The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-10
SOME INFORMATION RECEIVED
Herbert Robbins Was an Orphan and
a Respecfed Wan

identity Of Herbert Robbins, the young
man who committed suicide in a room in
the Hamilton hotel last Monday evening.
The letters are from Mr.. Palmer, an IN
| dertaler in Topeka, for whom the young
man worked several weeks Mr.. Palmer
sent the letters he received from Mr.
| Kennedy, the president of the Citizens
! Bank of Hope, Ind, and this is the only
wcrd that has been received here regard
ing the young man. except that which
appeared in the Eagle a few days ago.
The letters are as follows:
Topeka, Kan, Aug. 8. 1901.
| Friend Dunbar-Your letter Just read
| and IN reply say Herbert Robbins worked
for mo about six weeks and I considered
hira very fine young man. He was in
| Topeka about ten or eleven weeks Sun
| day night last, I came to Office about s
p. m. Robbins was at the Office and I
/ talked to him a few moments and went
/ home. That was the last I saw Of him
until I read of the suicide in our papers
| Tuesday night. I knew but little about
! him. I viii enclose letters which I re-
! ceived from his home and that is all I
! know about him, which you viii please
| read and return after q short time. There
was some grill went back on him at Log
| ansport. Ind. I saw copy of dispatch to
| the girl which he asked her II she still
! refused 10 answer his letters and tele-
/ grams. You viii notice that he was an
orphan boy. taken by Mr.. Sampson, one
/ of the finest men, am told, in that
/ county. As I did not know anything
/ about him, you VIII gee I wrote for his
| character and you have the reply. that Is
/ all I know as he said hut little about
/ himself. He had good education, was
/ quick to learn. The fourth body he saw
in my place he embalmed himself, with
me watching nim. Write me ard tell
me if anyone has taken interest in him
| enough to send for the body. I should
/ keep MIN for time at least until I could
write full account of it to the folks I
| think he has some friends in Missouri
! somewhere, but cannot tell what town,
! as ne sent - telegram there two weeks
/ ago. 7 do not understand why he went
to Wichita to commit suicide, only to get
out of the way so no one here would
llonw it. Yours truly,
GEO. B. PALMER"
Hope, Ind, jul q. 1901.
| MI Geo. .. 1GlllELt LDle-tt.s Nail
Dear Sir: Your letter of inquiry Of
the 18th received. In reply viii say I
have known II. R. Robbins for ten or
twelve years. He did errands for my
( father for considerable time and was
| taken from the Orphans Home Of
! Greensburg. Ind, and placed in the care
| Of J. d. Sampson on their recommends
! ton, which he proved himself worthy Of
! After being with him for several years
and sharing classes for education, some
! friend offered him assistance If MI
/ Sampson would release him. which he
| consented to DO and we have always
/ heard favorable reports of him I know
/ but little Of his family. though think he
was placed IN the home by some friends.
+ He was well recommended by the home
/ when Mr.. Sampson consented to take
I him, also by my own folks. AS far as
! can be learned and known by me, he
/ always proved himself very trustworthy
/ and commanded general respect His op-
portunity as you see, has not been
/ equaled to many. In his school classes
/ was d leader whilst here.
why not have him take out insurance
! bond to your benefit, as we can never
/ tell when confidence might be misplaced
with great temptation thrown in reach.
/ Yours truly, W. KENNEDY"
/ Coroner McCoIlister does not believe
that the telephone message he received
from Kansas city is from the father of
! the young man. He thinks that it was
! from some medical student who wished to
make an examination of the body. The
man at Kansas City said at first that he
/ was Herbert Robbins father. Then the
man said that he was not the young
mans father. but that he was standing
/ close by and telling him what TO say. As
a further proof that the man was not
/ his father is that nothing further has
/ been heard from him. The coroner thinks
that if the man was his father that some
/ instructions would surely be sent by mail
+ by this time Then the letters show that
/ the young man has no known father and
! this telephone business IS a fake. The
/ state requires that the coroner turn the
( body over 20 friends or relatives only az
4 ter complete Identification. The man in
/ Kansas City did not say anything about
/ the appearance Of the young man and in
I stead even asked the coroner 10 describe
+ him.
NIr. Kennedy who has known the young
mans friends for a number Of years has
been asked 10 notify the friends and re-
/ loti0es of the young man and IT Is prob
1 able that something VIII be heard from
them today. II nothing further comes
about the caring OF the body by his
friends within the next few days it VIII
be buried AT the eounty's expense.
The coroner is determined that the body
VIII be buried here ana that TO medical
student shall have 1t and before any one
takes The body they must fully identify
IL