Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-01-06

Tears day. That was the last time the
officials at the bank saw him.
''Of course Mr.. Hammond has not
been in the best of spirits for several
weeks, said Receiver John G.. McKeon,
''but | am surprised at the idea that
he has taken his life. he was deeply
affected by the closing of the bank and
appeared to take the matter very much
TO heart. Every day since the assign
ment was made he has been at the bank
in consultation with the board of di-
rectors and myself. | saw him for the
last time Thursday. He appeared to be
in his usual frame of mind. but not in
received by his friends at the bank with
deep sympathy. | am very sorry and
only hope that it may depelop that the
report is untrue"
Hammond was Gloomy Last Night.
Mr.. Hammond called on Perry Palmer,
his old friend and confidential adviser,
at o'clock last evening. He was evil
IDENTIFY very depressed about something
and talked gloOmily about his future pros
poets. Mr.. Palmer talked encouragingly
to him and about II o'clock Mr.. Ham
mGnd went home and about 11:30 retired
for the night. He and his wife have
been in the habit of sleeping in adjacent
rooms. Early this morning Mrs. Ham
mond woke up and noticed the door con-
lltCtj4S illt lNO apartments vas ODtil.
The door stood at a different angle from
that which it had when she went tC
sleep. She left her bed and looked into
the room.
The clothes on the bed were thrown
back and her husband was not there.
The nlGhtrObc hung over the rear OF the
bed and his watch was on the table, but
his trousers. coat and underclOthing were
nowhere to be found He had not taken
his shoes and stockings. This frightened
the woman and she at once sent for Biz
ney j. Moore, an old friend of the fam
lily, who was told Of Mrs. Hammond S
suspicious. He hurried to the house.
On his way. Mr.. Moore stopped ut
the home Of Mr.. Lord of Lord, Owen
" Co, and they sent q telephone mes
sage to Chief Bartram of the local police.
informing him of the startling intelli-
Gence. Both men looked over the Ham
mOnd house and satisfied themselves that
1T once drove down Dempster street
in the direction of the lake. They
soon found a we'll developed trail in
the form of numerous scraps of paper
which led TO the end of the Foster pier n
the foot of Dempster street. The rain
Of the night had soaked the scraps OF
paper and they had chung 10 the boards,
but it had also made the contents almost
illegible. About FIVE feet from the end
of the pier Mr.. Moore discovered scraps
of paper which settled the conviction in
his mind that Mr. Hammond had taken
his life.
\ number of pieces of a typewrited
document. or one Of which was Mr.
Hammond's signature. Were found with
other scraps containing writing which
the men recognized rs that of the eX-
banker. He had evidently torn num-
Der of the documents into shreds, scatter
ing the pieces as he walked down the
length of the pier. Capt. Lawson of the
lifesaving department was then notified.
Graphing phooks were procured and with
the aid Of the police the lfesaving crew
began searching for the body.
At the Palmer Home.
At the house of Percy Palmer little
could be learned of what transpircd be-
tween him and Mr. Hammond last night
As soon as Mr.. Palmer heard of the dis
appearance of Mr.. Hammond he left his
house hastily and came into the city.
Mrs. Palmer said she was not present
at the time. The two men appeared to
be engroSsed in business matters though
she spent an hour with them during
the early part of the evening, participat-
ing in the chat. She said. however. that
Mr.. Hammond did NOT appear in mood
for merrymaking and he and Mr.. Palm
cr retired as soon as they found oppor-
tunity. Mrs. Palmer could not say what
they talked of
Mrs. Hammond this morning refused
TO talk of her husbands disappearance
She remained within her own room and
left the conduct of the matter in the
hands of Mr.. Moore