The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-20
Especial to The Herald.) }

Ogden, Utah, Jan. 19.-FranciS
Schlatter, or his double. is lying at the
city Jail, lowering between life and
death. Whoever he is, he attempted to
commit suicide and has probably sue
ceeded. 1t was about 7:45 when the
mysterious stranger came into the
Iunch-room of the Pacific hotel, got a
cup of coffee and went out on the
platform. Soon after he took a new
pocketknife and gashed at his throat
severing the windpipe and most of the
arteries, but just missing his jugular
vein.
Night Watchmen Williams and Egg
gleston took charge of him and con-
veyed him to the city Jail. Blood was
streaming from the wounds in his
throat and his clothes were soaked.
Officer Weisner sent at once for Dr.
Coulter, and with the other officers
worked to keep life in the man. Sew
eral times the man urged the doctor
and others to deSiSt. saying that he
wanted to die. He talked in rambling
manner and once asked Tor a gun
that he might finish what he started.
His appearance, even in this plight,
impressed all as like that of Schlatter,
the healer. He has long, black, fine,
Wayy hair When released it reaches
his waist, but he had it carefully done
up on his head and pinned with hair
pins. He also has a long, silky, black
beard When the attendants went to
take down his hair, he said: Don
touch my hair; it is sacred. When
asked for his name he said: IF you
will forgive me, [ will own to my
name and write it out" Once he said
to the doctor, Il am deaf" but never
theless he managed to hear. From two
little memorandum books found on him
il would appear that he has either been
deaf or else acting so. The books are
filed with sentences such as people
would write in answer to a deaf man
questions In some cases the questions
and answers are written, each in
different hand. The books and some
loose paper which he had with him
also contain incoherent, rambling sem
tences, showing that the man was
Schlatter. Among them are such
phrases as: Sunday on the 18th day
of the first month of the hight on the
plain, at Salt Lake City, Valley House,
room No. H.
sterday-thanksgiv
A number of famous names were set
down together thus: 'Dr. Johnson,
Brigham Young, James A. Garfield,
Noah Webster. James G.. Blaine Fred
Douglas Elsewhere there was
scrawled passages like this:
Iii Hung Chang, Chinese statesman;
Porfirio Diaz, president of Mexico;
Louie Michel, the red nun of Paris;
arrach, the spirituous liquor of China,
India and other countries.
In aDearancDe, the man is about
five feet eight, with finely cut and al
most effeminate features. With his
long black hair he would look like a
woman but for his long black beard.
His eyes are deep-set and piercing. He
is about SO years of age. His clothing
was of good material: oddly out of
keeping with his other clothing was his
cheap brownish hat. 1t bears the name
of THE Globe, Phoenix, AriZ.' 1t will
be remembered that Schlatter was last
seen in that vicinity. He had a bag
gage check stamped ~. P. local, &c.
ST." Among the questions or answers
scrawled on his books are such as
these: Il can give you single bed,
but not room alone
DO you want to stay over night2'
do they inspect mans baggage
that is going into Mexico? If so. who
does it and where are they at?"
Allusions to his books are to certain
streets in San Francisco and others in
Salt Lake The theory OF the police
is that the man went from Phoenix to
San Francisco, thence to Ogden and
went to Salt Lake, returning this even
ing. He is such a figure as would at
tract attention everywhere, but no one
around the depot was found who re-
membered seeing him until few min
utes before he made the rash attempt.