The San Francisco call., 1896-10-29
TOOK AN OATH
AND KEPT IT
Suicide in One of the Rooms
Of the Cliff
House.
Albert Capelle's Desperate Means
of Reforming Him.
self.
A STRUGGLE FOR s0BR1ETY'
The Dead Man Had Been a Hard
Drinker and Could Not
Stop.
A STRUGGLE FOE soBR1ETy'

"I give you my word, so help me God,
this is the last drink l will ever take on
earth!''
at $50 in private room at the Cliff House
by Albert II. Capelle to his friend and
companion, C. Ed Bendixen.
This oath so solemnly spoken was
gladly heard by Bendixen, who had been
trying to induce his friend to break away
from months of excessive indulgence in
intoxicating liquors.
CapeIle kept his oath, for as he spoke
he drained the glass, which he held in his
left hard. He then drew a revolver from
his pocket aud sent q bullet plowing
through his temples.
In twenty-f FIVE minutes he was dead.
The Young man is the brother of Robert
J. Capelle general agent of the North
German Lloyd Steamship Company, whose
Office is at 11S Montgomery street. He
had been acting as bookkeeper of the firm
and while his brother Robert was absent
on a visit to their old home in Ham burg,
Germany, he had the management OF the
office.
Robert returned a few days ago and
found that the deceased had spent most
OF the time away from the Office and
drinking heavily.
His companion last night was G. Ed
Bendixen, an insurance agent living at 20
O'Farrell street.
Bendixen is also a German and has
been intimately acquainted with the
Capelles for long time.
He stated last night at the scene of the
tragedy that Capelle had often threatened
to do himself some injury when he was
moody and miserable from his overin-
diligence III liquor and that he watched
Capelle closely when he was in this con-
dition.
Yesterday afternoon about o'clock
they went to the Cliff House. and, after
drinking together several times at the
bar, went upstairs to a private room,
where they ordered q bottle of wine and
some cigars.
Capelle was quite despondent and
wanted to throw himself over the balcony
into the sea. He was restrained by lis
companion, and the two young men sat
in their apartment talking and drinking.
During the conversation Capelle wrote the
following on the back of one Of his busi-
ness cards:
Charlotte Men Capene. San Pedro
Santa, Honduras.
This he gave to Bendixen. saying it was
the name of a little girl in Central
America who was his wife. This was
news 10 the other, who did not know that
his friend was married.
Bendixen began expostulating with
Capelle regarding his intemperance.
The young man kept striding around
the room and finally he picked up glass
OF wine and took the oath that he would
never drink again on earth.
He was dead in less than half an hour
after.
The bullet entered the right temple and
came out on the left side of his head.
He was 33 years old and a native OF
Ham burg, Germany.
Mr.. Wilkins of the Cliff House was mott
fed of the suicide soon after the shot was
fired. Two physicians were summoned,
but Capelle was beyond all human aid.
The body was permitted to lie where it
fell, the revolver clasped in the dead man s
hand, until the arrival of the Coroner,
when it was removed to the Morgue
A telegram was found on the body which
reads as follows:
October %, 1896.
A. H. Capelle: Call for $500 on agency
Compton Rationale Escompte, Paris.
HERMAN CAPELLE & Co.
There was also the picture of q very
pretty young woman.