The San Francisco call., 1905-08-14
SOLDIER POET
ENDS HIS L|F[
August III. Cronemeyer Com
mits Suicide by Taking
Opium While Demented
PUTS VIEWS IN WRITING
Model of Submarine Vessel,
His Supposed Invention, Is
Discovered i'm His Pocket

August H. Cronemeyer, soldier. poet and
inventor, died at the Central Emergency
Hospital early yesterday morning from
opium poisoning. 1t is supposed he took
the drug While suffering from dementia
Cronemeyer was found acting queerly
at Clay street and Van Ness avenue
shortly before midnight by Policeman w
Mcdonald. He was taken to the North
End police station, thence to the Central
Emergency Hospital. There symptoms OF
opium poisoning soon developed and
everything was done to save his life, but
he expired between and o'clock.
Among the papers found in his pockets
were q furlough issued at Fort Bayard,
New Mexico, for Corporal August H.
Cronenieyer of the hospital corps from,
July 19 to August Is, and the model of a
submarine vessel, of which he appar
emily claimed he was the inventor. There
were also several stubs of postal orders
The soldier had evidently been conten-
plating suicide. At least his thoughts had
been fixed upon death, as shown by the
following poem, partly blank verse, writ
ten by him:
Dead Gonei But few days past saw him
pride of youth and health To-day! DO you
see the winding procession in deep blue uni
forms, escort on each side OF the rough
hearse, the plain coffin covered with the Stars
and Stripes2 Harki the measured tread: II
spells the soldiers funeral march and soor
the trumpets' lips of sonorous brass will sound
the summons TO eternal sleep The very call
that nightly echoed through the camp for all
to leave the care of day and seek repose
Thrice sounds the vibrant call, go to sleep,
Go TO sleep Go 10 Sleep. The dead sol
dier, needless of the CALL sleeps in his silent
grave away from all he loves and all that
loves him. The comrades sorrow at, his loss,
NJ u A O
BILE bears the name of him who fell for coun-
try and for honor Forgotten as the mound
grows green forgotten and forsaken. Per-
haps he dreams during the lone nights of the
battlefield perhaps of scenes more peaceful;
will never be; perhaps mother in far away
home, whose only solace NOW lies buried in the
hills where silence reigns supreme. But let it
be, the race is run. the clay returns to clay,
the better self still lives in the beyond. and
when you listen as the golden moonlight steals
to where you lie still half away and listen, a
gentle voice will whisper words of peace. and
as the mind then slowly wraps itself in sleep,
sweet dreams of other worlds will come. The
soul lives through the hours of night in other
realms with those we love and on the morrow
a glimpse is granted 10 the mind before the
curtain falls and bids return 10 this our world
of day.
On another sheet of paper he had writ
ten: 1.-The human heart alone is the final
touchstone of a poets genius. and when
that responds who Will deny. his deathless
fame?" Z.
In the memorandum book he had written
the outlines for two stories. One was OF
a beast'in pool that slays those who so
there to bathe, and the other of the spec
ter bird of Aquila, that steals girls. There
was also on the body SIS 35 in coin and a
receipt for package containing violin
sent from Fort Bayard to this city.
Cronemeyer was about 81 years of age.
The Presidio authorities were notified of
his death and Detective Bailey was de-
tailed by Captain Burnett to ascertain, If
possible, where he had been living in this
CITY.