, 1892-03-04
Details of the Affair.

optclhl DlspdICh " u LthutT.
SAN DIEGO, Cali, March 3.-Ever
since the arrest of j. W. Collins, presi-
dent OF the California national bank on
charges of having embezzled 5000. 900 of
of the funds of the bank. the public mas
been in daily expectation OF the tragic
developments which came today when
Mr.. Collins shot himself to death with a
revolver.
When he was arrested, bail was fixed
at $780, 600. Collins fully expected to
secure the amount at once out of the
men whom he had befriended in the days
of his prosperity. He sent to them but
they failed to respond. In the meantime
Collins was occupying room at the
Brewster hotel, where he has been resid-
ing since his family was wiped out OF OK
istence by drowning a year ago. He was
there under the surveillance OF the United
States marshal.
This morning he seemed rather more
depressed than usual. At luncheon he
chatted pleasantly with Gen. Eli Il.
Murray and others, but it was noticed that
he was unusually pale and haggard.
1t appears that a few minutes before
luncheon he was notified by tie United
States marshal that he would have to 20
to Los Angeles on the afternoon train and
be confined in Jail there unless he could
raise bail at once.
He sent word to a few friends to hurry
up the bail and at the same time sent
word to the marshal that he would regard
1t as a special favor if he would permit
him to remain here. till Wednesday.
While the messenger was still on his
way to the marshal with this request
Collins went to his room with the deputy
marshal who guarded him. He kept
growing paler. and presently asked per-
mission of the deputy marshal to step
into the bath room. In about a minute a
pistol shot was heard.
just then Mr.. Collins attorney, Judge
Wilson, came in. Both he and the
deputy entered the bath room and found
Collins PROSTATE with blood gushing from
his mouth. A physician was summoned,
but could do no good.
Collins had placed the barrel of the
pistol in his mouth, fired. and the ball
had crashed into his brain. Death was
instantaneous. Intense excitement pre-
vailed throughout the city and crowds
surged about the hotel, from which the
body was quickly removed to the coron-
er's office.
The suicide was not altogether a sur
prise to the community. Whether right
or wrong, public sentiment has been
changing regarding Mr. Collins. The
failure of the bank is so com plete and
disastrous that people were beginning to
severely blame him. This made it i'm
possible for him to get bail. He saw this
and became deeply Respondent.
On Wednesday evening he said to a
friend who called and who tried to cheer
him: 1T Is of no use. | cannot stand it.
The very men whom ! have helped time
and time again have refused to do any,
thing for me. | cannot 20 to jail. l feel
that the people of San Diego owe 1t to
me after all ] have done to help them
and the city, to furnish me this bail. l
am entirely innocent of this dreadful
charge of embezzlement, but the worst of
it all is to have men whom l helped go
back on me in this extremity. What
have | to live for? My wife and children
are dead. nv property Is all gone. my
friends are gone, my prospects utterly
ruined. | IN bounded to death and l
may as well die"
The friend to whom he was talking en-
deavored to cheer him. but to no purpose.
The man was utterly dispirited and hope
less, and evidently determined he would
not suffer the ignominy OF the Jail.
Suicide was generally looked upon,