The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-03
Stole Ont OF His Residence at Evans
ton, ILL.,. Early Yesterday Morning,
and Drowned Himself.
PROBABLY FEARED ARREST
FOR HIS PART In wRECkING THE
NATIONAL BANK OF ILLINOIS.
Vice President of the Failed Institu-
tiOn, and Was Charged with Lend
ing Money on Bad Security.

CHICAGO Jan. 2-W. A. Hammond, vice
president of the National Bank of Illinois,
and who is said to have been responsible
for its failure, committed suicide by drown
ing in Lake Michigan at Evanston this
morning Sixteen-yeaI w. l.. Gedney
with a companion, was walking along the
beach in the vicinity of Church street,
when they sighted the body floating only a
few feet from the shore. The face was
looking downward, but the boys were able
to recognize the object as the body of a
man. They Immediately ran for assistance
and conducted two policemen TO the spot
The body had been in that time washed al
most upon the beach and the policemen had
little difficulty in hauling it in. An ambu-
lance was called and the body was removed
to an undertaking establishment. The
body was clothed quite scantily. Nothing
of Importance was found in the pockets
Some keys, one of which appeared TO be
that of a safety deposit box, We're in the
trousers. At the undertaking rooms the
body of Mr. Hammond was soon identified
by friends. Mrs. Hammond is completely
Frustrated, and under the constant care of
a physician. The ex-banker was the father
of four children. They are Eunice, thir-
teen years old; Louise, eleven; Elizabeth,
seven, and Lawrence, two.
Mr.. Hammond, who resided in a palatial
home at Evanston, an aristocratic and
scholastic suburb of Chicago, retired as
usual last night This morning the men,
bers of his family going to his room, found
Il empty. Search was begun for him, and it
finally led his friends to the Dempster-
street pier There they found number of
private papers in Mr.. Hammond's hand
writing. This convinced the searchers that
he had probably committed suicide by
jumping into the lake. The. life-saving crew
at Evanston was Immediately notified and
began "a quick search for the body. A tug
was also wired to go from Chicago for the
same purpose, but their search was fruit
less the boys finding the body as stated.
MRS. HAMMOND'S STORY.
Last night Mr. Hammond visited the
home of Percy Palmer an old friend and
confidential adviser. He returned to his res
idence about IL O'Clock. At 1:30 he retired
for the night. He and his wife have been
in the habit of sleeping in adjacent rooms.
Early this morning Mrs. Hammond woke
up and noticed the door connecting the two
apartments was open. The door stood at a
different angle from what it had stood
when she went TO sleep. She left her bed
and looked into his room. The clothes on
the bed were thrown back and her husband
was not there. His night robe hung over
the rear of the bed, his watch was on the
table, but his trousers, coat and under
clothing were nowhere TO be found. This
frightened her and she at once sent for
Birney j. Moore, an old friend of the fam
lily, who was told of Mrs. Hammond's sus-
picions. He drove hurriedly to the house.
On his way he stopped at the home of Mr..
Lord, of Lord, owen & Co. At the house
they sent a telephone message to Chief
Bartram, of the police department, inform
ing him of the startling intelligence.
Both men looked over the Hammond
house and satisfied themselves that the
worst was to be expected and they at
once drove down Dempster street in the
direction of the lake. They soon found a
well-developed trail in the form of numer-
Gus scraps of paper. which led TO the end
of the Foster pier at the foot of Dempster
street. The rain OF the night had soaked
the scraps of paper and they had clung
TO the boards, but it had also made the
contents almost illegble. About five feet
from the end of the pier Mr.. Moore discov-
cred scraps of paper, which settled the con-
viction in his mind that Mr.. Hammond
had taken his life. Among the scraps
were number of pieces of a typewriter
document, on one of which was Mr.. Ham
mond'S signature. The writing on the
other scraps was recognized as that OF
the ex-banker's. He had evidently torn a
number Of documents into shreds scatter
ing the parts as he walked down the length
of the pier.
MIR. PALMER'S STATEMENT.
Percy Palmer, who was one of Hammond's
most intimate friends and business associ-
ates. the last man who saw Hammond
alive. Mr.. Palmer said to-day that Ham
mond called at the Palmer home in Evans
ton, which is only a few minutes walk
from that occupied by the Hammonds
about s o'clock last night. He remained
there until II o'clock in conversation with
Mr.. Palmer. They talked of the future and
what might be done TO place Hammond
again on his feet. Mr.. Palmer noticed that
Hammond frequently wandered away from
the general theme, and seemed to be en-.
tirely oblivious of the presence of anyone
He seemed to be making an eff.
fort to understand what was being
said to him, but Mr.. Palmer
says he saw plainly that Hammond.
mind was weakened and that his troubles
were weighing more heavily on him than
had been noticed before. When Hammond
arose to go to his home Mr.. Palmer asked
the privilege of accompanying him. This
was denied him, and Hammond left the
house alone. Mr.. Palmer did not see hin
after this time, nor did he know OF his
disappearance until this morning wher
Mrs. Hammond informed him of IT, Tn,
latter told him that on her husbands ar
rival home he went directly to his room
and Mrs. Hammond retired almost imme
diately after She remembered Mr.. Ham
mond coming into the room about O'CLOCK
this morning and kissing their baby. Tn,
suppostion is that Hammond left the hSus.
Immediately after this. IL is thought %,
Mr.. Palmer that Hammond went directly
to the Dempster-street pier and flung him
self into the lake.
When Mr.. Palmer was asked as TO
statement that appeared in a local pape
to the effect that Hammond had ..feathere,
his own nest. TO the detriment of stock
holders OF the National Bank of Illinois
he said: Hammond had no ready none,
TO speak of. All his savings were put di
rectly into National Bank of Illinois stock
of which he was the largest individual
holder His home in Evanston was place.