The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-05
F, ], FRENCH
FOUND DEAD
At THE LICK
Commits Suicide by
Inhaling Gas.
DISCOVERED BY A SERVANT
WELL-KNOWN ATTORNEY BE-
COMES DESPoNDENT.
III Health and Financial Reverses
Combine to Render Life I'm
bearable-He Leaves
Family.
DISCOVERED BY A SERVANT
ATTORNEY BE-
COMES DESPONDENT.

Made respondent by i'll health and
financial reverses, Frank ]. French,
well known attorney and prominent Ma
SON. committed suicide in the Lick House
Tuesday night by asphyXiation. Mr.
French entered the hotel at o'clock
Tuesday afternoon and applied for room
He was assigned to No. pa and took pos
session Immediately. He called for writ
ing material, which was supplied, but
nothing further was seen or heard of him
by the hotel people until his corpse was
found lying on the bed cold in death nine
teen hours later.
No letters or farewell messages of any
kind were found in the room, and if he
wrote any he must have mailed them
himself, but none of the attaches of the
hosiery saw him leave the building dur
ing the afternoon or night AT 1890 yes
terday morning a chambermaid raped
at his door, and receiving no response
turned the knob The door was not
locked, and as it swung open an over
towering Odor of gas caused the girl to
gasp for breath. She gave the alarm and
the fact OF the suicide was at once estab-
lished. Mr.. French had partially disrobed
and retired, after closing all the windows
and turning on the gas. He had evidently
been dead some hours, as the body was
cold. The Coroner was at once notified
and the remains removed to the
Morgue. Attorney f. ID. Brandon with
whom the dead man was associated at
$50 California street, was notified of the
tragedy by telephone and was preparing
to go to the hotel when Mr.. French's son
Harold appeared in his office to inquire
for his father. He said the latter had
telephoned to his wife in Berkeley Tues
day afternoon that he would not be home
for dinner, but as he sometimes remained
in the city over night no apprehension
was felt. Mrs. French accompanied her
son to the city, but upon arriving on this
tod ~.
mother going to the. home of her sister
Mrs. Thompson. She was not notified of
her husbands death until nearly noon
Mr.. French had resided in this city for
years, but removed to Berkeley on No
vember 10. They resided at the Colonial
until the 1st of December, and then went
to live at a boarding house at 2247 Ban
croft avenue, Berkeley. They had planned
to return to San Francisco to live as soon
as they could secure house, and it was
for the purpose of looking for a suitable
place that mother and son came to the
city yesterday.
Mrs. French is a daughter of the late
superior Judge William Satterlee of this
city, and inherited considerable property
from her father. including the family resi-
dence. Her sister, Mrs. Thompson is the
widow of the late Hon. Thomas L.
Thompson, who was Secretary of State
under Governor Stoneman, member of
Congress, United States Minister to Brazil
and at one time editor of the Sonoma
Democrat. He committed suicide at Santa
Rosa in a sensational manner on the 1st
of February last by cutting his throat
with bowie knife, while temporarily in
sane.
Mr.. French's family consisted of his
wife and two sons, Frank and Harold
The former is married and resides at
Fruitvale. He is a railway mail clerk on
the Southern Pacific between this CITY
and Los Angeles, and was on the run
when the tragedy occurred
Harold is only 20 years DID, and was n
student at the University of California
until he went to the Klondike year ago
and returned early in November He was
preparing to leave again for Alaska some
time during the present month
Deceased was born in Fayette. Kenne-
bee County, Me, nearly sixty years ago.
and came to California. in 1860 locating
in Siskiyou County, where he served as
Deputy County Clerk. He afterward re-
moved to Tehama County where he
served successfully as County Clerk, Au-
ditor and Recorder. He came to San
Francisco in 1868, and was soon after
ward admitted to the bar. He served one
term a member of the Board of Educa-
ton, and was regarded by all who knew
him as an upright conscientious man.
He was a member of Occidental Lodge of
Masons and past grand commander of
Golden Gate Commandery, Knights Tenn
plar.
The inquest will be held at the Morgue
at 10 o'clock this morning. The funeral,
which will be under the auspices of Occi-
dental Lodge of Masons, will be held
from Masonic Temple Friday 1T 1890 p. M
The interment will be at Mountain View,
Oakland