The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-02
BODY IDENTIFIED
Former Mankato Hotel Clerk
Kills Himself.
Richard Corners, Out of Work and De.
spondent, Takes Carbolic
Acid.

Richard G. Corners, for long time
clerk at the Saulpaugh, and more re-
Gently clerk in S. R. Shows hotel
at Little Falls, committed suicide in
Loring park, Minneapolis Thursday
afternoon, by drinking carbolic acid.
Apparently taking every precaution to
keep his identity a mystery, he went
to the park at about five o'clock in the
afternoon and swallowed the contents
of two ounce bottle of carbolic
acid, dying few minutes later The
body was found shortly before six
O clock.
Two white linen handkerchiefs
found in the pockets of the dead man s
clothes, bearing the initials "R. G.
c." led to his Identification.
Mr.. Snow happened to be in Min
neapolis this week. He came down
from Little Falls Monday and met Con-
ners on the street. The latter was out
of work and respondent. When Mr..
Snow saw the account of the suicide
in the morning papers yesterday, with
the initials on the dead mans linen,
he went to the morgue and was not
surprised to find the body of his form
er clerk. He has interested himself in
the case and will give the body proper
urial
Corners left Little Falls six weeks
ago. He was very Respondent at the
time, although he did not care to
communicate to his former employer
the cause of downheartedness. He
had been drinking heavily previous
to his suicide.
Corners leaves wife, who is at ST..
James, and who is said to be employ
ed in hotel. He was about thirty
five years of age, and was. AN efficient
hotel clerk as long as he remained
sober He was employed at the Saul
paugh under Mr.. Snow, and for nine
months after Mr.. Snyder took charge
of,,the. house For eight months he
did not drink drop, and then he fell
from grace. Subsequently he took the
Kelley cure and was reinstated IN his
position, but at the end Of a month
lost it again because of return to his
old indulgences. He passed through
Mankato few weeks ago on his way
to st. James to see his wife.
The deceased was we'll liked by al
who knew him. He was employed il
number of towns in the state, ant
was we'll known to the travelling fra
ternity. He was generally well dressed
and had. a prosperous air. He had al
English brogue.
The story of the suicide is brie
one. About fifty feet from wher
Ccnner's body lay, a bottle, contain
ing small quantity of carbolic acid
was found near tree. A man pass
ing through the park saw the youni
man rise from the bench, go to .th
. pump and get drink, and return t
his seat again, distance of perhap
thirty feet When found, few min
o utes later, his body lay stretched upo
o the green sward about ten feet fror
? the bench upon which he had BEEN
ting.
= In one of his pockets was foun
: some new stationery. One of th
J. sheets of paper was torn off, as thong
: the.unfortunate young man had use
part of the paper to write not
But the police or coroner failed to-in
any trace of the supposed missiv'
although diligent search was made fl
n it through the park. The patr
n wagon hurried the young man towal
II the city hospital, but he was evident
1t dead before they started with hin
a His body was removed to the morgu