The Portland daily press., 1900-12-12

Sydnsy Samuel. 25 years old or there
abouts, well-dressed and with plenty OF
money on his person, shot himself In tbs
head at the West End hotel scmstime be-
tween Monday evening about O'Clock
and z O'Clock last night. From the in.
formation contained In letter which he
had torn up and the pieoss of which
were put together by q PRESS reporter
early this morning, IL Ia eyident that the
man was the head OF some business
housl, presumably In Boston or London.
Up to q late hour this morning 1t had
baen impossible 10 ascertain just whore
this man lived when at home, or TO as
cIibe any canss for his committing sui
eide.
This stranger arrived at thu West End
hotel on ths train which is uus here
about 10 40 o'clock from Boston, but
which did not reach Portland on Sunday
night until about O'Clock. He went to
the West End hotel with vallss and
registered as "Sydney samuel, Boston. :
and was assigned room % by the night
clerk. The man was very wen dressed.
looked to be about 25 or Vt years old and
was very good LOOKING. Ne ettrassed lit
tie attention at this hotei when he arrived
and on being assigned q room at once
retired. He put in an appearance late
Monday morning and ate his breakfast
and came and want in and out OF the
hotel during the day. lie had no callers,
received no mail or kilograms ana at
tractsd little attention bY the hotel EN-
ployes or the guests.
Monday evening he was at supper in
the hotel and that was the last time he
was seen alive by any Of the hotel guests
or employees. After supper he went &C
his room and nc more was heard OF him.
lie did not drink and did not appear like
a drinking man Tuesday morning he
failed to nut in appearance at breakfast
time ana at dinner was also missing.
No attention was paid to this, but after
supper the chamber maid came down
and said that she had been unable to get
into the room all the afternoon and
thought thsre was something strange
about 1t. Mr. Walter Castner, one of ths
clerks, went and looked over the ran
som. He could see blood on. the floor
ana this alarmed him. lie got down,
however, ana forced open the door.
He found the body of the man lying
near the bed with a bullet hole in his
right temple.
The man had removed his coat and
vest and Shoes and had shot himself with
a fiye-chamber 32-calibre revolver. He
was lying on his side with terrible
wound in his right temple. His feet were
under thu bed anu 1t seemed as though
he had fired the shot when kneeling by
tho bedside and thsn fallen back upon
the floor. The revolver was held so close
to the head that this powder had burned
the flesh and from the wound there had
escansd a great quantity of blood and
some brain matter.
Coroner Rich was sent for ana an ex-
animation was made OF the room. A va
Iise, evidently purchased IN London, for
a bill of sale for 1t was later discovered,
was on a chair and was filled with fine
clothing. The man had endeavorsd TO
destroy some letters which he had with
him before hs took his life and had torn
up into small pieces and thrown them
into slop jar which was filled with
water. All of these pieces OF paper, the
parts of eight or nine letters, were saved
and dried and some Of lhsm were later
patchedstogether The mans clothing
was of fine material and was evidently
made in London judging by the trade
marks. His nscktie was OF London make
and SO were his shoes, but his nat had
been purchased OF Hogan Brothers Of this
city and was brand new. His undarcloth.
ing was of the finest quality and sll OF
his effects bore evidencs OF being the
property OF man accustomed to the best
things money could purchase.
In his pocket was found $50 in bills
and a letter of credit for ee00 issued by
Brown Brothers Sc Company OF New
York on Brown, shipley & Co, of Lon
don. The date Of issue was July Ii 1900,
and on 1t the following amounts had
been drawn in London; August N,
1900, Rs5; September /, $40; Ssptemb8z
IL, $40; September 81, go; September
80. RIo; octobsr 3, elO: October ~. es0i
November IA. R85. 1hs total amount