The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-07
YOUNG MANS DRUNK
ENDS IN DEATH
AT STATION
Robert A. Landers, Accom-.
plished Son of a Clergy
man, Dies at Central Police
Station of Alcoholism
Was Once Engaged to Mar
ry Daughter of Wealthy
st. Paul People,


Robert A. Landers. the son of an
episcopal minister, now holding par
1sh in the north of Ireland. died last
night at the Central police station in
Minneapolis, of alcoholism and exhaus
ton. The young man had been locked
up for intoxication. He went into A
saloon at 100 Hennepin avenue at /
o CLOCK yesterday morning and asked
Tor 10 cents with which to get a bed
He subsequently sat down in a chair
and the proprietor of the place was I'M
able to get him out when he tried to
close.
Landers was born in Ireland and he
came to this country with his father
fifteen years ago. They settled in New
York. The elder Landers subsequently
returned to Ireland, where he is still
living. The younger man came West
with letters of Introduction from well
known men in New York to members
OF the firm of Finch, Van Slyke &. Co.
of st. Paul. For a year he lived in ST.
Paul and while there moved in very
good society. He was an entertaining
fellow of good address and appearance,
evidently of good breeding and educa-
ton. He became engaged to a st. Paul
young woman, who exercised a great
influence for good over him, though
nothing proved potent enough to pre-
vent his occasional lapses into ine-
briefly.
At last the engagement was broken
on account of Landers bad habits and
he went to Watertown, where he brac-
ed up and became bookkeeper for the
First National bank. He was later en-
ployed as bookkeeper by a North Da-
kota firm of lumber dealers. In all the
positions he held Landers was rated a
very capable man, but he lost every
hold he had on life by his frequent
sprees. Eventually he came to Min
neapolis and secured employment, two
years ago, with the United States In
stallment and Realty company. There.
again, he was compelled to resign on
account of drunkenness, and once more
he obtained chance to reform as
bookkeeper for the Twin City TeIe-
phone company.
Joined Church Choir.
While employed by the latter corpor-
alton Landers associated himself with
the choir of GethseInane church. He
had q, fine voice and was a member OF
the choir for considerable time. Then
the craving for drink again took pos
session of him and he drifted away
from his former associates, eventually
landing in the cell where he met his
death.
When searched he had something
less than S. in change in his pockets.
His most precious possessions were
evidently the letters of the girl who
had not ceased to care for him though
she refused to marry him. These let
tiers, to the number of a score, were
tenderly covered with wrappings of
tissue paper.
In all the letters there breathes the
spirit of a good woman who loves and
fears, yet hopes. Landers was besought
in them to forsake his. evil ways, to
summon all his strength and fight the
craving for whisky if ever he hoped to
realize his ambitions in this life In
some of them is indicated the hopeless
ness of a woman's attempting to live
her life with man who drinks, and
Landers could have heard no sterner
lectures concerning the inevitability of
disaster and death as the portion Of
the drinking man, than are contained
IN these appeals to his conscience and
affections. 80
The letters are unsigned and there is
nothing to. suggest who wrote them,
except the statements of friend of
the young man, who says that Landers
worshipped young woman in st. Paul,
whose parents are wealthy people, and
whom he might have married five years
ago if he had been able to fight his
craze for liquor.
Landers was educated in a Dublin
college and he had splendid start in
life. His musical education was far in
advance of the ordinary, and he had
natural talents that few young men
possess. 1t is understood that his one
time associates of Gethsemane will at
tend to the funeral expenses and to the
notification Of his people in Ireland.