Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-03
DRIVEN TO DEATH.
yICE-PREsIDENTO OF FAILED BANK
DROWSs HIMSELF.
JUiPS INTO LAKE MICHIGAN.
His Suicide Attributed to sensa-
tionaI Attack Made on Him by
Local Newspaper-iIis Mind Tn
hinged.

CHICAGO. January 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 evidently demented. in the gloomy
darkness. and in wind-swept rain, about
2 clock this morning. and leaving trail
Of torn and twisted private papers in his
path sought the Dempster-street pier.
from which he threw himself into the icy
water of Lake Michigan. to obtain relief
from the troubles which have piled upon
him in the past two weeks.
The body was found shortly after noon
by two boys at the foot Of Church street,
whittier IT had been carried by the under
tow. 1t was taken to the morgue. and an
inquest was held.
Although respondent 70 an unusual de-
gree last night, Mr.. Hammond gave no
warning to friend or family, and there
is nothing in the circumstances surround
ing his tragic end which would warrant
the assumption that he had for any length
of time contemplated killing himself.
Shortly before II o'clock last night he
telephoned from his home TO that of his
closest friend, Percy Palmer 10 learn If
he was at home as he wanted TO pay
him a visit. Rain was falling heavily,
but Mr.. Hammond insisted on making the
call He reached his home again at
O'Clock this morning. About o'clock
Mrs. Hammond heard her husband moving
about again, but did not fully awake
until 6 o'clock. Then she missed her
husband. and aroused the family and
S. Lord, old friends, walked to an old
pier at the foot of Dempster street, not
far from the Hammond homestead and
their suspicious and fears were verified
by finding a trail Of torn paper with Mr.
Hammonds name on some of the pieces.
The discovery of this clue confirmed all
fears that Mr. Hammond was no longer
alive. and the body was soon found in
shallow water. where It had been carried
by the tide.
In a pocket was found a memorandum
written by Mr.. Hammond on letter
head Of FarsOn. Leach & Co., the pro-
moters and chief owners OF the Calumet
electric street railway. The memoran-
dun referred to the loan from the bank
to the electric railway company.
Ten days ago a local morning paper
published a sensational and lengthy at
an officer OF the Bank Of Illinois IL di-
rectly accused him of wrecking the in
stltution, Of playing the role OF "kter,"
of Specializing with other peoples money,
Of practicing carefully-planned deception
on his fellow-directors and the deposit
tors for years, and of sealiBg the lips
Of President Schneider by allowing the
accounts Of Weiss and Berger, sons-in-
law Of the Presidents. TO pass sale
bounds. This paper alleged as follows:
Gle has violated, wilfully and deliberate
~, the law which is supposed to protect
the public from the operations of such
as be-"
Referring to these charges friends of
Mr. Hammond united I'm declaring that
they had driven him TO his death.
Mr.. Hammond had been employed in
Chicago banks for twenty-five years. be
ginning as messenger, and being
steadily promoted from the beginning OF
his employment in the failed bank. He
carried $4,000 life insurance.