The San Francisco call., 1897-01-30
SUICIDE, SAYS THE
CORONER'S JURY
But DR.. Hawkins Refused
to Accept the Verdict
Rendered.
He Said the Evidence Did Not
Warrant Any Such
Finding.
Delirious From Excessive Drinking
Was the Conclusion of the
Twelve.

The Coroners inquest held yesterday in
the case of Charles G. Nordhausen, the
Oakland capitalist, who died in ST. Luke s
Hospital from a revolver shot, threw no
light upon the mystery surrounding the
case. 1t was productive, however, OF a
difference of opinion between Coroner
Hawkins and the jury.
The witnesses in the Baldwin Hotel,
where Nerdhausen is supposed to have
shot himself, told of the many drinks,
straight and mixed, that the guest had
taken previous to the discovery of his seri-
GUS condition, and this led the jury to re-
turn verdict OF suicide while delirious
from excessive drink.
To this finding the following names were
attached:
E. L. Haller (foreman), Nails Shaping, H.
Lundberg, H. Lucas, Allen Leidholdt, Charles
Eye, J. G. Johnstone, c. Psall, William Mosser,
W. s. Jacobs Harry Left, C. H. Lund Jr.
The Coroner would not have it that way,
however, land refused to accept the verdict
claiming that there was nothing in the
testimony presented to the jury to war
rant such finding. He did not object to
the suicide feature, but the dellrlous part
he said was not warranted by the tesIi-
u
the police to make further investigation.
Should there be any new developments
another inquest is in the line OF possib bill
ties, particularly where the verdict gwen
Yesterday was not accepted by DR.. Haw-
kins.
AS stated, the case was not cleared of
the mystery by any OF the witnesses who
testified.
Nordhausen was a capitalist living at
1922 Adeline street. Oakland. About the
10th inst. he left his home to go to Rands-
burg, where he had some mining interests
to look after. For several days nothing
was heard of him, and when his family
did receive a message it was that he was
diving in St. Luke's Hospital, to which he
had been conveyed from the Baldwin
Hotel. He was suffering from an ugly
and fatal pistol-bullet wound in the lett
side and an unsightly wound on his fo1e-
head.
J. D. Petit the bellboy at the Baldwin,
testified that Nordhausen on Monday
morning bad informed him that he had
accidentally shot himself, and that the
Jagged wound in the head was the result
of a fall. Previous to that the Oakland
capitalist had been drinking heavily in
his room, and he explained the presence
of the towel on his head by saying that he
was suffering from the effects of a spree
and had headache.
Frank Smith, also bellboy, gave SINH
lar testimony as 10 the mans excessive
drinking and of his wearing towel on
his head.
Manager Lake of the hotel told of find
ing the revolver in the room after the
wounded guests removal; also of there
being bullet hole IN the window glass,
that showed that the shot had been fred
inside OF the room. He said that no one
IN the hotel had heard the shots. In fact,
81 ar
the time.
Dr.. C. NJ. Armstrong of st. Luke's Hos
pital testified that he had asked Nord-
hausen if a woman had shot him, to
which the wounded man answered, You
must not ask me that. 1t makes no differ
ence noW."
Robert burst, nurse at the hospital,
testified that the wounded man had told
him that it was an accident.
The only witness who hinted at foul
play was DR.. W. E. Taylor, the ex-Coro-
ner. DR.. Taylor was the first physician
called TO Nord while the latter was
in the hotel. He said that the wound in
the breast was at least thirty-six hours
old when he first saw it. The wound on
the head he believed was caused by blow
from blunt instrument and not by a
fall, as Nordhausen had stated. DR.. Tay-
lor's evidence showed that he does not
believe the man shot himself.
Detective Whitaker could not throw
any light upon the matter, but he believed
from all appearances that it was plain
case of suicide. DR.. c. L. Morgan, the
autopsy physician, testified that it was
possible for deceased to have shot himself
in the body and produced such a wound
as caused his death, but the man must
have assumed an unnatural position to
have done so. He did not believe the
wound on the head was either caused by a
bullet or fall, but by blow from blunt
instrument.
able to appear, and the nephew, G. J..
Hesseman, knew nothing of the affair.
Nordhausen was a native of Germany, As
years old. Whether the case will drop
here or be further investigated remains
to be seen.