The morning news., 1897-06-06
HENRY INGRAM A SUICIDE.
TERRIBLE DEED OF A COLUMBUS
MAN IN SAVANNAH.


Ear to Ear-No Cause for the Deed
known other Than Temporary
Mental Alteration or DesDOnd-
ency-Had Been Here an ADJUST
er for the Insurance Companies.
The Body Shipped to Columbus.
Henry Ingram a well-to-do wholesale
merchant of Columbus, sucided at the
Pulaski house some time night before last
by cutting his throat from ear to ear.
The deed is believed TO have been commit
ted about midnight. The body was dis
covered between and O'Clock yesterday
morning.
The suicide is unaccounted for. The dead
man left no word giving the reasons for
his terrible act, his only message being
brief farewell to his wife, telling her to
KISS the babies good bye for him. The
dead man was in apparently prosperous
circumstances. had happy home SO far
as known and was in apparently good cir
cumstnces He was about 3S years of age
and of hearty, healthy temperament.
Mr.. Ingram came to Savannah yester-
day week ago for the purpose of acting
as adjuster for the insurance companies
in the losses of Smith Bros. and ]. NJ. Dix
on &. Co., in the recent fire, which great
" damaged both firms. Mr.. George w.
Tiedeman Of Tiedeman & Bro, represent
ed the local firms interested, and Mr..
Adolph Leffier acted as referee.
Mr.. Ingram's services were secured
through his friend, Mr. c. II. Dillingham;
a well known insurance adjuster of Co
lumbus The business for which he came
to Savannah was satisfactorily adjusted
and the adjustment was completed Friday
afternoon Nothing in the conduct of the
deceased had led those with whom he was
associated in the adjustment or those
whose acquaintance he had made to sup
pose that he contemplated suicide. Mr..
Walter Vandenburg chief clerk at the Pu-
laski, is an old friend and acquaintance
of Mr. Ingram, and the two had several
pleasant conversations concerning their
many friends and acquaintance in Colum-
bus. The last MIR. Vandenburg saw of
MIR. Ingram was about $50 o'clock Friday
afternoon, when he stated that he intend
ed leaving for home that night and re-
quested that his bill be made out to date,
not including supper. He went out on the
porch and sat down. Mr.. Van
denburg was busy at the
time and as Mr.. Ingram did not
return he thought no more of the matter.
No one saw him go to his room. He was
seen to pass through the barroom about
o'clock and that was the last seen of
him alive. A friend inquired for him
about $3.50 o'clock and a porter was sent
TO his room. The porter found the key in
the door, but on trying it he found that it
was bolted on the inside. He secured no
response and returned to the office Later
in the night about 1:30 o'clock, Mr.. Jesse
r. Cox, commercial traveller, and a
friend of Mr.. Ingram. inquired for him.
The same porter, Walter King, was sent
10 the room and found the key on the in
side just as he had left 1t several hours
before. He was unable to secure a re-
sponse and returned to the office.
King said at the inquest that he told the
night clerk that he thought there was
something wrong and that he had better
investigate. The night clerk told him that
he had better wait until morning About
O'Clock he asked the night clerk, Mr.. Til
ton, how about No. 3d. He was told to go
up and look over the transom, which he
did. He could see nothing and called
Charles Wallace, another porter, who was
passing. Wallace looked over the
transom and saw some one lying
on the floor. The condition OF
affairs was reported at the ofhce.
The door was then opened with pass key
and those who entered found Ingram
body lying on the floor dead surrounded
by a pool of blood. His form was rigid
and the blood was concealed, showing
that death had taken place several hours
before. The body was not disturbed and
Coroner Goette was summoned at once.
The body was lying face Gown upon the
floor, attired only in undershirt, trousers
MI a.a
hanging at the foot of the bed and his
shirt and tie were on a chair near by,
When Coroner Goette arrived he made an
examination Of the room. There were no
apparent marks of violence upon the
body and IL was thought that death might
have been from a hemorrhage. An en-
Velope was found lying upon the bureau
with nickel lying upon top of it.. There
was no address upon the envelope, which
was spattered with blood. Tearing 1t
open the coroner read the following mes
sage:
Savannah Ga, June 4, 1S97-Dear Co
rhine: Kiss our two little babies for me
and goodbye Lovingly your Husband.
Evidently the note was addressed TO
lngram's wife and the nickel was intended
10 pay postage. The note was written in
a large round hand, but In the excitement
OF the last moment the suicide had for
gotten to address IL.
ne note demonstrated fithiANf AAdA II
was a case OF suicide. The body was care
fully turned over and the truth was fully
revealed. The hands were tightly clench-
ed across the chest and In one hand was
grasped an ordinary two-bladed Rogers
pocket knife with both blades open, the
hand gripping the handle and the blades
protruding on each side The neck show
ed a horrible. gaping wound. stretching
from ear to ear and covered with clotted
blood. The neck. bosom ana hands were
covered with blood and for a space OF
three feet around where the head Of the
dead man had lain was "a red pool.
The information was at once given TO tho
friends Of the deceased who were Mortified
20 learn Of Ingram's self destruction. II
was 80 plainly a case OF suicide that Cor
oncr Goette did not think IL necessary C
hold an inquest. but friends OF the deceas
ed requested him to do so and also to tak'
charge OF the body and prepare Il for ship
ment
When the blood was washed from th'
neck II was seen that the wound was
Jagged one and that u must have requir
ed more than one EFFORT with the knife {,
accomplish. From the manner In whicl
A.