The San Francisco call., 1899-07-08
MYSTERY MARKS
THE DEATH OF
AN OLD GROCER
Sudden Demise of A.
G. A. Boysen.
FOUND DYING BY OFFICERS
HAD WARRANT CHARGING HIM
WITH INSANITY.
John B. Anderson, the Former Part
ner Of the Deceased, Locked
Up Pending a Further
Investigation.

Mysterious death has robbed the insane
asylum Of a prospective victim and Cap
tain Gillin of the Seventeenth-street Sta
ton is now endeavoring to dispel the
doubt that surrounds the cause of the sud
den demise of A. c. A. Boysen, the pro-
prietor of a grocery store at the corner
Of Twenty-ninth and Sanchez streets.
Boysen was discovered lying in pool of
blood on the floor of the little room in the
rear of the store by the officers who went
to serve the warrant charging him with
insanity, at $40 last evening. A moment
later, even while the officers stood over
him, warrant in hand, the old grocer
breathed his last.
Boysen was a native of Norway, 90
years old and had been in business in the
same neighborhood for more than twenty
seven years. The circumstances of his
death were so peculiar that John B. An
derson, until recently Boysen's partner,
and the first to give an intimation Of the
enteenth-street Station and locked up
pending a further investigation. Appar-
entity Boysens death was caused by
hemorrhage, but an abrasion on the side
OF the head and the peculiar actions Of
Anderson convinced Captain Gillin that
there might be something wrong and he
decided to take no chances.
Several months ago Boysen and Ander-
son concluded to dissolve partnership.
BoySen retained the grocery business and
the building in which it was located and
Anderson took three cottages in the
neighborhood which were owned by them
jointly. Some property owned by the two
in Berkeley was not divided Anderson
continued to work around the store. A
week ago Tuesday, according to his story,
he returned from delivering some gro
ceries and found Boysen lying on the bed
in his room unconscious. He notified DR..
Baumeister, who. soon restored the suf-
ferer to his normal condition. Anderson
says he had noticed for some time that
his former had hean
culiarly and asked the doctor what had
best be done. The doctor advised him to
notify Boysen's creditors. Anderson went
tc G. II. Umbsen & Co. for advice as that
firm had acted as the agents for the firm
for ten years.
AS a result H. P. Umbsen was yester-
day appointed guardian for Boysen by
Judge Trout on the testimony of Ander-
son. Anderson returned to the store at
about o'clock TO find Boysen lying on
the floor of his bedroom. He called to
seemed to drop off to sleep again. Ander-
son hastened down to Umbsen'S office and
informed him that Boysen had one of his
spells" and returned to the store, arriv-
ing there at 4:30. He did not go to the
room again but could hear the old man
breathing hard and concluded he was
asleep.
After Anderson's visit Umbsen secured
a warrant charging Boysen with being in
sane and went to the Seventeenth Street
Police Station to get some one to serve
it. Captain Gillin detailed officers Bode
and Rottanzi for the duty, and they left
the station with Umbsen.
Arriving at the store Anderson was told
to notify Boysen that he was wanted. AS
he could not arouse him by rapping on
the door, Mr.. Umbsen pushed his way
into the room, followed by the officers
Boysen was lying there motionless, face
down, on the floor in a pool of blood, but
his heart was still beating. Officer Bode
ordered Anderson to send for a doctor,
but when DIR. Baumeister arrived the man
was dead. The Coroner was then notified
and the body taken to the Morgue. Cor