The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-28
MURDER and SUICIDE
MYSTERIOUS DOUBLE CRIME AT
THE VENDOME HOTEL IN
NEW YORK CITY
WAS A WOMAN IN THE CASE
H. j. HessOn Shoots H. H. StridirOn
and Then Kills Himself-Cause
of His Action Involved
I'm Mystery.

NEW YORK. Aug. N.-John w. Esson,
or Essing, Of Chicago, today fired two
bullets, one into the head and the other
into the body Of his friend and associate,
Henry H. Strfdiron and then thrusring the
muzzle of the revolver between his teeth
sent a bullet through his own head. The
suicide expired Immediately. His victim
has a fighting chance for his Hfe. The
police are of the opinion that the man
who attempted the murder and then com.
mitted suicide was crazed by the extreme
heat and maddened by drink and jeal-
ousy. The police have been unable 10 OBJ
tain from the employees of the Hotel
Vendome a clearly connected statement
of the affair Some friends of the dead
man assert that his name was Essen.
Others are equally positive that his name
was Essng. Both men came from Chi
eago originally. Essen or Essing is said
to have been Il contractor in that city.
His friends assert that he came to New
York with the expectation of getting q
position on the underground road, now
being constructed in this city. St1diron
went to the hotel and registered as com.
ing from Baltimore. For two or three
days prior TO that time Esson haG been
seen about the corridors of the hotel in
company of StridirOn and Il was nOticeo
that both men were drinking heavily. On
Saturday the suicide registered nut for
some reason under the assumed name OF
H. J. Ford, Boston He was assigned to
room No 25S. Stridiron had room No. 308
on the eighth floor looking into I or ,yfir5t
street. The two men entered the hotel
about 8 o'clock this morning and asked
for their keys. Both were under the in
fluencc of liquor. On the way up to their
L.
Il believe I'll go to your room"
What for was the answer, you have
one Of your own?"
''Oh, l want to lie down." was Esson's
answer. Cant you let fellow lie down
even on your bed?'
A moment later the guests In the cor
ridor Of the hotek were startled by three
revolver shots in rapid succession. Then
sthere was q metallic elang on the street.
where the weapon had faller en- the pay
Ing stones The suicide was found lying
dead on the floor near the window. He
had killed himself by sending a bullet
through the roof o. his mouth into his
brain.
To the coroner Stridiron made the fol-
lowing statement:
Coroner yucca: am Harold H Str.d-
iron, Of No. 119 Seeley avenue, Chicago.
1 came here for the FitzsiInmons and
Rubin fight from Chicago. 1 met John
H Essen there two weeks ago, and saw
him several times afterward. We drank
together and went around together.
met him yesterday afternoon, Sunday,
Aug. rs. I got him a room ct the Ven
dome and signed for his meals. This
morning he came to my room and we
went out for an automobile ride on Riv-
erside drive. When we returned to the
hotel he insisted upon going to my room
to lie down. While there he shot me.
ION Sunday he told me that he had
attempted to commit suicide, but was
stopped. He asked me to telephone a
girl that he had attempted to commit
suicide. Shortly after 1 had telephoned
the girl hunted him up and demanded
her jewery. She then went away with
Essen. While we were riding in the au-
tomobile he told me that he expected to
get $4,000 to give to this girl, but
never saw.him with any money or jewel
ry of any kind
Coroner yucca afterward learned that
the woman was Mrs. Lillian Hayes. She
appeared at his office today and told him
that she had loaned the suicide 81 600
worth Of diamonds because he was in
desperate circumstances The coroner
was unable to find any trace of the
missing jewelry. At the hospital Mrs
hayes requested the authorities to turn
the property of Stridiron over to her
Fhey explained they had no right to do
this.
To q reporter MES. Hayes explained that
she came here from Chicago two months
ago. She said that she knew the dead
man in Chicago, that he brought his
friends around to see her and soon grew
jealous. Mrs. Hayes said that if he had
not been drinking he would not have been
jealous.
Recently, Mrs. Hayes said, he had
often talked of murder and suicide. and
that he attempted to kill her only last
night.
This note was found on the dead man:
1.-THE better the day, the better the
deed. The world and my friends will be
rid of me. Those who have been kind
will forgive me, as 1 hope God will. l
am a failure"
At Winterbottom's undertaking rooms,
where the remains of the dead man are
being cared for, Manager White said that
the dead man was single and that he
had no nearer relatives than a cousin
William j. Essen, of the Pullman build
ing, Michigan avenue, Chicago He said
that the cousin could also be reached
through Frank D. Ketchum, Stock Ex-
change building, Chicago.
Manager White said that Essen was a
succeSs1ul contractor In Chicago, and two
years ago, in partnership with his cousin,
he completed the elevation of the Penn
sylvanta railroad in Chicago. After that
he severed relations with his cousin and
worked alone.
CHICAGO, Aug. T.-Two daughters of
Mr.. Stridiron were found at the home of
their aunt, 119 Seeley avenue The little
nf fofI
the death of their mother, three years
ago. He was at one time clerk in the
National bank, later as employee of lum-
Der concern His daughters were expect
Ing visit from him when the news OF
the tragedy reached them.
Confessed HIS Guilt.
JBFFERSONvILLE, Ind, Aug. H.
Oliver Tomlinson, who has been in the
Indiana reformatory here since July g.
charged with completely in the murder