Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-05-20
ROGERS WILDLEAP
Plunge Into Eternity Of a ST.
Paul Man.
OFF BRIDGE IETo THE DARK RIVER

A Sheer Jump of 600 Feet Taken by a
Man Who Grew Suddenly Tired of Life
While Yet He Had Much to Live For
Sensational Mode of ''Shuffiing OF This
Mortal CoiI'-Temporary Insanity the
Supposed Cause.
ST. PAUL, May 800 far as can be
learned by way of Identification, Mr..
Charles s. Rogers, president of the North
western Cordage works, has committed
suicide by jumping off the high bridge.
Mr.. Rogers left home early in the morning.
He usually went home to dinner. but failed
to do so this time and had not appeared
at his Office. About 2 O'Clock in the after
noou boy named J. n. Karl was crossing
che high bridge when a man drove up and
stopped him II want you to take this
horse and buggy home for me-" he said
quietly. The man handed him paper on
which was written: &c. S. Rogers, 4l9
Grove street" He also handed him a let
ter addressed to Charles s. Rogers, presi-
dent Northwestern Cordage company.
The man then got out of the buggy and
without a moments warning stepped to
the railing and jumped iuto the air. de-
scending to the water of the river, a dis
tance of about $50 feet. Thus far no trace
of the remains have been found, though a
large number of men werewut on the
river in boats searching for him. 1t is not
thought that Rogers has been involved in
any financial difficulties and it is believed
that a fit of temporary insanity caused him
to commit suicide. Mr. Rogers was one of
the leading business men of this city and
was wellto-do financially. He was SON
in-law of Mr.. f. +. Drake, one of the
wealthiest men of the city.
The Sui cide's Sensational Plunge.
stand aside man. l have wings" shouted
Rogers to young Karl. The pair We're
standing on the Smith Avenue bridge at
its highest point, and after utteringl these
wild words Rogers snatched himself from
the grasp of Karl, mounted the railing of
the bridge and shot like a rocket into the
swift flowing Mississippi below. The dis
tance was 200 feet and the body rose only
once after striking the water.
The Cordage Company All Right.
The cause of his awful plunge into the
river is not yet certainly known. The fact
that he was for two hours before he COM
mitted the deed in conference with the
president of one of the banks led to the
rumor that the CorClage company was en-
barrassed. The officers of the company.
however, secuted this idea. and in proof of
this assertion they showed by the books
that Rogers had only $4,000 of the 500, DOC
stock of the Cordage company.
Temporarily Insane from OverwOrk.
Twenty years ago Rogers married Miss
Eva Drake, who is worth over s., 600. 900 in
her own right. Two weeks ago Rogers
bought n lot on Summit avenue for $50
co. and the plans were in preparation for
a residence to cost S2On,O Mr.. Rogers
had been at work almost night and day
for the past year to get the cCrdaGe plant
in successful operation, and the most like
" theory for the suicide Is that he was
temporarily insane from oveTwork. Chas.
:. Rogers was nearly y years of age and
had been leading st. Paul business man
since the early days of its development.
He had been president of TIE Jobbers' I'M
ion and the Chamber of commerce.