The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-03
BULLET IN HIS BRAIN
CHIEF OF POLICE OF BRUNSoN,
S. c., A SUICIDE.
HAD BEEN DRINKING.
IN HIS ROOM G. L. SIMMONS SENT
PISTOL BALL THROUGH HIS HEAD.

PISTOL BALL THROUGH HIS HEAD.
Azsd Come to savannah to Make an
Arrest-Left Home Thursday and
Had Been Drinking in West Side
snIoOns-Secured Lodging at Vol
Iers' Place at O'clock Yesterday
Morning and shortly After q
O'clock Killed HimseIf-Left no
Reason for Conan lifting the Act.
Leaves Wife and Two Children.
Getting over a spree and probably
Respondent, G. L. Simmons, chief of po-
lice of Brunson, S. c., sent bullet
through his head in the place of VIII
liam Vollers, at Taylor and West Broad
streets. shortly after o'clock yester-
day morning.
Simmons placed the muzzle of a 3S-
calibre Smith & Wesson pistol just be-
hind the right ear and pulled the trig-
ger. He was taken in an unconscious
condition in the police ambulance to
the Savannah Hospital, where he died
a short while later. The police chief
left no letter explaining the cause of
his rash act.
He went to Vollers' place, near the
Union Station, at o'clock and secured
room. He stated that he only want
ed few hours sleep. as he had to
make an arrest during the morning.
Shortly after 6 o'clock the proprietor,
who Was drinking a cup of coffee on
the first floor, was startled by the re-
port of a revolver.
Pistol in Hand.
A hurried investigation was made at
once and the chief of police of Brun-
son was found in bed with a revolver
clutched firmly in his right hand. A
A calibre army revolver of the Colt
type, and a 80 calibre Smith e. Wes
son, both loaded. were on a chair near
the bed The wounded man was in
mis- night clothes.
On a slip of paper he had written
the address of his brother In jack
sonville. the number of the Brunson
Knights of Pythias Lodge of which
he was a memb Der, and the fact that
ne carried life insurance policy for
$1,000. in favor of his wife, with the
Equitable Life of New York. War
rants charging a negro man with OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses
at Hampton and a woman with house
breaking at Brunson were found with
his weapons and a pair of handouts.
Came Here Thursday.
Simmons left Brunson Thursday
morning for Savannah for the purpose
of serving the warrants. found in his
possession. He reached the city Thurs
day afternoon and turned up Saturday
night in the vicinity of the Union Sta
ton. The Brunson officer fell in with
Police Ambulance Driver Bantelmanr
and told him his business in the city.
Brunson and Bantelmann were together
until early in the morning when the
ambulance driver went home.
The South Carolina police officer
had been drinking beer and was not
intoxicated at that time. He did not
seem Respondent either When he Sc
cured lodging from Vollers he did not
appear to be under the influence of
liquor, although it was several hours
after he left Bantelmann.
Two Were Surprised.
The first call for the white ambu-
lance in the morning was for Vollers'
place. and it was answered by Bantel-
mann. The driver was astounded when
he discovered that his friend of the
night before was MORALLY wounded,
Axfv, 90 "a Co 40, n
Hospital was made.
During the early afternoon. r. B.
Bowers, Simmons brother-in-law,
reached the city and was amazed to
learn of the suicide upon his arrival
at the Union Station. He had learned
that Simmons was drinking when he
left home and expected that he would
get into trouble in Savannah. 1t had
never dawned upon him, however, that
his brother-in-law would end his own
life.
H H. Simmons of No. Is East
Forsyth street, Jacksonville, brother
of the dead man. was promptly noti-
fled of the suicide by Superintendent
Garfunkel He telephoned and asked
that the body be prepared for burial
saying that he would leave for Savan-
nah on the first train. He reached the
city at on early hour this morning. .
simmons Was QunrrelsOme.
Simmons brother-in-law stated al
police headquarters that the Brunsor
police officer was quarrelsome when
drinking, and that he had suspected
that he would get into serious trouble
while in this city. This prompted him
to come to Savannah. Simmons, how.
ever. got into no trouble during his
brief stay here, ana impressed Bantel.
mann as being particularly pleasant
company.
Besides a wife. the dead man leaves
two children. The body was prepared
for shipment under the direction of the
police chief, and will be taken tc
Brunson for interment by the brother
and brother-in-law this morning. Cor.
oner Keller made an investigation, anG
announced that no inquest was neces
sary. Simmons property was turned
over to his brother by the police.
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