The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-10
Dedy Found in Church of Immac-
ulate Conception.
NOTING IN THE CHOIR LOFT.
%vh11o The Cbosisf~vs Were Ass~R-
bIan1 Daily. TO Resesrse tie essa
1erains Of Ressrrecsien Psenns.
Oesfh Lurked nj Their Very
v.~s chefvwastsr's C0mposuve
II Keepsag the Dark secret.

Wnils the choir OF the ChurcH % ths iffs-
auacuiAts Conception. al the corner OF
broadway aad Madison street. VAS re-
hsaysang yesterday afternoon for EaSsss
..r,saes the body OF Alick Mckay Swan
-. q ysuns scotehman. VINO imagined
49, he could sing Ike Ellen Beach fsw.
lay 1ecomposinS under their feet
CncrrsStSr J. n. Hobiitxeil discovered
- x>unaina faw moments before TIRE first
sn6Dodsous sonss Of the great organ ssasst
thyoush ths house Of God. By the fare
NJ = match he sAw a dsas. notionisss form
- . recess under the floor of the choir
Joot. He knew it was a story of death,
Deghaps an impenetrabie mystery. sec
ed Emmanuel church case. but he pre-
serves his eomposare and took his place
o. n nothing had happened.
The yeung women CT the choir entered
eaae ehurch deors and climbed the narrow
stairs TO the choral chamber. They passed
the SPOT OF death and knew II not. Only
the thought OF joyous Easter, with its
song and praises 20 God. filled their minds.
me choirmastsr waved his hand and a
burst Of snusie throbbed aud vihrated
throughout the church II ross and swell
ID and died away. Before the altar be-
low people were praying. al last the
notes Of the sgan were heard no more. the
last burst of melodio1ls voices had ceased
to sound. and the people wef. leaving The
church. sleHe rtigned IN the temple.
Am Intense strain.
The strain Oh Mr. Hoblitzeii had been
intense. Not a soul dreamed of the
thoughts and emotions 20 which h. had
been subjected while Directing tia rel.eai-
sal II was q task Of lifetime. bs,' he
endured II To save others from a shock
This over he communicated i.ss discovery
70 the poics. CHEZ Reed Defective Ba~
bee and Deputy Coroner ysndei respond
ID. In the dim lgnf Of approaching dusk
by the aid OF candle the chamber q.
death. with Its board planks and dust and
bits OF piastering WAS Invaded Tia. men
Crawied On their hands AMI knees TO the
lfeless body. Ii Was that Of a man. and
badly decompesed There were no ey.-
dences OF foul pla.. sigh Of relief went
up.
The body was removed with considerable
St0icuisy. and not tin then were the empty
laudanum bottle and letters TO "Alick Me-
Kay Swanson. Western Washington In
sane Asylum. SteIIseoom." discovered
Life Beci0uslrsi.
H.
ass ium. reieas. and suicide Then revealed
itself. a small piece OF inca; In a pocket
told Of want and hunger
Swanson. the man who thought nature
had suddenly endowed him with a yoiue
Hike that OF Elhn Beach Yaw had crawl
ed under the floor OF the ehoix loft and
ended his bio existence
He died some time ago and his body
mas been slowly returning 10 It's eleurrs~
while services Of Thanksgiving 10 God
have been held daily in The ehs..ti.,r srl,.
aratssf by only a layer OF board from that
dark recess in which. be had giyel up his
life.
scene ef the suicide.
The Church Of the Immaculat. Concep-
ton In large brick bulIding. located at
tho southeast cerner Of Broadway and
MA0son street. II IN a Jesuit institution
The basement Is used for 4 school and
the two stories above FOR a church The
altar 10 at the east end OF the building
and ~ the end of this il the choir loft,
Saissd Above the entrance. \ long flight
% steps leads up 10 the church from the
'outAide. Entering either of Two swinging
0oor2 one rinds himself FIJI a sort ~ vess-
tibuie. with the doors 10 the cisant,sr az
worship directly in front ON either side
or this vesttbnls are doors which. when
opened. reveal narrow stairs that lead 20
the choir loft above. There II ore sharp
turn In the stairs. Speaking Of those al
the LETT OF the entrance 1T may b. sail
THAI they lead toward The north side OF
the church. At the top there = a small
platform aud then the second fight leads
toward the south side of the church. en-
ter.ng the loft a little Ia the norih OF the
middle.
The chcir loft from the banstfaae at
the Goht extends back 9na upward By
etep~. similar to the balcony OF thea
ter. II Is this arrangement thai ieavra
= space underneath ths soor. Twenty
Tour steps up from The main tioaf OF the
: church, on the north side there is q small