The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-18
Tragic Ending of the Head of
a WeII-Known JeWelry
Firm.
WAS SICK AND DEsPONDENT.
His Unexpected Death Is a Terrible
Blow to His Wife and Host
of Friends.

4:90 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The
principal weapon employed was a small
penknife, though there was found lying
near the body carving-knife and fork.
The relatives of Mr.. Lewis, as well as the
attending physician, DR.. W. F. McNutt,
assign temporary insanity, due to nervous
prostration. as the cause of the rash act.
While he had been acting queerly for some
weeks past, and quite frequently COM
planned of severe headaches, the family
thought it was only passing trouble, that
would regulate itself when health was
restored.
A few minutes after 4 o'clock yesterday
afternoon Mr.. Lewis excused himself from
the dinner table, stating that he desired to
take a bath. Half an hour later it was no
ticed that the water was still running into
the bathtub, and this fact caused the fam
lily some slight alarm. Mrs. Lewis called
to her husband and then attempted to
open the door leading into the bathroom,
The door was locked and bolted from the
inside, and when finally an entrance was
effected an awful sight met the gaze of
mother, son and daughter.
Stretched on the floor lay the body of
Mr.. Lewis surrounded by pool of blood,
while the right hand of the suicide still
cIasped a small penknife, proving it the
principal weapon employed. Near the
body lay carving-knife and fork that had
been taken from the very table where he
had so recently dined. DR.. McNutt was
Immediately called, but a glance suthced
to show that life was extinct.
Tie unfortunate ending of Mr.. Lewis
life was reported to the Coroner's Office by
George r. Shreve, secretary of the firm, at
III
and McInnis Immediately went to the resi-
dence.
The surprising intelligence had been
communicated to Mr.. Shreve's home, 2640
Steiner street, Immediately upon the dis
covery of Mr.. Lewis in the bathroom. Cor
oner Hawkins also went and made an ex-
animation. of the body.
Mr.. Lewis had inflicted seven wounds on
his person altogether, while sitting with
BODY bare to the waist before the looking
glass and the horrible instruments he had
chosen for self-destruction lay on the floor
beside his ifeless body when found. These
strange means he had used consisted of
Iong-bIaded, sharp-pointed and white
ivory handled carving knife, a two
pronged fork, belonging to it, and small
pearl-handled pocket knife, all of which
were blood-stained. The blade of the carv-
ing-knife-of almost corn-knife shape
was eight inches long and the prongs of
the fork little less than four inches in
length.
From DR.. Hawkins examination it was
found that four of the wounds were in the
breast in the region of the heart. They
looked as if they had all been done by the
carving-knife. Two penetrated the heart
and two were superficial, one stab having
been stopped by the breastbone and the
other by a rib. The other three of the
seven wounds were gashes in his neck and
were all superficial. The left carotid artery
was slightly cut evidently with small
pocket-knife, and there was an opening in
the thyroid cartilage, known as Adams
apple" with another one about an inch be-
low it.
1t is probable that all the wounds in the
neck had been made with the pocket-knife,
and that Mr.. Lewis first tried to kill him
self in that manner. Failing in that or
becoming impatient, he plunged the
carving-knife into his breast, finally send
ing it twice into his heart. The two knives
and the fork were all in a pool of blood.
There was no puncture to Indicate that he
had used the fork at all.
DR.. W. F. McNutt has been Mr.. Lewis
family physician for nearly twenty years,
and is probably in better position than
any one else to explain the causes which
led to the suicide.
"Mr. Lewis has not been well for some
HionIns, ne saIu yeSCeIuay, uue 10 over
work. About week ago he came to me
at the solicitation of his family, and 1
found he was suffering from nervous pros
tration. He was very respondent and
complained of pains in the head. l did
not feel exactly right about his condition
and so called in DR.. Powers, the oculist.
"His report convinced me that there was
some brain trouble, and that what Mr..
Lewis most needed was perfect rest. also
had DR.. Robinson of Livermore see Mr..
Lewis, and two days ago gained his con-
sent to spend few weeks at the doctor
sanitarium in Livermore. Naturally, | am
surprised at the suicide, but when his ply
steal condition is considered, the act is
easily understood"
Mr.. Lewis was born in Norwich, Conn.,,
September q. 1849. He came to San Fran
cisco when youth of 90, and fortunately
fell into the hands of George w. Bonney,
the capitalist, of the firm of Shreve & Co.
He took liking to the capable Young
clerk, and this influence in Mr.. Lewis favor
did not stop until he was promoted to the
presidency of the firm.
George R. Shreve stated that Mr.. Lewis
had been i'll for more than a year. THE
tragic death of Mr.. Lewis" he said, twas
a shocking surprise to all of US. While we
all knew that he was very sick man, no
one had the least idea that his illness
would take such turn and unbalance his
mind. He was surely insane when he took
his life. >A year or more ago Mr.. Lewis
began to complain of his stomach, and he
gradually grew worse. His nervous sys-
tenn was shattered, and at times he was in
clined to be irritable and small things
annoyed him.
'Some time before that he was troubled
with insomnia, and after he went to his
home he was still unable to sleep. The
doctor said that this could not last forever
and that the want of sleep frequently
drives people insane. He hoped to con-
quer Mr.. Lewis insomnia before it should
reach this stage.
"None of US saw anything in Mr.. Lewis
that caused us to suspect that his mind
was giving away under the strain, and the
manner of his taking off shows that his
mind must have gwen away all at once.
mo, there were no business troubles
that could have caused Mr.. Lewis to end
his life. The business is in the best con-
dition and nothing about its management
could have caused Mr.. Lewis the least
trouble. He has been connected with the
firm for twenty-five years. and for some
time past has been the president of the
corporation. He had large interest in
the business"
leading banker of this City, who is as
intimately acquainted with the affairs of
Shreye d Co. s institution as any man out