Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-04-01
BY THE MORPHINE ROUTE
To Avoid a Trial on the Charge of
Murder a Seattle Man Suicides

Special to the HERALD.
SEATTLE. Wash. March 3l.-lra Hum
mel a Young man well known about town,
whose name has become familiar by his
having been convicted OF an attempt To
murder John Michaelson In this city two
wears ago. committed suicide yesterday
hy taking poison IN a bed room in a lodg-
ing house over the Opera saloon at 226,
Front street. At 3 o'clock yesterday
morning Hummel dropped into the saloon,
which IS owned by Oliver BERNARD. and
asked the bartender to give him room
in the lodging house on the upper floor.
which is run In connection win the
saloon. llummel was perfectly sober at
the time aud declined to take drink
with "A stranger who was at the bar at
the time. The bartender received hfty
cents from llummcl. as pay Tor nights
lodging. and conducted the latter 10 room
No. "a. At lO:30 the chamber maid IN
formed Bernard. the proprietor, that she
wished to make up the bed. and the latter
opened the door to awaken the guest.
Iiummcl was sitting up in bed smoking,
and when requested to get up. said: Il
wish YOU would let me rest until alter
naon am not feeling we'll" "lf
you are sick" replied Bernard. you
should see "A doctor" But llummcl re-
marked that lac would be- all right after
getting little more sleep. Bernard with
drew. About half-past four this after
noon the bartender proceeded 10 hum
mcl's room. opened the door and called.
Receiving no response hc touched the oc-
cupaut of the bed aud was horriiicd To
] find that the man was corpse. Dr.
Smart the coroner. was summoned aud
/ Immediately repaired to the place and en-
| tering the room occupied by Hummel.
/ found that life had been extinct some
l time. on the table near the bed he found
] "A card. ON which was written the follow
] Inuna l. SnTIth ElnNpntII
/ street. between Ncslcr avenue and Wash
ington street. No. lOS. ] am the son OF
Holm IIummcl." No signature was at
tachcd. The cause of the mans death
was not az first apparent. DIR. smart on
I investigation. however, found under iium-
mel's pillow a drachm bottle Of mOrpine,
half cmpticd. Ira Ilummcl took his life
i'm preference to again standing trial ON
the charge of attempting To murder John
] Nicholson. with robbery as motive.
The case which has been pending FOR
some time past. was To have come up Tues
day before Judge Humes, OF the criminal
department Of the superior court. Two
wears ago next month, llummel, whose
father owns considerable property IN Tn,
CITY. asked John Nicholson to accom-
many him out jackson street and ht
/ would show him some lots. that could b,
bought for low figure. Nicholson wa'
known To have some money. which M
generally carried with him. Nicholson
consented. and the two men walked q
long distance out the thOrOughfare men
, TONED. then turned into a dense swamp
After proceeding some distance. Michael,
son claims. that IIummcl dropped behind
him. pulled revolver aud shot him y
the back Of the head. Michaelson fell
and ON regaining consciousness managed
10 attract attention and was brought u
the CITY. lie lay In the hospital mum bel
az months and recovered. The trial oi
Uummel attracted considerable attention
for reason of his connections. his father
and mother being old and respected eiti.
zens. lie also had brother. and hall
dozen sisters. four Of whom are married
TO well known business men hero, among
whom are Charles II. Shaw and Ellis Roe.
/ Al the trial the witness swOre that about
the hour Of the shooting llummcl was
seen on the streets. and the prosecution
failed to prove that Michaelson and Hum
mel we're seen together II was shown.
however. that the accused had borrowed
"A revolver from Frank Clinch. q saloon
man ON Commercial street The jury
Thought the evidence sufficiently strong
to return a verdict Of guilty as charged
A motion for a new trial was granted anc
the case was set for March 3Dth. IL wa
postponed. as before stated, aud would
have come up on Tuesday next had no
Hummel taken his own life.