Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-08-27
llFE'S TRAGIC END
MYSTERY OF THE KILLING OF AL
BERT STETSON.
FOUND IN A WCMAN'S ROOM
Reckless Dissipation characterized the
Last Months of His Existence
Suspicious of Murder not Borne out
by Facts at Hand-A Siren in the
Drama

At the early age OF 81, with May
friends, wealth, position and a cheer
full disposition, Albert L. Stetson, the
son Of a San Francisco millionaire, .
died recently from the effect of a pistol .
ball fired into his head With him at
the time of his death, so far as can be .
learned, was Miss Amy Head, the mis- /
tress of a friend in whose apartments
the tragedy happened. This friend, !
Fred Webster, was away at the time in
Europe. Young Stetson had spent he
evening at the theater and had there
met Miss Head. The facts indicate
that the dead man and his friends
mistress were on very friendly terms.
The two went to Webster's fat at 235
Post street, and, according to the
woman, it was for the purpose of get
ting a dog that belonged to her. This
was about 1870 o'clock in the morning.
Stetson was killed almost Immediately
after entering the apartments, and the
San Francisco police and the friends of
the dead man are asking the question,
WAS it murder or suicide?" Nothing
has as yet developed any reason for be-
lieving that a third person was present
when the shot was fired. If this could
be established the case would be
black-looking one.
The woman's story, which is contra
dicted in some material points by the
men who last saw StetsOn alive, is that
she saw him first while she was sitting
or 10 hot
came over to the box and shook hands
with her and her companion, a Mrs.
Summerfeld In the conversation that
followed the young man remarked that
he had been on a siX-day spree IN
which he had been drinking absinthe.
Mrs. Summerfeld, expressing her ideas
in regard to absinthe as a drink that
/ drove Frenchmen to self-deStructlOn,
StetsOn remarked that he was fixed for
that, and drew his coat back far
enough to display the handle of a re-
vOlver. After the performance Stetson
and some friends met the women and
the party adjourned to the Columbia
cafe for some oysters. Before leaving
the show Miss Head claims she induced
;
I cafe the young man asked her for it.
but on her expressing a fear that he
! might use it she says he threw out, as
/ she supposed all the cartridges in the
weapon. Afterward, the woman de-
I clares, Stetson was to take her to her
mothers house and then return to her
/ own home. The call at Websters Hat
was, as she says, to get her dog. When
/ they got into the apartments of Web
! ster young Stetson, according to ner
/ story, laid his hat and coat on table
| and began to inspect the pictures and
ornaments OF the room, remark1ng
meanwhile on his friends good taste as
! evidenced by the furnishings Then
came the tragedy, as she tells it. This
! is the way I am going home, Amy" she
heard him say, and a mutfied report
| followed, Stetson falling heavily for
ward to the floor. She ran to the floor
below Mr.. Webster's apartments and
there aroused J. M. Quay. After that
Charles Hug, secretary Of the John
! D. Spreckels company, and one of
! Stetson's companions of the night, was
notified.
The pistol which Stetson had exhib-
/ tied at the theater was found at his feet
! with the one cartridge in it exploded
Four cartridges were found in a pocket
/ of Miss Heads jacket. The bullet
passed through the head from right to
! left, and Stetson never recovered con-
sciousness after the shot was fired
The dead man had been drinking
rather heavily that afternoon and even
ing and seemed restless and nervous in
| his manner The theory of murder in
the case is based upon the following
! facts: He was not in love so far as
his friends say; his business affairs
were in a prosperous condition, and he
! had an ample income He was not of
melancholy temperament, naturally,
and nothing in his actions, unless It
be the remark Miss Head claims to
have heard, indicated any idea in mis-
mind of self-destruction. Moreover,
neither the hair nor the skin showed
any signs of burning or powder smoke
after the shot was fired. It is argued
that the revolver was loaded with car
tridges using snOkelass or nitro pow
der and that such cartridges do not
discolor or burn either hair or flesh as
black powder does. 1t hardly seems
probable that the woman killed him,
for the motive for such a deed is ap-
parently wholly lacking. They were
on friendly terms enough, and there
was no question of rights or wrongs to
be determined between them.
The one sinister question that re-
mains is: Was there a third person ? !
A third party could have killed Stetson,
removed all of the cartridges in the !
revolver that was found, slip in a
freshly discharged shell into the empty
pistol, arrange the body, place the dead |
mans weapon in the spot where it was
found, disappear and leave the woman
to raise the hue and cry. But unless
such man was familiar with the cali
Der Of Stetson's pistol a larger or
smaller caliber might have been used,
and the plan Of putting in the freshly
fired cartridge in the dead mans pistol
gone awry. That the death of Stetson
was either the result of his own rash
act or deep and diabolical crime is as
yet undiscovered. Was there a third
person? Or is the woman admittedly
his companion capable of the deed?
Miss Head is woman with past as
well as a present. Her girlhood was
passed in San Jose, and in that city,
about eight years ago, while she was