The record-union., 1895-07-15
HE CHOSE A SECLUDED LOCALITY.
And Then Shot Himself Through the
Heart.
Henry Humphreys Body Found on the
North Leyee Near Four
teenth Street.

The suicidal mania which has held sway
in our city for the first six months Of the
year bids fair to continue for the re-
mainder of it. During the past week at
least one suicide has taken place and the
fate Of Charles Brock way Is still unde-
cided.
Yesterday morning about o'clock
William Hudson, switchman In the
employ of the railroad company, while
attending to his duties in the vicinity OF
Fourteenth and b streets, on the north
levee became aware of an overpoWerlng
stencil and was moved to investigate the
cause, as he found it proceeded from the
side of the embankment on which the
track runs. The brush Is very tnlck III
patches along there, and clear view Tor
any distance is often impossible. Locat-
ing the stencil, however, he proceeded by
winding trail through the brush down
the side OF the embankment ana was nor
ri fled to tind himself confronted Dy Inc
dead body Of man, which had Iallen
partially forward on its face ana knees.
Decom position had set in and 1t was dill
cult to tell what the trouble was.
The Coroner was Immediately notified
and Deputy Coroner Craig went TO the
spot and brought the body to the Morgue,
where It was identified.
1t proved to be that Of Henry b.
Humphrey, the letter carrier who has
been missing since last Wednesday, and
for whom q search party mad Deen organ
ized by the letter carriers, who nad IN
tended to start out yesterday. IL lay on
the north side OF the embankment, ABOUT
twenty feet from the track. 1t was evil
4 hn.N nf1t ia al
and carefully planned. Humphrey had
chosen a spot that was concealed from OBJ
seryatiOn on every side, and had broken
number of branches from the bushes
and placed them In front OF him IN order
that he might fall on them. lie had then
sat down on d rock aud shot himself
through the heart with 22-callber re-
yOlver, which was found under the body
when it was raised, two empty cartridges
being found in it.. There was wound on
the side Of the forehead. but the body was
go badly decomposed that it was lnpos-
sible to tell from cursory examination
what produced ii. 1t is thought, however,
that it was made by Humphreys falling
forward on q stone after the fatal shot was
fired.
The cause Of the rash act is supposed
to have been despondency. Humphrey,
it is said, was drinking heavily on
ance, and had done so before. His fell
low carriers say he had been more than
usually Jolly on that day and had done
his work correctly and made his report
properly. Everything pertaining to his
connection with the office was right, and
they are at loss to account for his action
On that day he told his father that he
had notion to go and jump into the
| river, and the latter, supposing that he
referred to the warm weather, and nav
ing no idea that he was IN earnest. said:
"Y es, 1t is quite hot day"
His compapions in the Postof1ice all
liked him and speak we'll of him, and say
that ne never made bet. and that they
do not think there Is any woman in the
case, and that, so far as they know. he
had no financial difficulties. as he last
month paid up small sums Of money be
had borrowed.
Young Humphrey was born in Gold
Hill in 1866, where his parents then re-
sided. He was named after Henry
Blanchard, better known as Hank"
prominent freighter in those days and a
very popular man in that locality.