The evening world., 1893-10-27
'CUT HIS OWN THROAT.
Edward Hammond's Suicide at His
Home in Bayonns, N. ].
He Was the Trusted Cashier OF
Sweetser, Pembroke & Co.
His Accounts Said to Re Straight
He Had Boon Ill.

Edward Hammond. who for over seven
years has been a trusted employee or
the big wholesale dry-goods Arm OF
Sweetser, Pembroke q Co, Broadway
and White street, committed suicide at
his home, 10 East Forty-thtrd street,
Bayonne, n. j., early this morning.
While ali the members OF his family
were in bed asleep he arose and pro-
cured a razor. Opening the weapon he
drew the blade across his throat, almost
severing the head. Death was instan-
taneous.
Hammond lived with his mother.
brothers and sister in Bayonne. He was
a man OF steady habits and OF mild
temperament. He was about thirty-one
years old and unmarried.
He returned home three days ago COM
planning of feeling Ill. His head ached.
he said, but hoped to be better by morn
ing. Instead OF that proving the case,
however, he seemed to grow worse. This
had a depressing effect upon him.
He became melancholy and would reply
to questions addressed to him in a surly
manner. This was so unusual that his
mother advised him to see II physician,
but he refused to do so.
He attended to business az usual, how
ever. but on each evening he returned
home with the same story Of feeling i'll.
There seemed to be a change yesterday,
as the other clerks In the big dry goods
office with him thought he was unusually
lively.
He said good-by in n happy manner
when leaving for the day, and on arriv-
ing home he greeted his mother.
brothers and sisters a~ffectionately. He
retired to bed early.
1t was about 2.5 o'clock this morn
ing when his mother heard n noise In
her sons room. Getting out of bed,
she started to investigate. Receiving
nc answer to repeated knocking at
the door. she entered n came across
the body which was still warm.
Her cries aroused the other inmates
of the house.
Soon messengers were sent hurrying
in every direction for a physician. They
were too late, however, to be OF any
service, for Hammond was dead.
News of the suicide was telegraphed
to Sweetser, Pembroke & Co. immedi-
ately after the store opened. 1t proved
a big shock to the members Of the firm
as we'll as the employees, They could
not understand It.
Naturally the first impulse was to
examine the account of the dead cash
Ter. They were hastily gone over. Moth
ing whaever in the way of a shortage
or the suggestion Of a shortage was
found.
To an Evening World' reporter later
In the day Mr.. J. s Sweetser said that
he could not account for the suicide Of
his cashier in any way.
"Why." he said, "he was apparently
in the very best of spirits when he left
here yesterday afternoon. | noticed
nothing wrong about him then, and he
looked healthy enough.
The firm mad every confidence In him,
and quite a long time ago he became
cashier. His accounts are all straight.
so far as we can find out. In fact. we
know they are. and we have no reason
TO think otherwise"
The suicide Of Cashier Hammond re-
calls the sudden death OF William A.
Pembroke. Il member OF the firm. on
Sept. 8 last. Re was sitting at the
breakfast table at his home in West
Jersey street. Elizabeth. n. j.. when he
was suddenly stricken with heart dis
ease.