Huntsville gazette., 1892-12-24
TORCH AND BULLET.

Fire Started In the City Treasurer's
Office Followed by tho Suicide OF Ed. c.
Foerstel, Eldest Son and Chief Deputy
of Treasurer FoersteI
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 20.-Ed C. Foerstel,
the son and chief deputy of Michael G.
Foerstel, city treasurer, lies a corpse,
having taken his own life rather than
face the consequences of ,his misdeeds.
At6:O5 a. m. Night Watchman William
Ouirk at the city hall, walking through
the hallway on the second floor, discov-
cred fire in the city treasurer's Office,
| in the southeast corner of the building
He hastily turned in an alarm, Eand
later, when Chief Lindsay arrived, he
ordered a second alarm turned in. This
brought out fifteen fire companies, and
the fire was soon under control.
When the fire was discovered in the
treasurer's private Office adjoining the
safe, the doors of the vault, inside and
outside, were wide open The flames
were raging amidst a lot Of old papers
on a set of shelves on the north wall
| adjoining the private office of City
Auditor Brown, and thirty feet away
from the stove, which, however, had
not contained fire since Saturday
| The fire had burned through the par
tition into the auditors office and had
gained considerable headway, and also
burned under the floor and out into the
hallway
The outer doors of the treasurer's Of
fee were locked by spring lock. Capt.
VIM. Young of the Central police sta
tion took charge of the office, stationed
man before the safe, which was
locked, and satisfied Of the incendiary
once put on the case.
| At few minutes past o'clock, the
startling intelligence reached the city
hall, that Ed Foerstel, assistant treas
urer, and son of the city treasurer, had
sent a bullet crashing through his brain
at the house No. 2112 Pine street, where
he had been living. He was seen at
Harrison's saloon a short time before
the fire was discovered. At about half
past 6 o'clock he reappeared at the
saloon and borrowed the pistol with
which he later on took his life.
When Treasurer Foerstel reached the
Office aud discovered the door Of the
vault open almost his first words were:
when Eddie comes down he will count
the cash, although don't think there
was much there
| A few minutes later the bool1-keeper
arrived, and it was learned that there
was little over S11 900 in the safe.
'I've sent for Eddie said the treas
urer, ''and l think he'll be here in
minute; he has not been staying home
lately; he rooms on Pine, near Twen-
tieth, somewhere"
At this time the rumor Of Eddie's
attempt at suicide was current all over
the Four Courts and city hall. A dozen
officials, including Commodore Smith,
| Gen. Stevenson, Auditor Brown about
| four detectives and dozen newspaper
| men stood around.
All had heard the rumor that was GO
| ing to be fearful blow to the boys fa-
| ther Yet none had the nerve to tell
it. At this moment an employe of the
office came in and said: MY God, why
don't you tell him, WI Y don't somebody
tell him? Tell him, / can't" Tell
what?' asked the treasurer as he fin
ished looking at a statement the book
keeper had just handed him.
Mike, Ned has com mitted suicide"
said the speaker.
When the full import Of the sentence
was fully grasped by Foerstel he looked
at the safe, turned pale and then grew
ashy in color He didn't speak or look
up. The only outward signs Of the
grief which he was undergoing was
that he seemed to grow twenty years
older.
AS soon as the condition of affairs
| become known to all the chief officials
around the building Comptroller Stew
enson and his chief clerk, Fred. Gerbel,
and Auditor Brown went to the treas
urer's office and, with citizen William
Freaudenau, assisted in making an
investigation of the books and cash in
the Office.
City Treasurer Foersters bonds are
signed by more men and better than
have ever signed city treasurer's bond
before Whatever develops, the city
itself is secure from loss.