The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-13
SILK SALESMAN :
ENDS HIS LIFE
Thomas Regain Puts CarboIic
Acid in Beer and Swallows
the Mixture.

Unable to control his appetite for
strong drink, Thomas Regain, a silk
salesman out of employment, ended
his life in an East Seventh street lodg-
Ing house yesterday evening by swal-
lowing the contents of a bottle of car
bolic acid which he had mixed with
glass of beer.
Regan went to the lodging house at
16S East Seventh street Friday night.
where he registered and was assigned
room, to which he went at once.
When he did not appear yesterday aft
efnoon' the door to his room was bro
ken open by John Jones, a friend. Jones
found Regan's lifeless body lying across
the bad. Only his outer clothes had
been removed, and he appeared to have
been dead but a short time.
An empty bottle, which had contain
ed Varbolic acid, and the remains of a
glass of beer, which smeIIed strongly
OF the acid, told the story of his death.
Coroner Miller ordered the body TAX
en- TO the morgue, where he will hold
at post-morten examination today,
Carried Revolver.
AT the morgue a revolver fell from
the pocket of Regan's coat, which leads
to the belief that he first contemplated
ending his life with a bullet, as his
friends say he was not in the habit of
carrying a gun.
The only things found in the cloth
ing, aside from the revolver were let
ters or recommendation as a salesman
from Memphis and Atlanta, and a let
Ter, dated Sept. Z, from the Brugger
Merchandise company, of Williston, N.
d., stating that they were sorry that
his application for a position had not
peen received before, as they had just
made other arrangements
Regan came to ST. Paul about two
weeks ago and secured employment in
the silk department of the Golden Rule.
lie worked there until last Wednesday
morning, when Mr.. Brown, the head of
the department, told him that he ap-
peared to have been drinking too hard,
and suggested that he Law off for a
couple of days and straighten up
Regan asked to be paid for the time
he had worked, but was refused, being
told he would be paid on Saturday.
The next day, however, Regain went to
the cashier and got the money due
him. This was the last time he was at
the store.
Mr.. Brown says that Regan was a
good silk salesman and thoroughly I'M
derstood his business. He appeared.
however, to be under the influence of
whisky, or some drug, most of the
time.
One of the clerks in the silk depart-
ment said he had been out with Regan
one night and that he appeared to be a
very nice sort of fellow, although a lit
tie queer.
Mr.. Hutchinson, the head of the sill,
department of the Leader department
store of Minneapolis, has known Regain
Tor many years.
First Glass Salesman.
He was as fine a fellow as Won
would meet" said Mr.. Hutchinson.
and one of the best statesmen in the
SILK business. He worked for me in
Denver eight or nine years ago.
When he came here from st. Louis
about four weeks ago gave him a DO
sition in the store here. He worked for
short time, and then his desire for
drink got the upper hand again and
had to let him go. He has lost position
after position in this way, but he could
not stop it,
Il am very much shocked to hear
that he has taken his own life and 1
will see that his body is properly cared
for. His people are well off and live at
some small place in Iowa. He has one
brother, [ think, working in Butte,
Mont, and another in Helena"
Regain was a good-looking man,
about thirty-five years of age. His
clothing was that of well-to-do man.