The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-04
TH0S. GADSDEN SUICIDES
KILLED HIMSELF AT his CaILD'S
GRAVE IN LAUREL GROVE.

Ter Sends q Bullet through h!s
Brain - The Cause for the Rash Deed
Unknown But supposed 10 be
Financial Difficulty - The Circum-
stances OF the Suicide-The Bank
Investigating the Dead Cashiers
Accounts.
Thomss Gadsden, cashier Of the Mer-
chants National bank, committed suicide
yesterday morning by shooting himself
through the head at the grave Of his little
daughter, in Laurel Grove Cemetery. He
fired the bullet through his right ear and
fell on his face across the grave.
The act was not one Of sudden impulse,
but had been premeditated for at least a
day, as the suicide wrote and mailed two
letters Thursday night announcing Lis de-
termination to kill himself
While it is not positively known what
causes led TO the rash act, the general i'm
preston is that it resulted from financial
difficulties. For two or three days Mr..
Gadsden had been in depressed spirits, and
yesterday morning he arose at an unusu-
ally early hour and started out for walk.
A few minutes after O'Clock W. l.. Haupt,
keeper of Laurel Grove cemetery, saw him
pass lis house huu 6kbcE buo CciHokcEIs AAG
was walking briskly, and had both hands
showed in the back pockets OF his trousers.
The keeper thought nothing of the matter.
DISCOVERY OF THE BODY.
About twenty minutes later a colored
man, Lawrence Drayton. who was doing
some brick work in the cemetery, ran up 10
the door of the keepers house and reported
that a man was lying on q grave in a
nearby lot, and he thought he was drunk.
Mr.. Haupt went 70 the place, and found
Mr.. Gadsden lying dead on his face, in a
pool Of blood. R. g. Gadsdep, son
of the dead man, and A @. Guerard,
of the body. They had started out shortly
after Mr.. Gadsden had left his residence on
Whitaker street, fearing from his ac-
tions that he contemplated something rash,
and reached the cemetery within a few
minutes from the time he fired the fatal
shot.
The body remained where it fell and
Coroner Dixon was notified. He sent Jus
tice Naughtin to the scene, accompanied by
William T. Dixon.
CLUTCHED THE FATAL WEAPON.
On turning the body over Justice Naugh-
ton found the pistol which had done the
deadly work clutohed in Mr.. Gadsden's
right hand, with the index finger on the
wound and the suicides clothing and the
ground around were dyed with If. The
body was removed TO the morgue, and.
after investigating matters, Justice
Naughtin decided that an inquest was I'M
necessary, and gave permission to have the
body removed to the dead mans home
This was not done, however, until late in
the afternoon.
Nothing was found on the body but
Ok kav. - -. s.sI
IDENTIFY prepare ed for the deed. He wore no
cuffs. did not have any pin in his scarf, and
had removed all papers from bis person.
THE LETTER TO MR. eUERARD.
One Of the letters written on Thursday
night by Mr.. Gadsden was 10 his brother
ln-law, Mr.. Guerard. In it he said that
he had made up his mind to COM
NIT suicide, and would be dead by
the time the letter would be read.
He said he would kill himself in Laurel
Grove, and asked Mr.. Guerard to
take care of his wife and family and look
after his effects. The other letter was mailed
TO Capt John L. Hammond, president OF
the Merchants bank, aud stated that he
would be dead when the letter was opened
and read. II he stated anything further
1t is not known except by Capt. Ham
mond.
Thursday night, when Mr.. Gadsdsn
reached home, he was very much depressed
and had little to say. About midnight
Mrs. Gadsden awoke and saw her
husband leaning over the crib kissing bis
youngest child. She inquired if there was
anything wrong, and he replied that there
was not, only he couldn't sleep. The
matter worried Mrs. Gadsden, and when
her husband arose at an unusual hour yes
terday morning and went out, she feared
that something was about TO happen and
sent her son over to her brothers house with
a request that he look for Mr. Gadsden.
STARTED FOR THE CEMETERY.
By strange intuition both turned their
steps toward Laurel Grove and to the fam
lily lot, where their fears were realized by
finding the body on the grave of the dead
mans little Bessie, who died in 1879 Mr..
Guerard returned and broke the news to
Mrs Gadsden, who was Frustrated by the
blow.
Several days ago Mr.. Gadsden took his
Smith 81 Wesson revolver from q bureau
drawer and had his son put it In working
order. He then took the weapon to the
bank. where the young man saw it In his
fathers desk Thursday afternoon. From
this fact 1t would seem that he had been
celebrating over the deed for some time.
The same afternoon Mr.. Gadsden went out
to the cemetery on Barnard
street car ana remained there a
short time. boarding the same
car at the cemetery crossing on its return
from Battery park. He probably settled
on the place for his suicide on this trip.
THE NEWS OF THE TRAGEDY.
The news of the tragedy did not get down
town until nearly 10 o'clock yesterday fore
noon, and it caused great excitement. At
first people hardly credited the report.
As soon as the news was confirmed, how
ever, all sorts OF rumors were started as
signing causes for the suicide. Some at
tributed it to i'll health, and others to IN
ventures in speculation. Every
thing was rumor. however, and no one was
able TO solve the mystery. The family Of
the dead man attribute the deed to the fact
that he was damented from i'll health. He
had save attack of the grip about two
months ago, and never thoroughly re-
covered from the effects He was also a
suffer from hay fever, and IL was stated
that the combination of ills caused him so
much suffering that he was unable to bear II
longer.
TIE BANK INVESTIGATING.
AS soon as President Hammond became
satisfied that Mr.. Gadsden had suicided.
the Merchants bank directors were
called together. They were at work
all day over the cashiers accounts and
adjourned last night without giving out
any Information as to the results obtained
President Hammond said he had nothing
for publication, and whether or not the
dead cashiers accounts are all right will
NOT ha kn0upv, until tba dirookoro 9r;ah -