The herald., 1896-09-05
Body OF an Unknown Man Found
in EIysian Park
UNDOUBTEDLY A SUICIDE
Ills Last Message Written Ia q Mem0r.
andum Book
Made Deliberate Preparations for Death and
Sent Bullet Through His Brsin-care-
fully Concealed HIS Id.ntity

While strolling about the hills in Ely
sian park about 1 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon a printer named Clifford found
the body of man lying on the crest of
hill under clump of trees with bull
let in his brain. Merely satisfying
himself that the man was dead, he made
haste to report the matter to police
headquarters. The coroners office was
notified and the dead wagon dispatched
for the body at once.
The spot where the corpse was discov-
cred is about half mile north of the
reservoir on top of a hill overlooking the
river. Lying on it's back with the right
hand across the breast, still clasping a
revolver, was the body of a man appar-
emily 60 years of age and of German ra-
tivity. The deceased was of medium
Insight, weight say It's pounds, gray mus
tache and dark hair streaked with gray.
He wore neat suit of some gray ma
terial and appeared to have been in fair
ly good circumstances.
From appearances he had evidently
selected the spot with care and made
deliberate preparations for death. Re-
moving his coat hc had folded it so as
to make pillow for his head, lying
down, had taken a smoke before killing
himself, as his pipe and tobacco pouch
lay on the ground close by. Wrapped
up in piece of paper was piece of look
ing glass, 12X16 inches, evidently taken
from the frame of a small mirror.
The man had coolly laid down on his
back, taken a 44-calibre American bull
dog revolver in his right hand, a small
piece of looking glass about 4x10 inches
L.
that he could take deliberate aim, pulled
the trigger and sent bullet crashing
through his brain directly in the center
of his forehead. His left hand, still
grasping the piece of glass, fell by his
side, the other holding the revolver
dropped across his body. Death must
| have been instantaneous.
| From the appearance of the body it
| must have been lying where found for
at least three days, as it was in an ad-
vanced stage of decomposition. Upon the
body there was nothing by which to
identify the suicide except what was
contained in small vest pocket men,
orandum book, which bore the adver-
tisement of the Revere Rubber COM
pany, 527 Market street. San Francisco.
Nearly half the pages had been torn out
and destroyed 20 that no trace Of his
identity could be found. On the first
leaf remaining the following message
was written in stilted German hand:
II am tired of life and my last will is
to give my body to one of the medical
schools. May be they will find some
new heart disease. l.. r."
That was all, but it would seem to in
| dicate, from the last sentence that the
deceased had been sufferer from some
form of heart trouble and possibly took
his life while Respondent over his sick
ness. On one of the pages of the book
was an address he had evidently over
| looked. The name of Thomas Heck, 776
e. Eighteenth street, appeared, but
| whether Heck is a resident of this city
or not is unknown. No such name ap-
pears in the directory and the address
may have reference to some other city.
The body was removed to the UNDER
taking rooms of Kregelo g. Bresee, where
it awaits identification. An inquest will
be held this morning upon the remains
by Coroner Campbell, when some light
may be thrown upon his identity or the
motive for the deed.