St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-26
SAD ENDING OFAGOOD MAN
NOTED NORTH DAKOTAR SUICIDES M
AST. PAUL HOTEL.
MISFORTUNE THE CAUSE.

~ II. Shttpin, u once v cry w eattny
and Prominent Citizen OF
Fargo, Blows His Brains Out
Lost All His Large Estates,
and Had Nothing in His Old
Age.
j. b. Chaplin, we'll dressed man OF
~ years. i'll the boom times of 1875 tt
1883 one of the wealthiest men in North
Dakota, blew out his brains last even.
ing in room of Third street hotel.
From the evidence at hand it is appar,
ent that the old man has seen brighter
and better days and self murder
was induced by clouds that Swallowed
his visions for future sustenance and
support. lie had been an inmate of St.
Luke's hospital for several weeks and,
leaving there yesterday morning, went
to hotel i'll the city and was assigned
to room near the top of the building.
One of the servants in the house re-
ported to the proprietor about O'Clock
that pistol shot was beard
in one of the rooms. The employe
was told TO keep the matter to
herself. The proprietor made an in
vestigation, which showed that the man
was lying on the bed fully dressed. with
revolver lying 10y his side with all of
its five chambers empty. One shot was
ali that had been fired, and it entered
the right temple we'll to the forepart of
the head. The man was quite dead
when discovered, but the body was
Nd I'm trio cI
ly down the face from the wound. His
hair is white and his face was smoothly
Shaven, with the exception of a fringe
OF whiskers about the throat. The body
was removed to the undertaking rooms
OF Gross IL Dohm at Seven corners to be
prepared for burial. The removal was
made so quietly that hardly any of the
employees about the hotel knew any
thing of the suicide, and the guests did
not learn of it because they were at sup
per at the time.
The old gentleman was assigned to a
room during the forenoon by the clerk
in charge. During the day he appeared
i'll the office and gave the proprietor two
kilograms. One of these was addressed
to j. A. McCabe. at River Falls, Wis,
who is local superintendent of the
Northern Pacific, and the other to a
woman at jamestown, n. Y, whose
name the proprietor of the hotel did not
remember, but whom he thinks is a
sister of Chaplin.
Nothing was suspected as to the rash
purposes of the man by the people
about the hotel, as his actions did not
indicate unusual operations of the
mind. He had receipt in his pocket
showing that he had paid bill of $50 at
st. Luke's hospital. About Sc in money
was found on his person. He left
letter which was evidently
written during the day in his
room. He did not speak of his intended
suicide further than to say that he
wanted j. A. McCabe, of River Falls.
Wis.,, notified in case anything hap
pened to him.. He stated that he did
not expect to recover from his illness.
and that he had no object in life, as he
was without means of support.
HIS HISTORY.
j. B. ChapIn went to Moorhead from
Montana, where he was engaged in min.
ing, trading and transportation and
hotel keeping, and for time ran a
hotel at Moorhead. When the Northern
Pacific was extended across the Red
river to Fargo, the Moorhead hotel was
built by the railroad company and
Chaplin was placed in charge
and continued to run it till the
fall of 1878, when it was burned, and
rebuilt by Hubbard q Tyler. Chaplin
was out of business for while, but be-
came largely interested IN the town, and
was one of its leading boomers, operat
ing large farm-indeed he opened the
first large farm in the Red river valley
1t is related of him that when he was
building the Continental hotel
which he owned and operated
for several years, he would pay
off his workmen Saturday night in
Fargo town lots, with an agreement
to take them back inside of sixty days
at an advance of 100 per cent, and
always redeemed his pledge. But by
that time the boom had progressed sc
that they were Immediately available
Cor cash at still further advance Of
perhaps, so per cent. He built the Con.
tinental hotel at cost of $50, 900, the
Chaplin block at cost of $4,000, aud
a large number of other buildings
doing more than any other man to con-
tribute to the early glory of Fargo; but
about 1884 was forced to the wall tinan-
cialiy and gave up all he had III the
world 20 his creditors, only requiring
provision for his support. His wife was
| an invalid for many years, and her care
| and constant suffering contributed to his
| sorrows. She passed on and left him
| practically alone in the world. Until
| the fire last June he boarded at the
| Columbia. Afterward he found satisfac-
! ton in watching the rebuilding OF
| Fargo. and III its progress he found g
| theme of conversation, and especially
when at Fargo, but coming to st. Pau
some weeks ago, away from the scenes
| which had occupied his mind for Sc
many years, he grew respondent and
! life became burden too great to bear
| He was one Of the most generous among
| men and was never appealed to i'll vaiI
! by those in need. When Elder Webb
| the first Methodist to hold service il
! North Dakota, went to Fargo, Chapir
secured place for his service and gave
everybody so cents who would attend
| in order to secure bigger audience
| for him than he had haC
at Moorhead in the merning. No MAI
can justly speak i'll of j. Is. Chaplin
| Thousands who have been benefited by
| his generosity and public spirit viii
drop a tear when they learn Of his sac
fate.
RICE MEMORIAL.