Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-11-25
DEAD BS A Dose OF srkYCH VISE.
Poverty and Family rroupie Drive CHARLES
keeK TO Hi. Death

keek 60 Hi. Death,
Charles Keck committed suicide on
Monday afternoon at his room at the Key
stone hotel by taking dose of stryohnine.
Coroner Shitfer was notified and he EN-.
pauueled John Moedinger, Samuel b.
Bitter, Newton MeCarty, William Schaub,
james ID. lands aud Thomas +. McElli-
gott, as his jury. The jury viewed
the remains and made an examination of
the room to ascertain how keck ended his
life. They soon discovered that stryoh-
nine was the drug taken by deceased. On
the bureau was paper and in it was
| strychuine sufficient to kill a SCORE of men.
By the side of the paper was part of an
apple and a pocket knife. Tue superstition
Is that the poison was taken in the
apple Tho knife blade had particles of
| strychnine on it.
Keck had frequently stopped at the
| Keystone house, dnri3S the past few
| years. He came for the last time on Thurs
| day and registered his name as from
| Allentown, which he claimed as bis home,
although he has been away from that city
| for several years. On Saturday he told
the barkeeper that he was going away,
but came back later in the day and SAID he
would stay over Sunday. He was about
| the bar room until between and 10 O'Clock
| on Monday morning when he said that he
would 90 up to his room as he did not fee
we'll. Thinking that be was asleep neither
the proprietor nor barkeeper looked after
him, until between four and five O'Clock
when A.. II hartman, the barkeeper, went
| to his room door aud knocked. Not re-
ceiVing any reply Mr. hartman thought
| there was something wrong, entered the
room through a window, aud found Mr.
| Keck dead in bed.
Deceased WAS about 62 years Of age, aud
has been employed at many of the ore
| banks OF tins and adjoining counties 70.
several years. He boarded at Mannheim
! until Thursday. when he came to this
city. During the war be served in the
army as a surgeon, but he has not practiceC
his profession for many years. He va:
| well known to William Roshm, OF the
North Pole hotel, aud when that gentleman
was Informed Of his death, he came to tht
| Keystone house, took charge of the
remains and if his friends do not claim
them, will have them buried a. his owl
| expense.
| The causes of the suicide are believed 4
have been poverty and family troubles
| He complained to several of his acquaiD.
| tauUes of his family troubles, aud only Q
| few days ago said to one that at last h(
| was free, as he had secured a divorce from
his wife. He has one son living at Allen
| town, who has been notified D! the deatl
of mis- father. All the money found on hi
| person was two cents. He had gooC
| silver watch several business cards wer'
in his pockets QUO was that Of John FL
Sellzsr, attorney at law, 240 S9uCh Fiiti
street, Philadelphia = second was tha
of Schwartz & Mansbach, liquor dealers
336 North Third street. Philadelphia, ant
the third that OF /, B. Seely & Co, trus
manufacturers. A tax receipt in his nam
showed that he was registered as "A vote
for the last election at Mannheim
The verdict Of the jury was that dealt
resulted from dose OF strychnine, ad'
minstrel by his own hands, The poison
WIS not labeled, and the suppostion il
that it was purchased in some other plao
weeks ago and carried about by Keck
until Monday, when he decided upou tax
ing his life.
The relatives Of tho deceased, residin.
in Allentown, have telegraphed that the.
will come to this city on the first train to
morrow "Wednesday to take charge of th
remains.