St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-12
BULLET IN HIS BRAIN,
Singular Suicide at the Mer-
chants Hotel.
ARTHUR 7. cARTER'S FINALE
A Despondent Life Ended by
a Revolver Shot.
THE DEED A DELIBERATE ONE
His Predecessor in Business
Took the Same Course.
THE DEED A DELIBERATE ONE;
NAY Be SOME DEVELOPMENTS.

The name of Arthur T.. Carter must
be added to the list of those wiao have
destroyed their own lives for no reason.
SO far as the general public will ever
know.
On the register of the Merchants
motel for Monday appears the name A,
L. Garter in bold business hand. Op-
poslte the name some one else wrote
Lake Elmo, Minn.," or if the dead
man wrote the name of the place his
hand must have lost its frmness.
NO one connected with the manage
ment or office of the Merchants hotel
would even talk to a reporter about the
suicide. From another source, however,
these facts were CLEANED:
Arthur L. Carter was travelling
salesman for TarboX, Schliek & Co, boot
ana shoe manufacturers. He was about
90 years of age, of fine physique and
good presence, a gentlemanly fellow in
all respects, and so far as known was as
temperate and discreet in habits as the
general run of business men. He was
son-ln-law of Charles w. Fisher, pay
master OF the Omaha road. who resides
at 233 Walnut street, in this city.
After registering on his arrival in the
city Monday night Carter was shown to
his room, and from all accounts busted
himself in writing letters. These being
finished he went to bed and slept till
morning.
Up to this point there was hope, iudg-
ing from all that is kno 1n, that the man
might abandon his determination to
quit the world. On arising he had par
TALLY dressed himself. putting on his
trousers and shirt. Then he reached
the fatal point where he must go out to
face the world again, with all its trouble
and worry, or end his connection with it.
Carter chose the latter alternative. He
had brought with him a revolver, fully
loaded. Taking this in his right hand.
he put the muzzle close to his temple
and pulled the trigger.
No One Heard the Shot
or if they did, paid no attention toit--nu
one heard the fall of the body, which
was found lying as it fell, beside the
bed. 1t is reported that much exertion
was necessary to take the revolver from
the dead mans hand, so fierce grip
had he taken OH it. One who got look
at the body expressed the opinion the
man had been dead since morning. /
As Mr. Carter did not appear all day,
and as the chambermaid had several
times tried unsuccessfulIy to get in,
suspicion was aroused. At 5 o'clock in
the afternoon it was decided to break
open the door. On this being done the
corpse was found, but the fact of the
suicide was carefully kept from the
public by the hotel people,
1t is understood that Deputy Coroner
Xanten was sum moned, but it is known
that later in the evening Coroner Whit
comb took charge of the case. The
body was ordered taken to Gross 6s
Dohm's undertaking rooms, where il
now lies. 1t is not likely that an in
quest will be held, as the facts in the
case show plain case of suicide. How
ever, the coroner could not be found by
reporters last night, being busy on
professional calls, and what he will do
i'll the matter can only be conjectured.
No cause can be assigned why Carter
should wish to end his life, unless it be
found i'll the following statement of
friend who knew him quite we'll: "His
wife Is very sick at Lake Elmo, where
Carter had cottage. Business, as you
know, is not very brisk, sales have been
poor and collections slow. His profess
sional pride was probably hurt by these
circumstances. Add to this the serious
illness of his wife, with perhaps lack
of ready funds to draw for expenses,
and there you have the only cause can
possibly think Of"
NIr. SchlIek Talks.
Charles Il. Schliek, of the firm of Tar
box, Schliek & Co., who was acquainted
with the suicide, last evening expressed
great surprise. Carter, he said, had
been employed by the firm for the past
year. His headquarters were at Grand
Forks, and the territory through which
he travelled was North Dakota. A
day or so before the Fourth he came to
st. Paul accompanied by his wife, who
went to Lake Elmo to visit her parents
who are summering at that resort. On
July Carter spoke about making a
trip to the worlds fair. and drew on his
The trip he afterward decided to post
pone owing to his wife being in poor
health.
He informed the firm he was going
back to Grand Forks Friday, but as ha
was seen OH street car by one of the
employees Saturday telephone message
was sent to Lake Elmo Monday, asking
him to report before he went home.
The answer came back that he had left
for Grand Forks that morning, hav.
ing been detained by his wife's ill
ness. Mr.. Schliek could give no
reason for the rash act, and
could hardly believe the statement.
Carter he said had given the best salts
faction in his dealings with the firm.
and was an exemplary man in every
way. He came 10 st. Paul from Pitts
burg about year ago, and up to that
time had been travelling for an Eastern
shoe house. Mr.. Schliek said a coinci-
dence in connection with the suicide of
Carter was that William Cummings, the
representative of the firm who had the
same territory as Carter held down.
committed suicide year Or so ago in
Bismarck by shooting himself in the
head.