St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-30
SUICIDEO FOR LOVE.
w. L. Pitman, a st. Louis
Druggist, Takes His Life
at the Ryan.
HE LOVED A ST. PAUL GIRL.
Was to Open a Drug Store at
Omaha, and His Deed Is
Mysterious.
He LOVED A ST. PAUL GIRL.
TELL LAURA 1 DIED FOR HER,
This Was His Instruction to
James Small, His Room
mate.
Unhappy love-a suicides grave.

Unhappy love-a suicides grave.
This, i'll short, tells the pathetic tale
| of the death of W. l.. Pitman, who died
by his own hand yesterday evening at
the Ryan hotel.
The means employed by the unfort-
unate man was sulphate of strychnine,
OF which deadly drug the deceased had
taken large dose.
From all the surroundings to the case
and from letters he left behind, it is
plain that the man committed suicide
over young lady living in this city,
and that he had the deed under contem-
plation for several days.
Pitman- was about twenty-five years
old, and by profession a druggist. His
home was at st. Louis. Mo-, at which
place his mother still resides. He ar
rived in this city Aug. 20, and took up
quarters at the Ryan, being assigned to
Room 239. in which he took his life. 1t
was his intention to go to Omaha shortly
and enter the drug business, and to all
outward appearances he was a man
possessed of means TO carry out his in
tentions. AT any rate he was consid-
cred fairly well-to-do.
The first intimation had that some
thing was wrong with Pitman came
shortly after lunch time. AT that time,
about 1:30, j. B. Small, who was occu-
plying the same room with the deceased,
came into the room. Pitman called him
over to the bed. on which he was lying,
and asked Small to hand MIN a photo
graph out of the pocket of his coat. The
picture was that of Miss Laura Kent,
daughter of 81. H. Kent, residing at 215
South Franklin street. Pitman looked
at the picture for few moments and
smiled. Then he said:
ssJim, Take a Good Look at We,
"Do you see anything wrong with
me?"
Mr.. Small looked at the man and said
he could not discover anything wrong
with his appearance. Pitman smiled
sickly smile and said: "Wait and see."
Quick as flash the thought occurred to
Mr.. Small that Pitman might have
taken something. and questioned him
closely about it. But he received little
satisfaction, until the man commenced
to have convulsions. Then Small ran
down to the office and asked that a
doctor be sent to the room.
DR.. Talbot Jones, who boards at the
hotel, was sent up, arriving at the room
at 2:55. He soon saw unmistakable
signs of strychnine poisoning and asked
the man how much of the drug he had
taken. At first Pitman said that he
had taken ten grains. but later he cor
rected the statement and said that he
had taken nearly fifteen grains. Such
dose would be sufficient to kill twenty
men. DR.. Jones called in to his assist
ance DR.. Richardson aud both the ply
sicians worked over the man for several
hours. trying to save his life. The
dose, however, was too large to be sue
cessfully overcome with antidotes. and
nothing could be done for Pitman.
There came fash of repentance about
an hour before he died, at which time
he asked DR.. Jones whether he could
pull him through or not. The doctor
Informed him that there was no hope
for him and Pitman then said he had
left several letters for some friends.
After lingering in fearful convulsions
for number of hours, Pitman died
about FIVE minutes before o'clock.
There were several letters found as
indicated by the deceased. One was
addressed to Otto Kueffner, the we'll
known attorney of this city. with whom
he had an acquaintance. 1t was brief
note, and in the nature of request,
saying:
Dear Sir: When you get this shall prob
ably be in eternity.
Send My Body to My Mother,
and please do not let them disfgure it.
1t was at first believed that Mr.. Kueff-
ner was a relative of the suicide, as he
had often applied the term of uncle to
him. Bnt Mr. Kuetfner denies that
any relationship exists between them,
he acting simply as friend, being ac-
quainted with the mother of the de-
ceased. He made arrangements last
night to have the body prepared for
shipment to St. Louis, after which he
left the case in the hands of the auth or
tiles. Mr.. Kuetfner sent a telegram to
the mother of Pitman, asking for in
structions as to the disposition of the
remains, and instructed Undertaken
Thaung to look after the body.
Deputy Coroner Wheaton was noti-
fed of the case and arrived at the hotel
at an early hour. He saw that there
were two physicians in attendance and
that the case was plainly one of suicide,
so he decided that no inquest was neces-
sary, and instructed DR.. Jones to make
out the required death certificate.
The other letters which Pitman left
behind apparently throw some light
upon the case, although it may be pos
sible that there may be other reasons,
not yet shown, for the rash deed. There
were two letters addressed to j. B.
Small. One of these was written on
Aug. "a. which seems to indicate that
-Pitman had contemplated suicide for
several days. The other was but brief
note written with lead pencil and evil
IDENTIFY but short time before he took
the poison. The former letter said:
Dear Jim: After 1 am dead please see that