Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-25
OVER NIAGARA FALLS.


Philadelphia Record.
Thomas Hilsen, well known Phila-
delphia wool broker, whose business
career in this city has been a somewhat
exciting one, committed suicide yester-
day morning by jumping from Luna Island
bridge, at Niagara. He was carried over
the falls while half dozen Mortified spec
tators were looking on, but were pOwerless
to rescue him. The suicide was an act of
cool premeditatiOn, and the elaborate
preparations made by the victim gave a
very sensational turn to the affair. On
Saturday Hilsen mailed the following let
ter to Kedward & Thorpe, who occupied
the office at No. 1873 Chestnut street with
him:
81 found of late l cannot make a living,
and therefore resolved to die. Idon't wish
to wrong you, but am compelled to paw YOU
in merchandise instead of money by trans
ferring to you all my property at auction
price valuation, amounting to 800. wish
to pay one months rent, having no doubt
that you will have no difficulty III dispos-
ing of the place | occupied, The way our
account would stand is as follows;
| owe you for rent paid, $54, $64 so. .SllS so
l owe you one month. h.-,................. II O7
$l85 81
OF inclosed bill of sale observation-disclosures. 100 90
35 81
for which l enclose check of Kedward
TT.
81 hope you will forgive q little incon-
venlence l had to put you to in order to
be able to I'LL some small but sacred obli-
gations.'
E. A. Green, of the firm of Z. A, Green
4 Co., who was also personal friend of
the dead man, received yesterday letter
as follows;
'When left that little keepsake with
you l had made up my mind to give up
life. Not that | am tired of it, On the
contrary, quit with regret this pleasant
habit of existence. / never suffered from
sickness, and have had the eQuanimity of
my mind follow me through thick and
thin. But since l opened my little
shop, which would have prOspered if
others had treated me as literally as
you did, l found myself on IAN in.
clined plane, being unable to make ex-
penses. l might have gone to board for
50 week and locked myself up in nv
room, but / came to the conclusion that
l would not die piecemeal, but would live
not so eXtravagantly but like a gentleman
as long as had something to fall back on.
This sonsething got smaller and smaller,
and now is eaten up. To get along fur
ther would have to run into debt and do
all sorts of little dirty things, / won't.
Therefore, gOOd-by, lam going to 90 over
the falls; write to you because you have
always been kind to me, and ! explain
my step SO that you may tell the people
the truth,
''The kindest wishes for your happiness
and prosperity, from gratefully yours,
'THOS. HILSEN.
''Please give my little Ed the incIosed
50, and tell him to keep my old clothes in
hn
drawer"
The ''Ed" referred to in the last letter
was the colOred Office boy, Edward But
Ter, who last Wednesday received letter
from his employer stating that he would
be home on Sunday, E'if in the land of the
living" HilseD had been resident of
this city for thirty years, was German
by birth, and highly educated, speaking
several languages fluently. Before the
war he carried on prosperous
wool trade, and afterwards formed a
partnership with George w. Rond Il Co..
OF Boston, the firm name in this city
being Thomas HilSen a. Co. About ten
years ago she firm became involved in
financial difficulty, brought on, so HiIsen
claimed, by speculative ventures OF some
OF the Junior partners. Hilsen gathered
together all the money he could get hold
of, amounting to SAC, 900 or $50. 600, and de-
camped. The senior member of the firm,
Mr.. Bond, happened to be in Europe at
the time, and on the arrival of the steam
ship had Hilsen arrested. MIR. Bond sue,
ceeded in getting SOS, 600 from the fagftive.
This money was paid to the FIRMS
creditors, and the AFFAIR was thus
settled; In 1876 Gregg Brothers, who had
BUSINESS transactions with Hilsen. after
his return from Europe charaea him with
the embezzlement of $4,000, and he was
arrested while oa visit to the city during
the Centennial. He was subsequently
tried, but the jury disagreed ana The mat
ter was compromised. Milsen's friends
here are satisAed that he killed himself
becauae be had deliberately come to the
conclusion that he could no longer live in
the extrayagapt manner IN which he de-
lighted, aud, rather than, be compelled to
exist without "high living" he preferred
to end his life,
Mr., Green says that Hilsen nrobabIv
made $4,000 to $4,000 a year in the wool
brokerage business, but that he snent
$4,000 to $4,000. 1t is said by some of those
who knew the man that he had a wife
living in Europe and son in Chicago.
but this IL doubtful.