Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-26
SUICIDE OF A CRANK.
A Young Man Makes Deliberate
Preparations to End His Life.
WRITING A NUMBER OF LETTERS.
Telling His Friends What He Was About to
Do, and Drowning Himself.
ARRAYED IN FULL EVENING DRESS
rsrrc1AL rrLEeRAn 10 THE D1spAroH.,


NEW YORK, April 25-Letters dated at
the Murray Hill Hotel at 1:30 P. M.
Wednesday, which was probably mistake
for 1:3O A. M. Thursday, were received in
Poughkeepsie to-day by five of the relatives
of Oliver Perry Lewis, young clerk in
New York, whose father, Asa B. Lewis, is
the Pougbkeepsie iverYman. Similar let
ters were received by friends in New York.
There were 25 of them in all.
The letters were on heavy paper, black
bordered, and inclosed in black-bordered
envelopes. They announced the young
mans funeral. and were signed by him. He
thanked his friends for the kindness shown
to him at various times, and told them that
he had determined to commit suicide. He
invited them to the funeral, which he said
would occur in this city on Saturday even
ing, after which his remains would be taken
to Poughkeepsie, and another funeral ser
vice would be held in the First Reformed
Church. He desired that enough carriages
should be secured to attend the funeral.
TIRED OF LIES BURDEN.
Among the letters was one eight pages in
and her three daughters he had been living
at 200 West Fourteenth street. This letter
gave minute details of the last six months
of his life, and said that it was impossible
for him to carry the burden of life any
longer. He asked that the Rev. DIR. John
Hall should be invited to conduct the fune-
raj. He wanted coffin covered with black
cloth, with silver bar handles, and he
wished to have flowers laid on his corpse.
There was also letter sent by him to the
proprietor of the hotel, saying in effect:
i'Please notify my father, A. B. Lewis, of
413 Washington street, Poughkeepsie, that
L have killed mvself" A dispatch was
sent to Lewis father at once. He hurried
to the city, and friends to whom Lewis had
sent word that he was going to drown him.
self in the reservoir in Central Park went
to the reservoir early in the afternoon.
They found young Lewis dead body in the
gate house dripping with water and clothed
in this manner:
STRANGE HABILIMENTS OF DEATH.
A black broadcloth claw-hammer coat,
with a white rose in the buttonhole, white
silk-embroidered satin waistcoat a white
tie, and the rest of the habiliments of even
ing dress, diamond pin in the white tie,
white cambric handkerchief tucked on the
waistcoat and gold and silver rings on the
fingers.
Lewis was salesman in the employ of
johnson & Faulkner, upholsterers, at 80
East Seventeenth street. On Wednesday
morning he did not go to the store but re-
mained at home with his mother and sisters.
In he evening he put on dress suit, say
ing that he was going to party. He ar
rived at the Murray Hill Hotel
| little after midnight. 1t is supposed
that he spent the night writing the
letters that he sent to his mother. his en-
ployers and his friends, announcing his ap-
preaching funeral. He was up early and
| left the hotel before o'clock, going straight
to the park. He was seen there by some
workmen about the park shops, where he
asked for a drink of water. He wore an
overcoat over his evening coat and had on a
high hat
| THE LAST RASH ACT. se"ts
Between and II o'clock man who was
walking on the east side of the reservoir saw
| him climb over the fence on the west side,
near the gate house, hang his overcoat on
one of the iron pickets, and jump into the
water. The man ran to the gate house and
gave the alarm. Superintendent Hankin-
sons men got out of the boat and pulled the
|
passed since he had jumped from the stone
wall, but he was dead. His body was laid
| in the gate house, while message was sent
to Coroner Schultz.
Only a few pennies were found in his
| pockets. In his overcoat there were a
number of tintypesof himself and two small
prayer books. The leaves were turned down
at the Episcopal burial service and at the
hymn: "Abide With Me; Fast Falls the
Even-tide." He had evidently selected
them for his funeral. The friends who had
been notified in his letter where they would
find him dead were at the reservoir before
the crowds came. His father came also,
| and the body was sent to an undertaker's.
At this time the police were looking for
Lewis. An alarm had been sent out de-
scribing him, and warning the police that
he would attempt suicide. His mother,
who had received one of his letters, had
gone to police headquarters in hot haste,
but he bad moi told her when he meant to
kill himself, and the warning came too late.
HIS ACCOUNTS ALL RIGHT.
When the elder Lewis came to town, he
went straight to his sons employer and
learned from them that there had been no
trouble at the store, and that the young
mans accounts, as far as he had any, were
all right. It was learned that youngLewis
had left his fathers home in PoughEeepsie,
several years ago. He had an ambition to
shine in society, and it is said, did not get
on we'll at home. He induced his mother
and sisters to join him here a year ago,
since which time, it is said, he has at
tempted to provide for their support.
He did not earn enough to keep up the
apartment they had in the Jeanne d Arc
apartment house, and for the last three day;
he and his mother and his sisters had been
looking for cheaper rooms. His mother told
DR.. Schultz that his failure had greatly up
set the young man, and that his regret a
having to give up the apartments and his style
of living was the last thing he spoke o
before going out on Wednesday. He hat
left Poughkeepsie, it appears, because HI
disapproved of the livery stable business
His father was inclined to think hin
cranky. The instructions he left for hi
funeral will be carried out at his father
expense. The funeral will beat the hous
| this afternoon