The times., 1898-05-02
T. J. KAISER A SUICIDE.
Determined Effort to Keep the Fnc
From the Public.

Frederick ]. Kaiser, young business
man. committed suicide at his home, No.
Sl3 Eighteenth Street northwest. about
$50 O'Clock Saturday morning. by shoot
ing himself through the head. The sui
eide was reported to Coroner Carr, anc
during the forenoon of Saturday he call
ed at the Kaiser residence and issued
a suicide certificate Between and I
o'clock Saturday evening, a Times re-
porter called up the coroner's office on
the telephone from police headquarters
and asked that official if he had any
news for the press.
Coroner Carr replied that he had no
learned that a prominent business man
had taken his life. and the coroners
office was again called up by telephone.
but the coroner was not in. A note was
left for him at his home with the re-
quest that he call up The Times office If
such suicide had been reported to him.
AS no response was received from this
note to the coroner. he was called up
again, and again. between $3.50 and II
o'clock. but to each call there came a
reply that he was still out. Finally, be-
tween II and L o'clock. Saturday night,
reporter was sent to his residence.
The reporter was informed that DR.. Carr
had gone to bed and left orders that he
was not to be disturbed by anyone
In the meantime Times reporters had
learned unofficially that Mr. Kaiser had
committed suicide in the manner stated,
and being unable to obtain an official
ve<ification from Coroner Carr. con-
cluded that surely the tragedy had been
reported to the police department for in
vesitigation and record by either Carr
or the policeman on the peat.
The Third precinct station. in which
the Kaiser home is located. had received
no report of the shooting. official or
otherwise, up to a late hour last night
No report of the tragic occurrence hau
been received at the detective bureau,
where all such matters are to be re-
ported at once by order of the COM
missioners. So far as the police are con-
cerned, Mr.. Kaiser's death might have
been murder, suicide, accident, or from
natural causes.
Up to 10 o'clock last night there was
no record of ii whatever at police head
quarters or any of the stations.
Coroner Carr was asked last night by
a Times reporter if the death of Mr..
Frederick J. Kaiser was self-inflicted. He
replied that it was. When asked why
he did not give the information to The
Times when called over the telephone
Saturday evening, he replied that he was
out Saturday evening
But l called you over the wire be-
tween and o'clock, and you said there
was no news" said the reporter, Il also
left note for you to which no response
was made"
To this the coroner replied that his
| family were annoyed by being called up
| by reporters so often during his alb
| sence Saturday night that he concluded
not to give out the information desired. y
The coroner was then asked If Mr..
Kaiser was in bed when he fired the
fatal shot.
Il do not know was the reply. 81
did not investigate the details of the
| case"
Under the present system, as illustrat-
| ed by the Kaiser case. it is possible to
| lock the records of tragedies in the cor
oner's safe and keep them from the pub
| lie as well as the police department foI
| all time.
The circumstances attending the sui
| eide of Frederick j. Kaiser, as learned in
detail by The Times Saturday night from
| unofficial sources are that he killed him
self while in bed at his home, some time
| after o'clock Saturday morning, the
body being discovered an hour and a
half later by Mrs. Fleming. housekeepei
| for the Kaisers. The ball entered the
| young mans temple and undoubtedly re-
| suited in instant death.
Mr. Kaiser was member of the F
| Street firm of Wilmarth & Kaiser. The
cause given for his suicide is worry over
| the family funds of the Kaisers, which
are largely invested in his business en-.
| terprise.