Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-22
1[A7H COMES TO
ELDER PETERSON.
Missionary Who Attempted Sui
~ ",do in San Francisco Succumbs
10 His Injuries
FATHER Goes TO THE COAST.
v,o Was Strong and Robust
''I p,ior 70 Leaving for the Mission
Field,

r.. FRANCISCO, July IA. c. Peter
ruormon" missionary who mace
s'u' a,ie attempt TO end his life by
,.,a,lng carboIic acid and slashing his
,,.,s and throat with razor on
na".1sy last, is dead. He showed
- Improvement until today, when
relapse set in and death followed
mia ,ovs Of Elder Peterson's demise
,n IA something OF a surprise to his
y" va friends, as It was believed he
,D onid rocoyer from the effects Of his
rash act.
rsrstlan Peterson father OF the I'M
,,urate man, left for San Francisco
r..,srday morning, hoping TO reach his
.,oIs bedside IN time to render neces-
aid Before leaving, Mr. Peter
az stated that his boy had been severe
sn atGjcted ever since his departure Tor
mission field last January,and While
W. ovthorlties were quite anxious TO
w. MIN return home, he did not care
Az en- hoping the while that his
t,i,b would take a turn for the better.
r.asilv dlgheartened and with no pro-
,a4ct Of any Immediate change In his
P.di,lon he concluded to come home
VA isft with a number of his compan-
crs who had been released.
Tldsr Peterson was a strong, healthy
.onng man before leaving and for some
Inc had acted as city marshal OK
Toirviow. lie was q years Of age.
me- body VIII be brought home for
burial
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
IN letter received by President
Joseph +. Smith today, President Jo-
seph Il. Robinson of the California
mission. thus reports Elder Petersons
condition at the time OF writing, and
the reasons assigned for his rash act:
San Francisco, Cal, July 20.--Presi-
dent Joseph F. smith, Salt Lake City,
Vtah. Dear Brother, Upon arriving in
mis- city this morning from Los Ange-
les was astounded with the reported
suicide OF Elder Andrew c. Petersen OF
FaIryIew Sanpete Co., Utah. | re-
haired at once to the Central Emer-
eency hospital, where / found him In
n very precarlous condition but RAJ
tonal and sorry for what he had done,
but still wanting to die. His voice
was gone and he spoke only in whis-
per. This was caused by the terrible
burning OF the carbolic acid he drank,
and his throat and stomach must be I'm
a terrible condition, judging from the
BITS Of cooked flesh he expectorates.
The wound made In his neck, the right
side, is deep but we do not anticipate
any harm from II nor the several
wounds on his left wrist, as the latter
are not deep, having been inflicted on
the top or bony part OF the arm most
~. The physicians are quite hopeful
Of his recovery but he Is too i'll now to
be removed. However, he is receiving
the best Of treatment, the officers, etc,
at the hospital being very kind, From
the hospital ! went directly to the tele-
graph office to wire you and while
writing the message received your dis
patch Of inquiry. The Elders knowing
that would be home this morning had
awaited my coming before making any
report, but had wired Elder Petersen's
father to come at once as the boy was
dangerously III. He left Falrview for
Ibis city today.
The Elders from New Zealand report
mat Elder Petersen was very III with
Sasckness when he arrived In New
Zealand and was much emaciated but
recovered and for a month WAS quite
WE'LL He then fell Ill again and was re-
hased because OF II. En- route he felt
much better at times and had decided
. ask me to permit him to remain
mere and finish his mission, but
changed his mind before landing, as he
ald not feel as well as he had hoped
ot HIS companions did not antici-
pate his doing himself any harm and
asked him TO watch their baggage as
lney returned to the ship for a second
10Y OF it, and when their backs were
.luIhed he deliberately walked away.
They at once Instituted search for
N'nl calling on the Elders here for as
sNanCe and reporting the matter to
,Ie police, They landed about noon
Monuay and could find no trace of him
unul me police reported his attempt
az suicide and that he had been taken
20 'he Emergency hospital yesterday at
y I Some of the Elders have been
VIVA nun ever since and we will do all
We can for him.
me Brethren say that Elder Petersen
S@ very respondent and melancholy
Ms ehure trip and was so In New Yea.
.'uu and that he complained of having
q severe headache all the time which
E'v''il'ed MIN from studying at all the
10y lour months and he seemed TO
"ylly . great deal over his inability TO
tulorn MS labors or learn the Maori
o ~r"sGase but had never given them
on y nuInatlon that he was so disoour-
'syu as TO do himself injury.
Laler p. m.--Elder Peterson ia
a a,syn better this afternoon and il quite
aIxlous to recover.
go, gays mat he purchased the poll
NJ. H apout ii o'clock Monday night and
i,aHS ne TOOK II In the night and vom-
v.,,t = up and then took some more
,t'a tne same result. He remembers
s nS' hs suherlngs were then intense
9bm n mat he tried TO cut his throat.
c Guy recalls nothing else until he became
luscious today
ri, ms lungs have been very weak. also
ts stomach, and his oompanions aav
mn1f, wv hblt 10 ItIuln gOfne
The Vo, ue ana foods given him during
,b., se condition Of his wounds proves
nil re was not In his right mind at
saw, "nen they were inflicted, and he
spSg, On YOU don't know what I
I ~oa and how sick and Respondent
fepoS59 Shen we landed. Nor how 1 suf.
/ bs u LOT months in New Zealand until
Uo ,' l utterly discouraged" etc.
voyago ne suffered so during the
tines mat he was tempted several
r" ees TO throw himself overheard bur
wbeta,luea himself, and had no thought
ne landed. '" d 'h'ns "heh
IBterr1w.9i s seen Monday night at the
attsnnna,' 'onal hotel where he made the
per ', y on his HE, by fellow .passen-
h v y MI Marks, who asked him why
he ansr nut with the other Elders, and
Nv NNhMtrols ffI Aatfs -. - - $50