The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-24
THE THIRD SUICIDE.
Another Man Takes the Nor
phine Route.
DISSIPATION WAS THE CAUSE
Charles ~. Potter, . Printer. After De-
sertisg His wife and Child. Ends
His Own Life.

Charles n Potter. . compcsitor on the
Er.uiaa Press. committed suicide IN the Y.
z. Iodginghouse. on So;th Second street.
yesterday morning. by taking large dose
of morphine The poison was taken 1t 10
O'Clock .. m, and Potter breathed his last
At $50 O'Clock p. m. Dependency was
the cause for the act OF self-destruction-
Potter went 70 his room at the Y. z.
clearinghouse about three weeks ago. He
worked last Monday and Tuesday on the
Press. and spent Tuesday night at the
house as usual He arose at 8 O'Clock yes
terday morning. and at O'Clock went to
the composing rooms. He was working
on case 2. and Immediately set to work
filling his cases with type. Potter dis
sribufed but two or three lines of the hand
full of matter that he held when he set it
down on the case. He put on his coat and
going to Colonel John Egan. city editor.
borrowed q half dollar, saying that he
wanted to get something to eat, and left the
place His resolve TO end his existence
was evidently made when he laid down the
type. A half hour later he was met on
Second street By q friend. also printer.
He carried in his hand q small package,
evidently medicine of some kind, and
when asked what il Was, replied that il
was an opiate. At 8 O'Clock he again en-
tered the Press composing-room and look
ing at the clock left without speaking to
any ore.
At 1870 O'Clock Potter went to the lodg-
inghouse. To Mr.. J. p. Ennis, the pro-
prietor, whom he met in the readingroom
connected with the house. he complained
of feeling i'll. Later on, when the poison.
which had evidently been taken about 10
o'clock, began to take effect. he stated that
he had a chill. He refused to take any
medicine when Mr.. Ennis offered it to him,
and at II 80. after coolly smoking a cigar,
went to his bunk, which was in the rear
end of the building. in q room with about
fifty other men.
Two hours later Mr.. J. T. Ennis, brother
of the proprietor. happened to go close
to where Potter lay. He was
breathing heavily, and this at
tracted Mr.. Ennis attention. Going
closer. he discovered that Potter was
frothing at the mouth and was unconscious.
Dr. H. S. Grant, health officer, was imme-
diately sent for and arrived in a few mo-
ments. Restoratives were applied. but it
was soon seen that the spark of life was
beyond recall A powerful electric battery
was applied. The fast dying man moaned
once or twice, but that was all.
DIR. Grant worked with him until the
action of the heart ceased, at $50 O'Clock,
when he pronounced him dead. Coroner
Smart Immediately took charge of the body
and had it removed to Bonney & Stewards
undertaking rooms.
In the bed where Potter lay was found
small phial, which had contained the poi
son, and in his coat pocket was q letter ad-
dressed. ITO the Coroner" the contents of
which Coroner Smart arbitrarily refused to
divulge.
Potter was q married man. but lived
apart from his wife and young daughter,
both OF whom reside in this city. Potter
deserted his wife and child in San Fran
cisco last December, leaving them in desti-
tute circumstances. He came north to
Seattle and has been here ever since. He
worked for time on the Posr-INTELLr-
sENcER. then on the Morning Journal, then
on the Budget, and last on the Evening Press.
He was very dissipated, and spent every
cent be could make or borrow. His wife
came to Seattle week ago last Saturday,
and has been stopping with friends at the
International iodginghouse on Cherry
street. Potter met his wife there Tuesday
night for the first time since leaving her in
San Francisco, and wonted her to come
and live with him again. She refused, and
he left her with threat to kill himself
Potter learned his trade in San Fran
cisco, and early in the SOS, when the union
printers on the Chronicle struck. went to
work as rat" as assistant foreman.
This position he held until 1888, when
Meldrum, the foreman. commit ted suicide,
and Potter assumed the foremanship
When Editor NJ. II. De Young finally
agreed to the demands of the striking
printers, Potter was thrown out of employ.
ment His downward career dated from
his disloyalty to the union. He was ever
afterward Stunned by printers. although
allowed TO work in union shops.
He took to heavy drinking and gambling,
misused his wife and family and descended
10 the depths of degradation. 1t is strange
coincidence that Potter and his old fore
man. Meldrum, should both have killed
themselves. Potter was 36 years of age,
tall and heavy set. had dark hair, and was
always smooth shaven.
The funeral will probably be held tomor-
row. from Bonney & Stewards, and will be
under the auspices of the Typographical
ITvsn