The morning call., 1891-07-31
INTO ETERNITY.
Sensational Suicide From Point
L0b0s Cliff.
Unavailing Efforts Made to Recover the Body.
The Ocean Swallows Up the I'm
known Dead.

A very sensational suicide occurred near
the Cliff House shortly after o'clock last
evening, when man, at present unknown,
leaped to his death from the cliffs near the
Point Lobos Signal Station. Only one per-
son saw the suicides leap. He is young
man named Edward Cate, who resides on
Scott street, and from him the details were
learned.
MIR. Cate went out to Point Lobos to fish,
and had spent some time angling from the
rocks at spot just below the Signal sta
tion and Immediately beyond the tunnel on
the Ferries and Cliff House Railway.
Shortly before o'clock he was approached
by the suicide, whose apparel and general
appearance betokened him to have been a
laboriIg man. about 30 or 55 years old
After watching young Cate in silence for
several minutes the unknown asked him re-
garding the fishing, and reply was made.
SEEMED VERY MUCH EXCITED.
The old man seemed very much agtated
mentally and paced up and down for some
time before he spoke again. Then striding
up to where Cate was sitting, he thrust his
hand into his pocket and drew out 80 cents
IN dimes. at the same time asking Cate
whether he did not want to take drink.
Cate replied that he did not care to drink
and would rather fish, but thanked the
stranger for his offer.
This offer OF money was evidently made
in order to get Cate out of the way, as the
old man had, without doubt, already Sc
lected the spot from which to make his fatal
leap, and wished to do So unseen, ana, as
the sequel showed, he could not have found
n more suitable spot in radius Of twenty
miles.
The unknown's strange action prompted
Gate to watch him and 1rhap ha do n "
around the side of the mill Cate secured
his line to a rock and soon gained a
spot from which he could, unobserved
himself, watch the movements of the
stranger. For some moments the man paced
up and down, then stopped and took good
look in every direction, as if to make sure
he was not watched.
wELL-CoNsIDERED PRELIMINARIEs
Pulling out his handkerchief he proceeded
to brush the dust from fiat rock near the
edge of the cliff. which at this spot is fully
eighty feet high, and almost perpendicular.
BY his actions Cate thought that the stranger
was about to sit down, but he was soon I'M
deceived. The mysterious stranger care
fully removed his coat. which he folded up
neatly and placed on the rock. after which
lie took off his vest and hat and placed them
on top of the coat.
The terrible truth at once dawned on Cate
that this mysterious being was about to COM
nit suicide, and he rushed from his place of
c0ncealment, but moment too late, for as
the unknown caught sight of his would be
preserver he calmly stepped to the brink of
the awful precipce, shouted " | am going
to jump into the ocean, good-byW aud be-
fore Cate could prevent him had jumped
out into space, meeting instant death on the
projecting rocks below.
The body struck the rocks several times
In the fall before it reached the water, into
which it splashed. Mortified and almost
paralyzed by what he saw Cate stood, as it
were, for a moment rooted to the spot, and
then returned to peer over the edge of the
cliff. The body of the self-murderer was
floating on tile water, and as quickly as pos
sible Cate secured his line, to which was at
tached a stout hook used in rock-cod fishing.
After few throws he managed to fasten it
in the urdergarments of the suicide, secured
the line to rock and ran up the cliff for
assistance.
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE BODY.
The first man met was Edward Swanson,
a member of the Golden Gate life-sayinC
crew, who was stationed on his beat near
the signal station. AS soon as Swanson
heard OF the suicide he at once notified Cap
tain Hallahan, in charge of the life-saving
station, who, with the others of his crew.
hurried to the spot, well supplied with heay-
ing-lineS, buoys aud grapne S.
The fatal spot was soon reached, but the
body had disappeared having broken from
the hooks by the action of the waves.
Shortly alter dark an object supposed TO
have been the body was seen just inside the
outer line Of breakers. but it was too far ont
to be secured by those ashore. Captain
Hallahan then had the station at Fort Point
rung up, and ordered out the Bakers Beach
life-6oat, which was speedily on lis way to
the scene.
He also sent his men out on the new
wave power works, as the body seemed to
be drifting in that direction, but before it
reached the place where the men, grapnel
in hand, were waiting to secure it, it was
caught in an eddy and carried away to the
westward, and, in spite Of the close watch
kept on 1t. disappeared from view.
AS FAR As MILE ROCK.
The Bakers Beach life-boat went out as
lar as Mile Rock, but coming to the con-
clusion that further search in that direction
would be useless, the red rocket was fired
which recalled the boat to the station. Cap
tain Hallahau and his men remained in the
vicinity until o'clock, but the body was
not again seen, and, leaving two men with
ing crew returned to the station taking the
suicides clothes with them.
The closest search failed to reveal any,
thing by which the suicide could be identi-
fed, ami if the secret Is ever unfathomed il
Will be by the description of the clothes
and OF the man. His cat is a black cut
away, in good condition, likewise the vest,
though of different cloth. while the hat is a
soft felt Stetson, size 6B. In the pockets
were black-handled, hOilow-ground razor
OF medium size, pair of spectacles aud 80
cents.
AS best could be learned, the suicide was
a man about 50 years of age, rather tall,
and he had gray hair, almost white, and