The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-02-15
COMMITS SUICIDE.
A Travelling Theatrical Agent
Drinks Carbolic Acid.


The man was in the city ahead of tn,
Lyman Brothers Merry Chase Com
| pany" that was seen in the city tha
evening, and has been there mum
ber of days. He had been on pro
tracted spree and had been dis
charged by the company, another
man being on the way from Chicago tt
take his place.
The attention of the management
of the hotel was called to the CLOSED
room about four O'Clock by the cham
bermaid, who could not get in to dc
her work. The room had been closed
since early morning. Day clerk
Earnie Cummings went to the room
and could see the man lying on the
bed as though asleep. Repeated
| alarms failed to arouse him, and the
clerk saw that something was wrong.
He managed to crawl through the
transom into the room and discoy-
cred that the man was dead. He SO
reported to Landlord Helm, and Cor
oner Eugene Cheesman was called.
He found on the dresser ass
tumbler, into which had been poured
c quantity of carbolic acid. The lips
and tongue OF the deceased were
terribly burned, and the case was O
clearly one of suicide.that an inquest
was deemed unnecessary. IA search
of the mans belongings failed to re-
veal the address of relatives and
there was no information to be found
with the exception of business card.
The search the room revealed a
couple of ounce vials that had con-
tanned acid, thrown behind the
dresser, and third had been thrown
into the dresser drawer with a couple
of whiskey TASKS. A pint whiskey
flask was also found on the dresser
beside the tumbler that contained
the acid. The man had taken the
acid while in bed and was undressed,
his clothing being about the room.
There was also grip containing a
few, articles of wearing apparel. The
remains were removed to the Nc
u.Gy undertaking astahGs hment,
where they were cared for.
The deceased was a man about
fifty-five or sixty years of age. He
was comparatively we'll dressed, was
quiet and unassuming, and since he
registered at the hotel has taken but
few meals there. He has been known
to have been quite drunk on several
occasions, and the management of
the show states that he has been on
spree the greater part of the tim g
that he has been ahead of the COM
pany.
II. G. Lyman of the "Merry Chase
Company" was seen. He stated that
he engaged the man of the Fred j.
Wildman agency of Chicago two
weeks ago and that they gave him a
very high recommendation. He had
started out and commenced drinking
heavily. Lyman came to this city
from Ames on Sunday and discharged
the man. He found him Sunday in
h s room at the hotel, and had evi
IDENTIFY gone to sleep in a stupor, for
he had removed none of his clothing.
He was under contract with the com
pany for the remainder of the sea-
son, and Monday he spoke to Land
lord Helm regarding an attorney, say
ing that he was going to institute
suit against the "Merry Chase Com
pany" for the balance of his salary.
Mr.. Lyman stated that the man was
an old theatrical agent and had been
in the business, more or less, all his
life. He had been connected with
the Sol Smith Russell and julie Wal
ters companies recently. He has a
daughter with the Walters western
company. The lady was married to
Elmer Walters at Ottumwa the oath
of last month. Threse Belmont was
her stage name. A reply to tel
egram sent 20 Mr.. Walters at Madi.
son, Wisconsin, stated that the home
of the man was in Jacksonville, Ills
1t is said he has son in that city.
The man procured the acid of Os
kaloosa druggists on Sunday an6
Monday, and when asked what hi
intended using it for he stated tina
he wished to use it in bath for hi
feet. He told this at both of tn,
drug houses where he made the pur
chases.
The suicide was very evidentl.
premeditated, He had talked +,
Chas. Clay, porter at the Downing
Monday evening, He said he did no
believe in b "hereafter;" that he
like Ingersol, loved flowers and chill
dren and the beautiful things of lif
and worshipped them. He had toll
Dudley Buckner, another hotel en-
ployee, that he used the acid in
drink of whiskey to help his stomach
as he had catarrh of the stomach.
The man had 81 so on his clothing
Coroner Cheesman telegraped I
the Wildman Dramatic Agency 8
Chicago and to the police departmer
of Jacksonville, Ills., for informatio
concerning the relatives and dispos
tion of the remains.
The man had very likely commi
ted suicide shortly after the noe