The herald., 1897-10-27
A DETERMINED SUICIDE
WHO SHOT HIMSELF AND THEN
JUMPED INTO THE OCEAN
Second Hand Dealer Victorson Chang
es His Mind When Too Late-At-
tempts at Rescue Futile

The body of the unknown suicide, whc
shot himself and jumped off the end OF
the wharf at Long Beach Monday even
ing shortly before o'clock, has beer
identified as that of H. Victorson, Sec
ondhand clothing dealer Of $40 Buena
Vista street, this city.
Harry Lynch and wife, who had
strolled out on the wharf to where the
steps lead down to the platform leading
to the float from which passengers en-
| bark on the small boats to be trans
ferred to the pleasure boats, noticed a
man who continued on out to the end of
the wharf. A few minutes later Lynch
and wife were startled by seeing a flash
| from a pistol, followed Immediately by
the report, and the man who had passed
them few moments before toppled off
from the end of the wharf into the wa
ter.
Mrs. Lynch was so overcome by the
horror of the scene as to require all of
her husbands attention, rendering him
unable to give any assistance to the
drowning man. Lynch, as soon as pos
sible, went with the news of the suicide
to l.. A. Bailey's store on Pine street,
near Ocean avenue, and G. L. Hartwell,
Floyd Foote, Fell Lighthouse and Harry
Graves started out to the end of the pier
to investigate.
The strange part of it is that Victor
son, during the twenty or twenty-five
minutes which elapsed between the time
of his going overheard and that of the
men getting to the scene, was, although
desperately wounded, still alive and
calling Justify for help, he evidently hav-
ing changed his mind after reaching the
water and desiring to live. Harry
Graves, who was mounted on bicycle,
was the first of the quartet to reach the
scene, and, hurrying down the steps
leading to where the fleet of small boats
were moored, he drew one by the guy
rope to him, intending to go to the
drowning mans assistance. Unfortun-
ately it was found that the boat had no
rowlocks, and valuable time was lost
before another one could be secured.
Meanwhile the other men, who had got
out to the end of the wharf, were encour-
aging the man to keep afioat, telling him
that help was near. Young Graves final
ly got a boat equipped with oars and
rowlocks and started to the rescue, bus
by the time he got to within seventyfive
feet of where Victorson was last seen
alive by the men on the wharf above he
had sunk to rise no more.
The body was recovered yesterday
morning, a few feet from where it went
overheard, by oliver Armstrong, Mr..
Shaul and Harry Lynch, bringing the
body to the surface by hooks which they
had fastened to a long iron bar and
which they used as drag.
Victorson arrived from San Pedro on
the p. m. Terminal train Monday, and
had been in w. w. loves real estate
office a short time before he killed him
self. He owned forty acres in Lucerne
and lived on the ranch some six or eight
years ago. Mr. Lowe states that he
seemed despondent over financial mat
ters, and told him dowe) that he was
unable to either sell or borrow money on
his ranch.
Sunday morning he visited j. B. Ben
nett of San Pedro, where he cried and
showed great depression, saying he had
no money or frie,als, and there was moth
ing left for him but death. He drew u
revolver, but before he could use it his
friends disarmed him. He seemed to
become calm then and spoke of his at
tempt as foolish and prevailed on his
friends to return the weapon.
Mrs. Victorson being seen said that her
husband and herself had always lived
together amicably and she knew Of no
reason for his act outside of business
troubles. The deceased who was about
so years of age, was a native of Russia,
and, besides a wife, leaves a daughter,
13 years of age.