The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-24

Some time yesterday, propaply
towards the afternoon, Carl Edwards,
jeweler who has been employed by
Joslin & Park, committed suicide by
taking potassium cyanide. The case
is a peculiar one, and the deceased had
made up his mind so firmly to take his
life that nothing could prevent him
from carrying out his plan.
He made an attempt on Wednesday
night, when. in his room at the corner
of Main and Third South streets, he
slashed himself with razor; but the
physicians easily saved his life, in spite
of his protests, and he was taken to
friends home. There he remained I'M
til 8 o'clock yesterday morning, when
he left, little the worse for his expert
ence, and it was hoped that what he
had gone through would alter his pur-
pose.
HE TRIES AGAIN.
But it did not. About $3.50 yesterday
morning he appeared at the lodging
house on the corner of First South and
Richards streets. Summoning the
clerk, he asked for a room, saying
that he expected to meet his wife there.
and any room would do until she came.
He was shown to room II and left
alone. Shortly after he came out Of
his room and asked for a glass of hot
water, which was given. him, and he
went back to the room and shut the
door. That was the last seen or heard
of him until his body was discovered
in the evening.
THE BODY FOUND.
Between and o'clock in the even
ing the landlady asked what had be-
come Of Mr.. Edwards. The clerk said
! he had probably gone out The pro-
prietress went to the room and tried
her pass key, but could not get it in
| the lock on account of another key
being on the inside. One of the men
In the house then went around to the
window and looked in, and saw Ed
wards lying on the floor. He forced
open the window, gained admission to
the room and unlocked the door.
Edwards was lying on his face, in
the middle of the floor, cold in death.
He was without his coat, that garment
being hung over the back of a chair.
| On a table was a package containing
potassium cyanide, and was plainly
marked.
HIS LAST MESSAGE.
There was also a note lying beside
the poison, and a pawn ticket. The
note read:
Return this to Fritz Riepen on
Commercial street saloon.
''EDWARDS.'
With the note was the pawn ticket
on Fullers shop. 1t was for $3.50
which was advanced on a gold watch
chain and charm. The glass which
had been given to Edwards with the
hot water, in the morning, was found
sitting on the table with a spoon in it
There was a little fluid left in the
glass, and it was evidently impreg-
mated with the poison.
The police were notified of the facts
and were soon on the scene, and hao
the body removed to the undertaking
establishment of Joseph William Tay-
lor. From an examination made of the
body it was found that it was already
cold and rigid, indicating that death
had occurred some hours before.
HIS HISTORY.
Edwards was a man of about g.
years of age and had been employed
in the store of Joslin & Park for
number of years. About two years age
his wife died. and soon after her de
mise he took to drinking and has in
dulged his appetite to excess ever since
Of late he had been drinking very
heavily and was trying to sober up
He was in a state bordering on de
lirium tremens, and was in weak anC
nervous condition. This, with othe
troubles, brought on dependency anC
led to his rash act.
Edwards carried a $1,000 life insur
ance policy.
1t is doubtful whether an inquest will
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