The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-19
CLOSED UP ROOM
TURNED ON GAS
SUICIDE AT W. C. 7. U. HOME
c. A. HURD. OF NEW7BURGH, n. Y.
FOUND DEAD IN HIS RED.

Went to Home Friday Night Evil
IDENTITY for Same Purpose, But Not
Getting Room with Gas lie Left.
More Fortunate Next Time He APP
piled for Accommodations Pay
ing Last Coin for the ROOm-Pic-
lures of Wife and Child in POck-
cts.
Twenty-four hours more of life than
he desired was forced on c. A. Hurd,
supposed to be from New York by the
fact that a certain room at the w. c.
T. U. Home on Liberty street was oc-
cupied Friday night.
Hurd got the room Saturday night
and when the door was opened yester-
Gay morning he was found lying dead
in bed. with his hands folded neatly
across his breast.
Death was due to asphxiation,
the gas get having evidently been
opened by his own hand. The windows
were tightly closed and the keyhole
stuffed with paper.
Tuesday night Hurd applied for
lodging at the w. c. r. U. and was
given a room on the second floor. He
did not take any meals at the house.
Friday night he applied for the same
room, which was the only one provid-
ed with gas and capable of being
tightly closed.
Deferred Suicide Day.
This room being occupied, the man
turned away, saying that he
would go elsewhere for the
night. He evidently intended
TO kill himself Friday night
but when he could not get the room
with the gas he gave up the project
for the night.
Saturday night he went back and |
was able to secure the coveted room. |
When he engaged the room he made
the request that no one else be put in |
there that night, and as the home was |
not crowded his request was granted. |
He paid twenty-five cents for the room. |
His only conversation was regarding |
the room, and after this was arranged |
he sat in the reading room intent on |
a newspaper. About $50 o'clock he !
no more alive.
Clerk Charles j. Moore passed the |
room about midnight, but all was |
quiet and there was no odor of gas. |
Passing along the hallway about in |
the morning Mr. Moore detected the |
odor of escaping gas and after a brief |
investigation decided that it came from
the room occupied by Hurd.
Body Found in Bed.
Opening the door the clerk was met |
by sitting wave of gas which nearly |
overcame him. Realizing in an instant !
what was the matter he rushed to the |
window and raised it quickly.
Lying in bed was the guest of the |
night before, with his hands folded |
over his breast and a look of content I
on his face. The window had been fas- |
tened tightly and the transom closed. !
The keyhole was found to be stuffed |
with paper. making the room as nearly |
air tight as possible The gas jet was |
open to its full capacity, showing that |
death had been due to asphyxiation.
Coroner Keller was notified of the |
mans death and responded to the call. |
The body was found to be cold, show |
ing that death had come some hours |
before.
Had Pawned Everything.
A search through the clothing of the |
dead man disclosed a pocketbook, |
memorandum book, two pawntickets, |
two pictures and a few minor trinkets. |
On the pocketbook was written the |
name &C. A. Hurd," and in the memo |
randum book were written two names, |
MRS. c. A. Hurd, 10 Handler street, |
Newburgh, n. "" and Mrs. M. ]. |
Hurd, SAT South Eighth street, Mt. |
Vernon, N. Y"
Not cent of money was in his |
pockets. the TWENTY-FIVE cent piece |
which he paid for his bed the night |
before having been his last coin.
One of the pawntickets was for a |
watch pawned in New York city on |
Sept. i'm the name of Harrison, $25 |
having been received. The other ticket |
was for a scarf pin pawned Sept. 10 |
with H. Blumenthal & Co, of Savan-
nah for a small sum. The pin was |
pawned under the name of Harrison.
A card signed Pa and Ma" was also |
found in his pocket, on which was |
written, under date of May is. 1892, the |
following Ma and / are very sorry |
we cannot be present. You must take |
the will for the deed. We wish you |
and your wife joy, long life, prosperity |
and perpetual happiness. Yours af- |
fectionately, Pa and Ma"
The card evidently referred to |
Hurds marriage.
Picture of Wife and Child.
In a small watch charm in the dead |
mans pocket was the picture of his |
wife, and loose in his pocket was a |
picture of little girl, the picture hav- |
ing evidently fitted the back of the |
watch which had been pawned. The |
first picture was that of a compare |
lively young woman. The little girls |
picture showed a bewitching little miss, |
with a wealth of curls. her age being |
apparently about years.
The clothes of the dead man were |
neat and his appearance was that of a |
gentleman. 1t is supposed that his |
determination to end tss life was due |
to depression over his financial condi- |
ton.
What his object in coming to Savan- |
nah was is only matter of conjecture. |
As he was in New York on Sept. his |
stay in this city has evidently not been |
long. His movements in Savannah, |
except his appearance at the Home for |
three nights and the pawn ticket. have |
not been ascertained.
The body was taken to the undertake |
ing establishment OF Fox & Weeks, |
where 1t was prepared for burial. Cor |
oner Keller sent kilograms to the two |
addresses in the memorandum book. /
one of the women being his wife and |
the other probably his mother.
Instructions were received at a late |
hour TO hold the remains for. further |
instruction.