The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-10-26
KECKELEY SUICIDES
Well Known Buffer at Simmons
Factory Drinks Fatal Potion
Friday Afternoon
WAS TEMPORARILY INSANE
Man Broods Over the Loss of Wife
and Relatives Until He Becomes
Desperate and Suicides-He
Leaves Notes Behind

Everett Keckeley, aged % years, a
buffer employed at the Simmons fac
tory, committed suicide at his board
ing house on Maiden Lane some time
Friday The remains of the man
were found stiff and cold in his room
Just after 6 O'Clock Friday night, and
a note laying on the table near the
bed indicated that the man had taken
the fatal dose at 10 O'Clock in the
morning. The remains were removed
TO the Hansen morgue, where they
are being held pending an effort to
locate the relatives of the dead man.
1t is not known what poison was
used by Keckeley, as the small guam
tity left in the glass was not sufficient
to allow Coroner Robinson to make a
proper test. 1t is supposed, however,
that the poison was a liquid which is
used at the factory for preserving
brass.
The suicide of Keckeley caused
quite little excitement among his
friends and the other people who
were at the boarding house. Little is
known of the details of the suicide.
Keckeley had been working nights at
the factory since he came to Kenosha
from Chicago two months ago. He
seemed to be decidedly nervous, and
not being able to sleep we'll at night,
he had often resorted to the use of
opiates. When he came home Friday
morning he seemed to be in usual
health and informed his 1and1ady that
he was going to bed and wanted to be
called at O clock. He was called at
2 O'Clock, but no response was re-
ceived from the room. He was called
again at and failed TO respond, so
the 1andlady decided to let him sleep
anti1 supper time. Just after. 6
O'Clock she again went up to to awaken
him, and pushing the door open she
found the iifeless body stretched
alcc1r0ss the bed. AT first it was
thought that the man was asleep, but
a later investigation showed that he
had been dead for hours.
Keckeley left three notes on the
dresser near the bed and all of them
seem to indicate that the man was
temporarily deranged. The first was
addressed to a companion, Thomas
Dunn, and was headed ''Dear Tom. =
In this note Keckeley stated that
some one was plotting against him to
send him to the penitentiary and that
he thought that this was the best way
out of it. "The statements they have
made are lies," was the concluding
sentence of the note to his friend.
The second note bore no address,
but was evidently the work of man
1aboring under great nervous strain.
The letters were cramped and wobbly
and it is evident that the note was
written just before death came to the
unfortunate man. In this letter he
went at length into the alleged con-
spiracy which had been formed
against him and cursed the people
who were alleged to have formed it.
The letter is of such nature that it
is entirely unfit for the public press.
TIE third of the letters simply said:
"This comes off at 10 a. M"
The letters as we'll as the personal
effects of Keckeley were turned over
to the coroner. Little is known of
the past history of the man more than
that he was member of well known
and refined family at Covington, KY
He was formerly medical student in
one of the Louisville colleges. but he
gave up this work and learned the
trade of buffer. 1t is stated that his
wife died IN Chicago three months
ago. Keckeley was very devoted to
her and since her death he had cared
little for life. Just before the death
of his wife he had also lost brother
and a sister, both favorites with him.
Coroner Robinson decided that un-
der the circumstances an inquest
would be unnecessary.