The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-04-29
F. B, AUERBACH
TAKES HIS LIFE
SHOOTS HIMSELF THROUGH THE
HEAD WITH A WINCHESTER
AT EARLY DAWN
FINANCIAL WORRY THOUGHT
THE CAUSE.
Deceased Was Investor in Brasch &
Company-Was For Eighteen Years
Resident of the Islands.

a kesldent or the Islands.
Frank Bond Ayerbach committed
suicide this morning at half-past five
by shooting himself through the head
with a Winchester repeating rifle OF
heavy Calibre. He placed the weapon
in his mouth while in a standing post
ure and pulled the trigger Death was
instantaneous, the bullet, of about 3S
calibre tearing a fearful wound in the
back of his head. His lower jaw and
teeth were broken, apparently by the
reCOil.
The deceased was the treasurer and
manager of Henry May & Company,
Limited, and has been i'm the en-
ploy of the firm for the last
nine years. Previously to that
he carried on the profession of ac-
countant and boOkkeeper, having been
employed in that capacity at Heeia
plantation. He had been a resident of
the islands for the past eighteen years.
Born in TOttenham, MiddleseX, a north
ern suburb of London in 1861, ne was
forty-one years old last January IL.
His father and mother were living,
aged so and n respectively, two years
ago, as were the other members of the
family, five in number two boys and
three girls.
On first coming to the islands, Mr.
Auerbach was troubled with liver COM
plaint but has since then been healthy
uh to within the last two weeks when
he lost his appetite being only able to
take a raw egg for his breakfast,
heavier edibles refusing to stay on the
stomach. He was also greatly trOu-
bled the last few days with severe
headaches, induced, it is thought by
worry.
Fourteen years ago he married a
step-daughter of Benjamin D. Whit
ney, now watchman at the pilot house,
his brother r. l.. Auerbach also marry
ing a daughter of Mr.. Whitney, step
sister of Mrs. F. b. Auerbach. BY this
marriage were born five children all of
whom are living the eldest being near
ly twelve years old. The tragedy of
this morning is aggravated by the fact
the two children, boys, are seriously i'll
with the measles and demand all the
attention of the grief Frustrated widow
and mother
Dependency and worry over findn-
cial affairs are supposed to have Great
ed temporary emotional insanity of the
deceased and to this cause is attributed
the suicide of this morning. Mr.. Auer-
bach was heavily interested in the
Lace House of Brasch & Company,
now going through bankruptcy, and IS
thought to have lost money in stocks
and other speCulatiOns. His immediate
friends claim to have noticed a change
in him of late, an increased nervous
ness and signs of evident worry. To
this was coupled the i'll health under
which he has been laboring. Yesterday
he was at his post in the grocery and
seemed in good spirits. Later in the af-
ternoOn he met some friends at the Of
ficers' club and exhibited no signs of
feeling or acting out of the ordinary
Last evening he secured two revolv-
ers from a cupboard which was used
by him as an armOry, and kept them
or his person for some time. Mrs
Auerbach finally persuaded him to
give them up and locked them away
retaining the key. This the deceased
begged for repeatedly until on securing
from him a promise to go to bed, she
gave him the key to quiet him. He ap-
parently went to sleep as usual but evil
IDENTIFY retained the fixed idea of sui
eide until he finally stole out in the
dawn of the morning and killed himself
The Auerbach residence is near the
corner of keeaumOku and MatlOCk
Avenue. The next house is the resi-
dence of c. ]. Ludwigsen. Nearby is a
vacant lot bounded on one side ~ Il
high board fence. Rising before dawn
this morning, he took the key of his ar
mory, which he had kept under his pill
low during the night, and took his rifle.
There were three shells in the maga-
zine Before the household had begun
to stir he stole silently out of the
house, across the road, wearing Chi
nese straw slippers, and standing close
to the high board fence, placed the
muzzle against his mouth and pulled
the trigger, falling on the instant with
the rifle across his body close to the
powder stained left hand which must
have steadied the muzzle, The report
had hardly died away before Mrs.
AuerbaCh who had seen him across the
road and had been hurriedly dressing
meanwhile, appeared on the scene to
find her husband already dead. Hor-
rifed at the sight she rushed into Lud-
Wigsen's and aroused the household.
From there the news was telephoned to
Charles Ramsay, who in turn telephon-
ed to police headquarters. Friends
took charge of Mrs. Auerbach who is
still completely prostrated by the
shock, and Deputy Sheriff Chilling
worth, arriving on the scene, promptly
empaneIed a COrOneT's jury from the
ueighboring householders, arousing
them from their beds for the purpose.
The following composed the jury; w.
II. GOetz, F., E. Richardson, II, e.
Waity, E. @. Moore, c. II. Ramsay and
j. A. M. Johnson. The inquest viii be
held at 4 o'clock this afternoon. 1t is
thought considering the circumstances
that surround the case that a verdict
Of temporary insanity viii be brought
in.
Deceased was a thirty-secOnd degree
Mason of the Pacific Lodge and was al
so a member of the Chamber of Com
merce and Merchants Association. The
Auerbach residence is the property of
the widow, she having bought the
ground from the proceeds Of other prop
erty formerly belonging to her on EN-
ma street, sold for $11 900. The house
was built by the deceased. A policy
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