Wichita eagle., 1888-11-18
THE Suicide
o. C. LeichArdt, of Chicago. TAKES His Own Life
At the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Verdict
and Inquest,

and Inquest.
Yesterday morning about s o'clock
Prince, the old porter at the Occidental.
was sent ND TO call the occupant of
room on the first floor. He knocked upon
the door several times but getting no re-
ply from within, took a step ladder and
placed it against the door ana looked over
the transom. Lying upon the bed was
the body of an aged man, his face was
white as the gray locks that clustered
around his head, his left hand was upon
the edge of the bed and covered with
blood and vessel placed beneath it was
also red with blood while here and
there upon the bed and carpet were spots
of red. The porter saw the man was dead
and so notified the people in the hotel Of
fee DR.. Tilden was sent for and the door
TO the room opened.
An examination showed that the body
was still warm, death having occurred but
short time before the discovery OF the
body. The remains were taken TO Dun
bars undertaking establishment and the
coroner was notified.
The suicide was a man of fine personal
appearance, who would impress anyone
that saw him as being a man of intelli.
gence and fine business qualifications and
most likely professional man. He SEEM
ed about 20 years of age, had gray hair and
side-burns. He arrived in the city
Thursday evening and registered
at the Occidental hotel as
O. c. Leichardt, Ky. While around the
hotel he appeared TO be in good spirits and
talked quite a good deal with Mr.. Deming,
Mr. r. c. Isreal and such of the guests as be
knew Friday evening he came down
stairs and complained to Mr.. Isreal of hav-
ing feon upon his wrist, and said he was
going to purchase some laudinum at a
drug store to make him sleep. He returned
to his room shortly afterwards and was
never again seen alive.
He had evidently prepared for self des-
truction and went about it In most sys-
tematic way as is shown by directions
which he left. A note upon the stand
written by him asked that his body be not
touched until Francis Scott of the Santa
Fe bake.y was notified. Two letters were
also found, one written with pen and INK
was addressed to Mr.. SEQ t and was as fol-
lows:
My DEAR NEPHEW expected to see
have me buried as near my dear father as
possible. Please telegraph TO Mrs. Mary
T.. Leichardt, No 1904 Prairie avenue, Chi
cago H., as follows: Uncle Charles died
here last night; he requests to be buried
here. Answer Please follow these in
structions and may you and yours enjoy
all the blessings that this world affords
YOUR UNCLE.
The other was written with lead pen
Gil and was in an envelope, addressed to
Mrs. Mary E. Leichart, No. 1904 Prairie
avenue, Chicago.
Ny Dear Molie:
As you suggested some time ago, it is
better for you 10 go along this world
without me. so concluded to 90 II. NO
better, more devoted and faithful woman
ever lived than you. My own folly placed
Inc where | am. | never cared for this
world and certainly do not fear the next.
May the remaining years of your life prove
| happier and more prosperous than any
spent with me, is the most sincere wish
OF your OLD CHARLEY
! Dear Pet:
Pay no attention to any claims against
me- thought / would win, but fate was
against me and ruined me.
| In the meantime the coroner had ar
tived and jury composed of j. NJ. Hus-
ton. VIM. X. Smith, w W. Haines, j. d..
| Caldwell. f. b. Rentz, NJ. H., L. Lilly was
summoned and the inquest commenced
with the examination of r. C.. Israel, who,
after being sworn said
The first saw of the deceased, o. c.
Lelchart, was on the night of the 18th of
| November. He came up to the desk and
either said or gave me TO understand that
! he had felon on his hand from which he
was suffering: his arm was In Sing and
| he said he had not rested for three nights.
! The porter, George ". Prince went with
/ him to his room, where he said he wanted
/ to go to bed. The next morning when this
| same porter went TO call him he could not
! awaken and looking over the transom and
! finding him dead came down 20 the Office
and told me.
| DR.. Tilden. the next witness. said: The
! porter came TO my Office and said that n
| man was dead. | went over and examined
/ him: his left hand was lying upon the side
| of the bed and was still warm showing
that he had been dead but a short time.
/ The Stop bowl was under his hand. He
showed signs of hemorrhage but not
! enough to cause death. | judge he died
from some opiate. His hand looked like
! he had attempted to cut his wrist night
before and also last night; there were two
or three wounds. don't think he died
| from hemorrhage. If he died from poison
must have been an opiate. did not see
any bottles or anything in the room to in
dictate that he had taken poison.
George Van Werden, the druggist from
whom the deceased purchased laudauum,
testified:
That Friday night about or o'clock
the deceased came into his store ana he
sold him bottle of apolonais water and
one ounce of laudanum. He had a white
silk handkerchief over his left hand and
said he had a felon on his left wrist; the
opiate he wanted TO make him sleep. as he
had not rested for several nights. He said
he would 90 TO the hotel where he could
get some ice and then drink the water. He
did not appear excited, nor did think
that he had lost a great amount of blood.
George w. Prince, the porter at the Oc-
cidental:
Friday afternoon, or 5 O'Clock noticed
his color was not good ! went up to his
room, opened bottle of appolinaris
water and drank some OF the water. In
the morning when | was sent up TO awaken
him l knocked on the door but could get
no reply from within: took a step ladder
and looking over the transom saw him ly-
ing upon the bed apparently dead. His
left hand lay on the top Of the bed. There
was blood in the bowl and cuts on his left
wrist He had no baggage except small
package in room.
There was also produced in ev-
idence the medicine, the letters and
his leather hand bag. In this
was novel, some account books and bill
showing that he was in some was con-
pected with the Silver Greek and Morris
Coal Co. having an Office at No. 10 Dear
born street. Tha jury was, however, still
at somewhat Of a loss how TO account for
his death. but returned the following YER