The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-07
HE PREPARED TO DIE
Cool Determination Of Albert
Braun's Suicide.
FAREWELL LETTERS TO FRIENDS.
After Bidding Them Good-bye ana
Dfss.o~smS NJ His Estate, He
Fired the Fatal shot.

Afssr. przun, re ycssng brewer who
committed sssletae a. Rock lsAan1. H.
weaS age last egenEaR. wrote bnfuber
Of letters 70 former friends In THIS city
she day ne committed the deed. IN eaeh
~ uh4rn ne announced his Intention 10
end nk4 existence. These letters Wefs ssnt
,ss.h sssesffse Instructions in each ssiaE-
fag &, ysrsanal business transactions ex-
r,r~zxgssss mis- earnest desire 90 settle all
his outstanding accounts 20 tie nesi OF
his ability. the parties sn tnis city Fs-
eeiyirsS iesisrs from him. mostly HasffaosFS
or the Athlete Club. refused 10 give the
contents of the letters for publication,
che matter contained In each being purely
,,f a ugtvafe and personal Character. In
each however he ref.rrrd TO hts inteod
ed self-ae@sructiou. and the Introductory
paragraph tn ons of them n ar follows.
.sYsersaf@ you know that have parted
from life before these lines reach you.
] had too many disappointmenss aud got
tired 81 them. { hose you Viii rot Judge
me too, hard for the step taken. but Re-
ing s.agie. / don't think / viii De missed
much.
Braun shot himself AT s.D Wednesday
evening. February y. and every Gle OF
;hs letters received here bore the same
dass. showing the generalization and cool
determine ton OF the act. Tie had care
fully arranged all his affairs and Ia one
OF the letters received here ne said:
My administrators are Charles van
Der Er1Ick, Of New York. who. In connec-
tloa with Joseph f.aas. my attorney IN
Rock Island will arrange ny affairs
II Is presumed from The foregoing that
Haas Is one Of she administrators. though
the paragraph is little ambiguous.
Braun had his life insured for $1,000.
In referring 20 this ne says;
''My administrators will be able to take
up ny indebtedness cut OF my HE insnr-
anee.'
The residue OF this &c beaueaths to his
mother In wiesbaden. Germany.
IN each letter received IN this city he
specisses names OF friends 10 whom ne
asks To be kindly remembered. many OF
them lady friendssN and in one he closes
with:
II hope you will forgive me TX nave
been WRONG Ia my idea"
Braun had only been In this country
some seven or eight years and. though
we'll educated Ia his native Language, MS
German idiom was clearly noticeable IN
his speech and writing.
In one OF the letters TO a prominent
member of the Seattle Athletic club ne
heausaths TO the club his single shell ana
caEoe. usually kept a. Lake Washington.
also 500 In cash, the latter 10 come OUT
OF the 10000 Insurance money when PAID.
.sBraun was supersensttive. said "a
friend of his yesterday. and was not
equal 10 facing the world and It's mis-
fortunes He failed TO get anything TO
do here, and he went East intending TO
start a brewery with man named Hu-
her, who was To furnish the capital. Hu-
Der finally In cold-biooded manner wrote
him announcing that the deal was OFT.
This i think. was about the last straw.
He was reduced 10 his Last ready morey.
and having no other business except that
OF brewer and evidently too proud to
work at IL, he decided TO end his troubles
On this world"
..Braun was a good rustlar.' said an
other. but he lacked the essential quail
tiles of business man. and az such ne
was a failure
Braun's mother IL widow, who. be-
ne6e Albert has n son. a well-to~do busi-
meas man In Germany.
The following Is the account OF the
tragedy published In the Rock Island
Union of Thursday morning. February y:
albert Braun. a young man who has
been In this city about nve months.
auiclded at SD Wednesday evening by
ah0otlng himself through the heart. lie
came from Seattle. Wash. where IL Is
understood. he was associated with Mr.
Otto Huber, OF this city. In the brewery
business. He has occupied rooms at TIE
residence of Mr. Frank Attwater. lbs.
second avenue. He was very quiet and
gcn,ieu,anly In conduct and appeared to
ha A man OF considerable means and well
educated. He was reticcnt. and never
spoke about his affairs. but IL was known
20 his acquaintance that his parents live
IN Germany lie was In his room all day
TUESDAY and Wednesday writing. and
during that time received several tele-
grams, the contents Of which are un-
known, as they were not found among
hts effects
.'Nothing unusual WAS observed in HIS
behavior. however. About $ o'clock on
Wednesday evening ne brought bottle
Of beer downstairs aud desired to have
Il cooled for drinking. lie Immediately
returned 20 his room. saying that he had
some work that he wished 20 finish. After
the beer had hcsn cooled In the snow he
returned to MIR and Airs. Attwater's Nv
Ing rooms and drank IL. lie chattea a
few minutes. and geing TO his room he
brought hack a cup and saucer and gave
II TO the little son Of his hosts. saving
that IL had been given 10 him as a
Christmas present He remained few
minutes playing with little frankie and
chatting with his parents. lie chen re-
turned 10 his room. saying that Tie had 4
headache and would retire. About i've
minutes later Mr. and Mira. Aftwater
heard noise I'm Rrauns room. followed
ty a groatt The former fastened 60 the
reom ard ghsssiy sight met his eyes.
"sgsun was lying on the bed with
fssE AtNftI ntEftlE EfSffh y EuRtFf HHNft JUST
hela@ the nipple Of the left breast MIR.
Atswatcr summoned nr, j. y. Myer by
telephone. and the latter responded ar
once. On hfs arrival Braun was stfii
saspIng. bat he WAS already rsliseiess.
and died Within n Few minutes after the
physieian's arrival
Braun evidently determined 10 Kill
himself several daya age. and made his
arrangements In the mast cola~hlocdeSi
manner Imaginable. Tive rtoFn was In
perfect order. On the table were the iet-
tiers written hy hina on the two preceding
days. They wers twenty-five or thirty en-
number. aua were addressed Ia persons
IN various parts ~ the United States and
Germany, In n separate package Was a
number cf ltts insurance policies and
either documents. which Braun IN a rete
requested BE transmitted To MI J. 4.
Haaa and ca a siaad beside the bed WAS
the following note. unseaiea. addressed
~ Mr.. Attwascvs
- Dear Mr. Astwa;er: have ended
nav life hH Fas own free will being tired
- ltge Please notify the pro;ser author,
tiles of the step have taken ana hand
letter addressed 20 I. q - f 20 the
prorsF cfHc}s,a. whose narae Yea viii very
likely he able - rad out os SIR Rtnness
he heieg a naegaser. Also notify Or.
Eernnaves
I leave everything % my efrects e.
this room 70 yeu aud your Htgc. excep;
trau& with csnteats ] also Sncicsa s. =
fer this weeks res1ai and extra s. bal.
asee 81 nv money, Remember RE "a
senT wife and little Frankly ard zlse give
my last regards 10 family Raanenssts
fsley3s Miss Jones and Mr. fstaneo. Ex.
Sssse trouble sfn compelled 80 make