Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-21
LOOKS LIKE SUICIDE.
CLARK WOODMAN, ONE OF OMA-
HAS WEALTHY CITIZENS,
Found Dea in a Chicago Hotel-There is
Mystery Announced As to Why
He is Dead-Poison Found

CHICAGO ILL, Aug. 20.-The dead body
| of Clark Woodman, one of the wealthiest
citizens of Omaha. Neb., and an influential
director in the linseed oil trust, was found
| this afternoon in his room at the Grand Pa
cific hotel. The general suppose
OF suicide. The cause for
such act is still most peculiar mystery,
and all of the circumstances DO not by any
means confirm the theory of suicide. which
is. however, strengthened by few strange
! and a few unexplained facts. Mr..
Woodman arrived at the Grand Pa
citic hotel late last Monday night.
No one in the Office remembers seeing him
after he retired to his room at that time.
On Wednesday evening the cham bermaid
entered the room and found him lying across
the bed fully dressed. with the
exception of his coat. On hearing
the sound of his breathing and
supposing that he was merely sleeping she
did not re-enter the room until this after
noon. She found the BODY in the same
position, but the face was horribly dis
cOlored, and the odor in the room WAS fear
full DR.. K. H. Stager was summoned and
found that such was the case. The condl-
ton of the body made plain that
he was breathing his last when seen by the
chambermaid on Wednesday night On a
table were two bottles, one containing am
monia and the other spirits Of camphor.
The bottles stood on a piece OF hotel
letter paper, on which was written
three ounces of chloroforn, one ounce of
ammonia" A stamped and sealed envel-
ope addressed to II. q. Clark, Omaha. Neb.,
was also on the table The handwriting on
the envelope and on the bit of paper did
not correspond.
Woodman was a member of the grain
commission firm of Woodman & Harris,
with offices at 5l1 Rookery building. The
current rumor this afternoon was that Mr..
Noodman. whose estimated wealth
is in the neighbOrhood of 100000,
had lost a large part of his for
tune during the recent rise in the price of
grain on the board of trade. No one could
be found to confirm the rumor. The junior
member of the firm, j. F. Harris, claimed
that except in company with i'm
self his partners never visited
the board of trade, and that even
he did uot go outside of the regular work
of the firm. Strangely enough, however,
Harris did not know that Woodman was in
the city until he learned of his death. He
had not seen him for a week. and presumed
that he was in New York. Il can
imagine no conceivable reason for suicide"
said Mr.. Harris, who was evidently greatly
shocked at the event. ''Woodman has been
time l lived at his house in
Omaha In all that time l have
learned to know and like him thoroughly.
II you were to ask anyone in Omaha for the
happiest family in the city think the first
name to be mentioned would be
Mr.. and Mrs. Clark Woodman. If death
came at his own hands it would
appear Impossible that any familytroubles
could have caused it. and personally know
OF nothing in a business way which would
have done so.'
Mr. Harris statement was confirmed by
his brother, George V. Harris, vice
president of the Burlington road.
who had known the dead man intimately.
For the present DR.. Stager refuses TO
give any information based on the condi-
ton in which he found the body.