Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-01
Samuel L. Dana, a Young Bank
Clerk, Commits Suicide In
New York
HIS CASE A VERY STRANGE ONE
Believed That He Was In Love With
Woman Who Refused to Accept His
Advance. - Left a Strange and
Somewhat lncoherent Letter-Tried
to Conceal Identity.

New York, Aug. 1.-Having been
hold that he would die within a very,
phort time, Samuel l.. Dana, the young
bank clerk, found in Central park Fri
day, with a bullet wound close 10 ms
heart, admitted yesterday that the
wound had been self-infiicted.
yes. I fred the shot" said Dana.
sBut nc matter why. What's the use
OF making all this thing public any
how?" No amount of questioning
would induce him to state why he at
tempted to take his life.
He refused any further information
except to give the name of his parents
and a brother who lives at Fairfield,
Iowa. The young mans father is eN-
pected to arrive today. His fathers
name is D. G. Dana, of Fairfield. Ia.
my opinion now is that he was in
love with woman who refused to re-
spond to his advances" said Coroner
jackson.
The Shooting.
Shortly after 5 o'clock in the moru-
lng Policeman Andrea of the Central
park squad heard shot from the di
Eection OF the bridge that spans the
lake In the park. He ran to the spot
aAnd found there a young man who had
passed him on the walk only few
minutes before. Andrea saw that the
mans coat was stained with blood.
Have you been shot?" asked the
policeman.
YES" said the man: .some one sho.
me down here q ways-a man..
The policeman sent for a park anl-
bulance in which the young man was
taken to the Presbyterian hospital.
There he again said he had been shot,
but refused to give any further infor-
NATION. The wound did not appear TO
be serious at first, and while he was
still conscious the man sent the letter
that the contents of the note was as
follows:
His Letter.
This may be my last letter. ! was
shot this morning and am now In Gus
tody in the Presbyterian hospital.
Can you make an excuse to my em-
ployer? Call him up and say / was
called away. Don't give your name.
They don't know me here, and never
will"
The note was unsigned, but Mrs.
Degnon was evidently well acquaint-
ed with the handwriting, az she said
at once she knew the man who wrote
1t.
On the young mans underclothes
was stamped Dana and there was
Mt least one request for him by tele-
phone during the day by that name.
In his hat and on watch which he
carried were the initials S. l.. ID. The
hat had been purchased in Marshall
Texas. OF the affair, Mr.. Cornwall
said:
Knew Him.
81 don't know the man personally
but / know OF him and know who his
people are They do not live here.
He is employed with a firm down town.
and probably thought it would hurt
him IL he recovered and his identity
became known. Mrs. Degnon comes
from Philadelphia, and her family Isl
very good one there. have acted
for her in several legal matters. !
know that she and the injured man
were acquaintances. but further than
that do not care to make any state
ment. If he wants his name kept se-
cret see no reason why should make
1t public
Mr.. Cornwall said he had heard the
mans name used frequently lately. but
refused to say in what connection.
Believed Suicide.
ut is my opinion" he said. that
the fellow shot himself. II he had been
shot by some one else. there could he
no reason why he would want to keep
his identity q secret"
No revolver was found near him,
but he was near enough to the lake
to toss the weapon into it. When the
man was first discovered there was
ring on his forehead which looked as
is revolver had been tightly pressed
against 1t.
Mrs. Dagnon was under the care OF
physician in the Martha Washington
Saturday evening. She became hys-
terical soon after receiving the mes
sage. With Mrs. Dagnon was Mrs.
Grace Nosser. an actress. whose stage
name is said to be Grace Rauworth.
and who roomed with Mrs. Degnon.