The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-12-03
TOOK Fl DOSE OF POISON.
Night Clerk, Chas. w. Shea of Hotel
Francois, Ends His Existence
on Earth.
Swallows StryChnine and Then
Jokes About Where He Will
Eat Breakfast.

Chas. w. Shea, aged 81 years, night
clerk and porter at Hotel Francois,
committed suicide shortly after six
o'clock last Saturday morning, by
taking very nearly one-sixteenth ounce
of strychnine. About an hour later
he died in the spasmodic convulsions
that follow thu taking of strychnine.
Dependency, superinduced by men
tai ALTERATION, caused by strong
drink, was undoubtedly the cause.
Young Shea had been threatening to
take his own life on several previous
occasions, when in these respondent
moods, and then it became necessary
to guard him closely. On Friday
night Thos. Mccall, the day clerk of
the hotel, became aware Of the fact
that Shea was sgain in state of des-
pondency. Going to his room the day
clerk discovered that his revolver was
missing. He looked up Shea, and
discovering the weapon in the latter's
possession, took the same from him.
Prior to this Shea called at Otto
SchmahPs drug store snd asked for a
bottle of ofcrystallized strychnine. Clerk
Palmer asked him what he wanted
the poison for, and Shea Immediately
replied that he wanted it for killing
rats. Shea registered his name, as
we'll as the use to which he intended
to put the drug, and then the same
was sold to him.
An hour later he was seen in one Of
the saloons of this city. At that time
he wore his usual smile, and there
was no sign of him beingl..under the
influence of liquor. Just before elev-
en- o'clock he secured couple sheets
of paper and an envelope of the saloon
employee, and penciled letter on the
paper, which he afterwards wrapped
in the envelope addressing the latter,
He then left the saloon and nothing
more was seen or heard of him until
at five o'clock Saturday morning,when
Clerk Mccall awoke him to open the
hotel for the morning business. Shea
slept in the same room but in a sepa
rate bed, with the day clerk. He i'm
mediately responded. After arising
he took several instructions from the
clerk and at once proceeded to carry
out the same.
At six o'clock, after the chef and
other female employees of the hotel,
had got into the kitchen, Shea went in
and inquired if everything was all
right. Receiving an affirmative reply
he said:
"Well, girls, am going to make my
last call of the commercial"
He was gone about twenty minutes,
and on returning he pulled a small
bottle from his pocket, seized a glass,
and with smile on his red face, he
continued:
"Well, girls, I wont be with you
very long; I'll take my breakfast in
hell"
Upon which he poured nearly one
half of the conte nts of the one-eighth
ounce of strychnine into glass, pour
ed some water on top of the same,
and with single swallow, took all
but two grains of the deadly drug.
"There," he said, after performing
this act, which did not even arouse
the suspicious of the employees, "that
will finish me in short time. May
be some of you girls want to join me.
There is enough strychnine left in
that bottle to end all of your lives"
Shea then went into the dining room
and then into the Office, lighting the
lamps in both places, and returned to
the kitchen for the purpose of getting
coal for the kitchen range. Just as he
was stepping out of the kitchen into
the hall the first spasm seized him.
HIGHEST IF ali in Ieaven;nor C<re