked and decleared taht he had to appear in court to act as a juror. The proprietor took him back into the room and Ettwin immediated fell upon his knnes and began praying. In a statement which was found at his home Ettwein described the process of teh bath, and referred jtrhough the letter to his being unclean and filthy, and his disre to be cleansed as pur as the snow. The gernal tone of this statement was evidently insopried by a disordered mind. After Leaving the bath he went to the police station, and was found wandering around the basement by Officer McKenize, but became so irrational in his talk that he was locked up. he quieted down however, and his mother and a friend Ben Mitten called at the station and took him home. When Eetwein got home he asked Mitten to go walking for he wanted to show him the "Rock of Ages." He took Mitten for a very long walk, almost to the mountins, n search of the famous rock, but failed to locate it, but not wishing Mitten to have his trip for nothing, he pointed out a rock wich he declared was the hed of God, Mitten warned Mrs. Ettwein not to allow her son to leave the house, and in any event to notify him if Ettwein succeeded in getting away. Mitten then went home. About 7 o'clock Firday night Ettwein informed his mother that he had to go out and get his watch. This was the last seen of him alive. He wandered to Echo Park, which is but a short distance from his home, but what time he made the fatal journey is not known. He evidently walked to the northwest second of the reservoiur and then in the presence of such a large volume of water, his mania returned, and he thought to immerse himself again and try to wash away in imagined uncleanliness. He removed his clooths, heaving them under a tree, and jumped into the water. The reserviour is quite deep at that point where he entered, and he was drowned. His mother did not report his disappearance until some time after he had lfet and then Mitten searched ineffectualy for him. Officer John's boy discovered the clothes, and Mrs. Ettwin soon afterward came up to identified them as belonging to her son. A search was made for teh body, which was then natrurally supped to be inthereserviour, but not until about three o'clock in the afteroon did a party, consisting of Mitten, Ralph Leach, George Young and Frank Hippen, find the body, entirely nude, floating near the cloethes. The remains were removed to the undertaking rooms of Orr and Hines, where Coroner Campbell will hold an inquest. Mrs. Ettwein assigned her son's irrational behavore to the effects of teh baths. He had told her that the blood had gone to his head as the ruslt of them. Seh had not noticed anything unusual about his actions. The deceased was a native of Wadsworth, Ohio, and about 27 years of ago. He was a brother here, one in Faimount, Antelope Valley, and two others in Kasas city.
	Search my genealogy database Enter First Name: Enter Last Name: