Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-12-27
CRAZED By FAMILY TROUBLE
Death of Elton Fay, of GAINESVILLE.
Wis, at New York.
The Cocaine Taken With Suicidal In
tent Was Successful.
Unhappy Married Life Drove Him to
His Untimely End.

NEW YORK, Dec. %. Elton Fav died
IN 1.-The cells at Bellevue hospital. vester-
day. Cocaine swallowed Saturday morn
ing In the lodging-ho at los Bowerv.
killed him. From the first he positively
refused to say why he swallowed the CO.
calne, but it seemed evident from his ema-
clated appearance and worn clothing and
from the many letters found in his coat
that his habits and family troubles hsd
caused him to commit suicide
A few years ago the dead man was the
head of the drug firm of Fay & Horton. in
Janesville, Wis, and about eight months
ago, after losing his business, he obtained
employment as chemist with B. d. Bald
win d Co, In Chicago. Subsequently he
came east and went to Asbury Park. n. J..
where he was clerk in Seelyea' 5 drug
store. When the season closed there he
came to New York and vainly sought en-
ployment. He was a clever chemist, but
he used cocaine as a stimulant and this
made 1t difficult for him to secure work.
As his money ran low he was compelled to
take lodgings in the Bowery. Then he
took the fatal dose Saturday His money
was gone and so were his friends. and wit
nesses say he seemed to welcome greedilv
the large dose of twenty drops that was
end his troubles
Among Fays letters are the most pite-
Gus appeals from his mother and father
and his invalid wife, the former imploring
him to return to Janesville. All the wife 5
letters were from l12 North Academy
street GAINESVILLE. The first one is dated
August s, 1889, and in it Mrs Fay writes
as follows:
MY Own DEAR HUSBAND: | have
settled that Fogg matter to my satisfac-
ton and at your mothers door Law the
blame. Would you uphold my mother in
betraylng daughter-in-law for a stran-
ger S benefit? Your letter was balm to an
envlOus wife who hadn't seen YOU
TOR i've months. | am as near a wreck in
health as | can be, and it does seem as
though your folks could at least let Inc
alone. was gaining splendidly when
TINS came to throw me back worse than
before. Now if you are sorry for the un-
manly part you have taken |, am willing
to forgive and try to make1~you better in
the future"
In subsequent letters Mrs Fay bitterly
upbralds her husband for not writing to
her. Mrs. Fay's letters are written in a
smooth round hand. There are others in
shaky character from the dead man s
mother dated at Edgerton, Wis. in which
she begs him to come home.
EVANSVILLE, Wis. Dec. 23.-The news
of the suicide of Elton A. Fay in New
York, was received with genuine sorrow
10y the many friends of by-gone davs here.
Fay was born here and was at one time
the senior partner in a prosperous drug
business. He was married In 1885 and had
a son. who died lore recently he was
with Chicago perfumery house. His
next situation was a drug clerk with See
lyeas at Asbury Park, when he became
one OF the castaways III the big city-a
Bowery lodger with y fatal appetite for
cococane. Fay 8 uothgr l+yes at Edgerton.
but his wife resides in this city.
JANEsyILLE, Wis. Dec. 23.-John W.
Carpenter, father of Mrs. Elton Fay. whose
husband suicided in New York, SAYS there
was no domestic difficulty between them.
She received letter from him from New
York Thanksgiving day, stating he was
coming home, but she heard nothing from
him since. Fay father, Charles Fay, re-
sides at Edgerton, this county. When the
news was broken to him last night. he
dropped insensible and has not recovered
consciousness yet, and most probably will
die. Fay's father was ex-chief Justice of
Walworth county, Wis His wife is nearly
crazed with grief