The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-04
STIFLED WITH GAS.
A Dependent Clerks Peculiar
Mode of Suicide.
BAD INVESTMENTS THE CAUSE.
Loss OF Money and His Fathers Anger
Drive Hugh Kohler to sslf-Mur-
der-How He Was Pound.

Hugh A. kohisr, shipping clerk at the 3. c.
Miles Company, and formerly . railway postal
clerk, committed suicide ut the DlIer hotel early
yesterday morning BY su7ocating himself with
ga The act was premsdi.ated and was caused
oy despondency brought on by financial ssoubls,
snd the meihot OF suicide was Q novel one.
-, hohisr entered the hotel about II o'clock
wednesday night and, after registering. asked
night clerk Edward Diller for cheap room and
place where everything was quiet He was
assigned 10 No. - on the top door and remarked
a. ne took the key: Il know where II is, - I
nave occupied It before Mr.. DiIler, however,
insisted that he should wal. for the elevator,
which he did. and on being conducted TO bis
room locked the door. after saying good night
those We're the last words he ever spoke.
Yesterday morning a. IL o clock the bell boy re-
porsed TO Mr.. Diller, the proprietor, that gas
escaping on the upper Zoo. from room 90 The
plumber WAS notified aud came two hours later.
lie found the gas fixtures all right In IS and
asked about 81 The chambermaid said that the
man VINO occupied II was not up. II was found
useless TO rap on the door, as no one answered,
so the hall window was prisd opan. The rush
OF gas almost made Mr. Diller sick, but he saw
the situation At . glance and knew some one
was asphyxiated. The door was forced. and
there upon the bed, with his head under the
gas jet. lay Kohler, dead.
he had attached at half-inch rubber pipe
thirty-iour inches long. taken from Miles store,
to the gas burner and brought II down to the
FOOT OF the bed. Ii he lay PROSTATE the end
would not reach his mouth, 90 he bolstered
himself up into . half.sitting posture with
quiits and then, cushioning his head with
pillows, prepared to die. Everything was
ready: the tranaom and window were closed -
tight a. possible. lie reached up, turned on
the gas ana then put the tube in his mouth.
The gas made him sick ana he had to stop II for
q time. Again he tried Ii and stupor overcame
his senses. His power Of action passed away
slowly, then his brain reeled and he sank into
an eternal sleep
When Coroner Horton reached the scene he
found Kohlsr with the tube dangling on his
right cheek. His eyes were closed, and in death
he looked a. natural rs in life. His ovsrcoat
lay on 4 chair, and in the pocket was q letter
addressed to his friend Lena, which, however,
gives no clue TO the cause of the suicide Two
letters. one from the New England Mutual Ac.
cident Association, acknowledging receipt of a
letter telling of his present npation, and the
other from +. E. Thayer, of Portland, agent of
the New York Lille Insurance Company,
acknowledging receipt OF $3.50 premium on
policy 29i,52i. ware among his possessions A
letter from the postoffice department at Wash
ington City, dated October 3, 1892. accepting
kohlers resignation az railway postal CLERK BE-
tween Wiliaps aud sealand, was also among his
effects, being addressed to him at Oysterville.
Another letter from K B. Dyer, dated at South
Bend. September 10, informs him that his
resignation has been accepted and Mr.. Knapp
appointed In his place. The letter closes by
wishing him success in his new position. The
new position referred to was with tho z. G.
Miles Company, where he had worked until the
day oil his death. Coroner Horton decided that
an inquest was unnecessary, and had the r.
mains taken to Bonney b Stswart'a
Mr.. Miles stated that the young man was en-
ploysd by him a. shipping clerk, that his SER
vices gave satisfaction and that he had lived In
Boston. Nothing that threw any light On the
cause OF his suicide was obtained until C. z.
Keller, clerk at w. R Bsntley's drug sters,
where Kohlsr passed his evenings, gave the in.
formation that Kohler had lost Considerable
money In Gray's harbor investments and had
been treated rather severely by his father.
About . week ago he was reading q San Fran.
cisco Chronicle and saw the pictures OF two men
who committed suicide by attaching . rubber
pipe to the gas Jet and then inhaling. He men
toned II at that time. and he did the same in
the letter to Lena, written . short time before
he killed himself His financial troubles made
him Respondent, the San Francisco Chronicle
suggested q means OF relief, and he followed the
suggestion.
He was a fne looking fellow, about e years
old. 8 feet inches tall and would weigh 80
pounds No arrangements have bssn made for
the funeral