The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-03

Chicago Jan. 2.-William a. Ham
mond. who was second vice president
of the failed National Bank of Illinois,
went from his Evanston home, partly
dressed and apparently demented about
. o'clock this morning and, leaving a
train of torn and twisted private pa
pers in his path. sought the Dempster
street pier, from which he threw him
self into the icy waters of Lake Mich
igan 10 obtain relief from the troubles
which have piled upon him in the last
two weeks.
The body was found shortly after
noon at the foot of Church street,
whittier it had been carried by the
undertow II was taken to the morgue,
where an inquest was held
WAS A GREAT SHOCK.
The intelligence of the bankers self
destruction so closely following that
of Banker Otto Wasmandorff. was a
distressing shock to Chicago bankers
and the friends of the dead man, al
though not o surprise to those who
knew under what a terrible mental
strain Mr. Hammond had been living
since he had been held up to public
wrecker of the National Bank of Hi
nois-a charge which is Indignantly
characterized as a malicious lie by the
suicides intimate friends and his law
yer
Although despondent-to an unusual
degree last night, Mr.. Hammond gave
10 warning to friend OF family, and
there is nothing in the cireumSt tanceS
surrounding his tragic end which would
warrant the assumption that he had
contemplated killing himself. Shortly
before II O'Clock last night he tele-
phoned from his home TO that of his
closest friend in the suburban town,
Percy Palmer, to learn if he was at
home, as he wished 10 pay him a visit.
Rain was falling heavily. but Mr. Ham
mond insisted on making the call. Mr..
Palmer saw that his friend was in bad
shape. physically and mentally. He
appeared TO be a broken man in every
way. In conversation with Mr.. Palmer
his mind wandered.
MUST REALIZE.
He said he must realize by selling
his homestead. which is in his Wife's
name. He refused to be encouraged
by prospects held out for future useful
ness His visit was brief, and declin-
ing the offer of Mr. Palmer to accom-
pany him home or take a waterproof
coat or umbrella to protect him from
the heavy rainfall, Mr.. Hammond re-
turned to his home on foot. He must
have walked unnecessarily in the rain
because it was after l o'clock when he
entered his house. He talked a little
with his wife and seemed to be a lit
tie more cheerful. Their 2-year-old
child had been restless for several
nights. and Mrs. Hammond was so ia
tigued that she slept soundly in room
adjoining that in which MI Ham
mOnd went to retire, apparently. The
baby was sleeping with its mother.
About o'clock Mrs. Hammond was
conscious OF some one entering her
room, and she supposed Mr.. Hammond
had come in, their room being sepa-
rated by an unlocked door. 1t is be-
lieved the trOuble-racked father en-
tered to imprint q goodbye kiss on the
face of his little child
THE WIFE's DISCOVERY.
q was nearly s o'clock when Mrs.
Hammond woke and at once noticed
that the door leading to her husbands
room was ajar farther than was Gus
tomary, and his absence aroused all
her latent fears for his fate. Friends
nearby were hurriedly summoned to
search for the missing man and notify
the police. Birney J. Moore and George /
5. Lord. old friends, walked 10 an old
pier at the front of DemDster street, /
not far from the Hammond homestead, !
and their suspicious and fears were
verified by finding a trail of torn paper
with Mr. HammOndS signature on !
some The bankers crazed condition |
was indicated by the manner in which /
he had scattered this torn and twisted |
paper. Arriving at the pier he dropped +
more of his papers. which quickly |
clung to the wood because of the beat !
ing rain The discovery of this clue /
confirmed all fears that Mr.. Hammond |
was no longer alive and arrangements /
were made TO drag the lake. The sad |
news was borne to Chicago, and TO the |
family but received with much in |
credulity at first.
DRESSED IN HASTE.
When the body was removed from |
the shallow water it was found to be |
dressed in underclothes, trousers, coat
and felt shoes, showing that the dead |
man had dressed in haste. In a pocket !
was found a memorandum written by
MIR. Hammond on a letterhead of Far
son. Leach 6, Co, the promoters and
chief owners Of the Calumet Electric
Street railroad. 1t contained the fol-
lowing items: Dec. 10, 1896: National
Bank of Illinois. Sl49IOOO; foreign ex-
change. $522, 600: Bank of Illinois, $97,
500. Outside loans: Joliet National,
$50. .OeO; E. G. Crawford. $1,000; Shaw
NUT. 800 900: Wolf, S17 900. Total, 81
AS. 500: interest, $67, 900. Note: Ma
tional Bank of Illinois note on Calu-
met, $50, ,000. These figures are signih
cent on the foreign exchange item
corresponding to the amount which
Mr.. Hammond is accused of carrying
on the bank books 10 that account
when the money really represented an
extra. loan on Calumet Electric bonds,
and in the total amount corresponding
to the total ioaned on Calumet Electric
security by the bank
A NEWSPAPER DID IT.
Ten days ago a local morning paper
published a sensational and lengthy
attack upon she dead mans honesty
as an officer of the Bank of Illinois.
II directly accused him of wrecking
the ir,stif11finn of nlaVing the role of