The San Francisco call., 1897-01-03
HAMMOND DRIVEN
TO HIS DEATH
Suicide Of the Second Vice
President Of a Defunct
Bank.
Worried to Desperation by. the
Ucjust Stories Concerning
Pad Management.
Ste aling Away From Wife and Chill.
dren He Finds Rest in the Waters
Of Lake Michigan.

Ham mond, who was second vice-presldent
of the failed National Bank of Illinois,
went from his Evanston homo partly
dressed and apparently demented about
O'Clock this morning, and leaving a trail
of torn and twisted private papers in his
path, sought the Dempster-stree pier from
which he threw himself into the icy waters
OF Lake Michigan to obtain relief from the
troubles which have piled upon him in the
last two weeks.
The body was found shortly after noon
at the foot of Church street, whittier it had
been carried by the undertow. 1t was
taken to the Morgue, where an inquest
was held.
| The intelligence of the bankers self
| destruction, so closely following that OF
Banker Otto Wasmansdorff. was dis
| tressing shock to Chicago bankers and the
| friends of the dead man, although not al.
| together a surprise to those who knew
under what terrible mental strain Mr..
Hammond had been living since he had
been held up to public scorn by Chicago
news per as the wrecker of the National
Bank OF Illlnois-a charge which is indig-
nantly characterized as a malicious lie by
| the suicides intimate friends and lawyer.
I Although respondent to an unusual
degree last night Mr.. Hammond gave no
| warning TO friend or family, and there is
nothing in the circumstances surrounding
| his tragic end which would warrant the
assumption that he had contemplated kill
ing himself. Shortly before IL o clock last
| night he telephoned from his home to
that of his closest friend in the suburban
town, Percy Palmer, to learn if he was at
home, as he wished to pay him visit.
Rain was falling heavily. but Mr.. Ham
mond insisted on making the call. Mr..
Palmer saw that his friend was In bad
shape physically and mentally. He ap-
peared to be broken man in every way.
In conversation with Mr.. Palmer his mind
wandered. He said he must realize by
! selling his homestead. which is in his
wife's name. He refused to be encouraged
by prospects held out for future useful
ness. His visit was brief, and declining
the offer of Mr.. Palmer TO accompany him
home or take a waterproof coat or um-
breila to protect him from the heavy rain
fall MIR. Hammond returned to his home
| on foot. He must have walked unneces-
sarily in the rain because it was after
O'Clock when Mrs. Hammond saw him
enter the house. He talked little with
her and seemed to be more cheerful.
Their 2-year-old child had been restless
for several nights and Mrs. Hammond
was so fatigued that she slept soundly in
| room adjoining that in which Mr. Ham
mond went to retire. apparently. The
baby was sleeping with its mother. About
o'clock Mrs. Hammond was conscious of
some one entering her room, and she sup
posed Mr.. Hammond had come in, their
room being separated by an unlocked
door. It is believed the trouble-racked
father entered to imprint good-by kiss
on the face of his little child.
1t was nearly o'clock when Mrs Ham
mond woke and at once noticed that the
door leading TO her husbands S room was
ajar farther than was customary, and his
absence aroused all her latent fears for his
fate. Family friends near by were hur-
rledly summoned to search for the miss
ing man and notify the police. By-ney J.
Moore and George s. Lord, old friends,
walked to an old pier at the front of
Dempster street. not far from tho Ham,
mond homestead, and their suspicious
and fears were verified by finding a trail
of torn paper with Mr.. Hammond's 8 sig
nature on some. The bankers crazed
condition was indicated by the manner in
which he had scattered and torn and
twisted his private papers during his
melancholy journey to his death.
Standing or the pier he dropped more
of his papers, which quickly clung to the
wood because of the beating rain. The
discovery of this clew confirmed all fears
that Mr.. Hammond was no longer.alve,
and arrangements were made to drag the
lake. The sad news was borne 10 Chicago
ana to the family, but was received with
much incredulity at first.
When the body was removed from the
shallow water it was found to be dressed
In underclothes, trousers, coat and felt
shoes, showing that the dead man had
dressed in haste. In pocket was found
memorandum written by Mr.. Ham
mond on letter-head of Farson, Leach g.
Co., the promoters and chief owners of the
Calumet Electric Street Railway Com
panY. 1t contained the following items:
Decem Der 16, 1896-National Bank of Illi-
nois, $l,497, 900; foreign exchange, $522,-
600; Bank of Illinois, $97500 Outside
loans - Joliet National, $4,000; e. G..
Crawford. $4,000; Shawmut, 100000; In
dependence National, $4,000; Mercantile
National, 100000; WoIf, $1,000 Total
$2,475,500 Interest $1,000. Note-Na-
tional Bank OF Illinois note on Calumet
800 600.
These figures are significant on the
foreign exchange item corresponding to
the amount which Mr.. Hammond is ac-
cused of carrying on the bank books to
that account, when the money really
represented an extra loan on Calumet
Electric bonds, and in the total corre-
spending to the total loaned on Calumet
Electric security by the bank.
Ten days ago a local morning paper
published sensational and lengthy at
tack upon the dead mans honesty as an
officer of the Bank of Illinois. Il directly
accused him of wrecking the institution,
of playing the role OF "kiter," of specula-
ting with other peoples money, of prac-
ticing care .ully planned dece ption on his
fellow directors and the depositors for
years and sealing the lips of President
Schneider by allowing the accounts of
Weiss and Berger. sons-in-law of the pres
dent, to pass safe bounds. This paper al
legged, He has violated, wiIlfully and de-
liberately, the law which is supposed to
protect the people from the operations OF
such as he"
Referring to these charges friends of