St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-20
ROBBER and SUICIDE.
st. Louis Robbed by the
Trusted Son Of the City
Treasurer.
In Order to Cover His Crime
He Sets Fire to the
Office.
Foiled in This, He Puts a
Bullet Through His
Brain.
Gambling aud Real Estate
Deals the Cause OF His
Downfall.

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 19.-Deposed, short
age in his accounts of S63, ,020 16. his son
dead, a suicide. with absolute ruin star
ing him in the face, Michael j. Foerstel.
until tonight city treasurer OF st. Louis,
is one of the most miserable OF men.
An investigation of his affairs, pre-
cipitated by the events to be related,
resulted in the discovery of the short
age given, the immediate removal OF
the treasurer by Acting Mayor A. Z.
WalIbridge, and the appointment as
temnOrarv treasurer of Charles Par
sons, the Dest. known banker of the city,
who Immediately gave the required
bond of S500,0O0, and assumed the posi-
ti0n.
But little after dawn this morning
suicide added its dark intimatIons
to the cloud of charges, counter-charses,
denials, half-suppressed scandal which
has been hanging over the office OF the
treasury of the city of st. Louis for
weeks past. Edward Foerstel, fist as
s slant and son of Michael j. Foerstel,
city treasurer, at O'Clock this morning
Shot Himself
in the right temple, the ball passing
through the brain, lodging under the
skin on the left side and causing fatal
wound.
For weeks past stories of peculiar
doingS in the treaSurer's office have
been afloat There nave been suits
brought against the treasurer by money
lenders, notorious for their usurious
charges; assertions regarding real es-
tate deals of the treasurer and his soR,
and allegations of use of city funds by
some one who recOuped the treasury
previous to the regular examinations
by borrowing from the shylOcks, who at
last sued the treasurer himself on notes
which he declares to be forgeries.
Amid the wild deductions drawn from
the flying rumOrs, which could not in
any way be safely verified, there came
this morning, about 6:20 O'Clock, the
announcement that fire had been
kindled shortly before in the city treas
urer's Office, where, with the doors OF
the vaults wide open, too apparent at
tempt had been made to destroy every
thing in that Office, and so forever con-
ceal the guilt of any one who should be
guilty of wrongdoing. Scarcely two
hours later came the
News Of FOerstel's Suicide.
Then the situation began to clear
Itself. Fortunately for the city, prompt
discovery of the blaze abated its fury,
with the destruction, so far as known,
of only some old papers and furniture.
Immediately upon the controlling of
the fire, the police were placed in
charge of the city treasurer'S Office
until the proper officers could make
an examination. When Treasurer
Foerstel reached the Office and
discovered the situation, almost his first
words were, 'When Eddie comes down
we will count the cash, although don't
think there was much there" A few
minutes later the bookkeepers arrived,
and it was learned that there should be
a little over $l1 900 in the safe.
1--WE sent for Eddie" said the treas
urer, "and | think he will be here i'll
few minutes"
At this time a rumor of Eddie's at
tempted suicide was current all over the
Four Courts and city hall. A dozen Of
tcials, including Commodore Smith,
Comptroller Stevenson, Auditor Brown,
about four detectives and dozen news
paper men stood around. All knew
where Eddie was, yet none had the
nerve to speak. At this moment an en-
ploye of the force came in and said:
My God, why don't you tell? Why
don't somebody tell him?"
Tell what?'' asked the treasurer, as
he finished looking at statement the
boollkeeper had just handed him.
mike, Ned has committed suicide"
"Be a man, Mike" said Gen. Steven
son. and the old mans eyes Wetted up
with tears as he laid
A Friendly Hand
on Foerstel's shoulder. When the full
import of tue sentence waSlfully grasped
by Foerstel, he looked at the safe,
turned pale and then an aShy color. He
did not speak or look up. The only out
ward sign of grief which he was under
going was that he seemed to grow
twenty years older. The treasurer
naced the office minute, his handker-
chief to his eyes, and then by violent
effort suppressed all emotion and went
to the comptroller.
'When will you look into things here
with meY' lie asked.
LAS soon as you are ready" replied
the comptroller.
G. INN M VtrnR 10
under the direction Of Comptroller Ste
venson. who had as assistants Fred
Gabel, his chief clerk; Auditor Arown
and William Freudenau. Of the
cash on hand the young suicide was
custodian. His death has closed his
lips, but the last act of his
life surrounds him with evidence of
guilt. The attempt to burn the city hall
is construed by the police as the act of a
guilty man, whose only chance to escape
detection was in the destruction of the
records in the city treaSurer'S office, Of
which he had control. The police can
not shake off the suspicion that young
Foerstel set the FIRE that was discovered
in time to save the records. They be-
lieVe that
HE Laid His Plans
to prove an alibi in case the city hall
VA, a total wreck, and in the ruins lay
the records in the treasurer's office.
ne evidence shows that he occupied
his room after midnight and left it
an early hour this morning. His
movements after leaving the house can
not be traced until point after
the quenchng Of the fire is reached.
1t is known that about $50 o'clock he
borrowed revolver, with which he
committed suicide, from James Har-
rison, a friend, and the theory lsthat he