Evening Capital Journal, Aug 7, 1890.
Mrs. Anna Koebel Plunges into the River Yesterday, While Temporarily Demented. The Oregonian has the following particulars of a tragic death below Oregon City yesterday. Captain Graham of the steamer Altone, plying between this place and Oregon City, brought word to this city last evening of the suicide of Mrs. Anna Koebel, of Canby, Clackamas county. The woman who is the wife of a farmer, had been for the past fifteen days an inmate of St. Vincent's hospital, and was yesterday discharged as cured. With money, which her husband had sent her for that purpose, she procured a ticket for Oregon City, by way of the Oregon City transportation Company's steamer Latona, and was then on her way to her home, when, for some inexplicable reason, she committed the rash and fearful act. Mrs. Hodges, of Canby, and Mrs. Wellier, Of Oregon City, intimate friends of Mrs. Koebel's had been visiting in this city and were on the steamer at the time bound for their homes. The three ladies made a pleasant party, and all the progressing favorably, when a certain strangeness in Mrs. Koebel's actions was noticed. She had always professed an unbelief in regard to religious matters and the existence of a Deity, and the presence of a minister aboard seemed to excite her. Her companions urged her to lie down in the cabin, and everything was done to quiet her, but her nervousness increased. She imagined that the preacher was after her to do her bodily harm, and in her disordered mind the number soon increased from one man to half a dozen. However she finally became more rational and , complaining of a stifling closeness in the atmosphere, was allowed to go out up on the deck in the stern of the boat and sit near the railing. Suddenly, almost before her friends could realize what was taking place, Mrs. Koebel arose to her feet and springing to the top of the railing, jumped overboard into the river below, beneath which she immediately sank. The point at which the sad affair occurred was opposite the Elk Rock trestle, about seven miles above this city. The steamer was immediately stopped and in less than two minutes a boat containing two men was launched and rowed back to the spot where the woman had disappeared beneath the waves. It was expected the body would soon rise to the surface, but the last had been seen of the unfortunate woman. Although the drowning occurred at 3:30 o'clock, the steamer remained about the spot and the crew grappled for the body until 5 o'clock, but without success. She then steamed her way to Oregon City. From inquiry made at St. Vincent hospital last evening, it is learned that Mrs. Koebel was about 25 years of age, and the mother of four children. The family was in very moderate circumstances, and she was somewhat averse to going home, knowing the very hard work that there awaited her. She gave no inclination at the hospital of being even slightly unbalanced, mentally, and had she showed such signs would not have been allowed to go unattended. She had also been under treatment at the Portland hospital entering that place July 10th and remaining eight days. Her actions toward the latter part of her stay at the institution had been noticed as strange, but were attributed by the matron and physician to be due to the care of her child which she had with her at the time. Mrs. Koebel is described as being a tall and very dark brunette and weighing about 139 pounds. She was quite good looking and was generally of a jolly disposition. The only thing to which her suicide can be attributed was a temporary aberration of the mind occasioned by her recent sickness.
*This is not my family, and I have no further information*