The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-12-27
Len Hardisty Found Dead in
Doctors Office This Morning.
Drained Glass of Carbolic Acid--Lcfs
Note Blaming His Sweet
Heart.
WORKED FOR DIR RoBERrsoS

A<Oh AAoiuiolss d6c SoS Oll6iEdlly
from Uniontown. Union county, Ken
lucky, but for the past six months a
resident of this city, committed sui
eide at an early hour this morning in
the Office of DR.. JEFF d. Robertson, his
former employer. at Fourth and
Broadway over the Smith-Nagel phar
macy. by swallowing carbolic acid. 1t
Is presumed he was respondent over
love affairs, as he left a note to his
sweetheart yin. on the physicians
desk. along with some keys and in
structions about the disposition of
the keys.
Hardisty came here ABOUT six
months ago from Unlontown. He
went to work as Office boy for DR..
Robertson and continued in this ca
pacity until Saturday night when he
resigned, informing his employer
that he intended marrying. This was
the last seen of the young man until
yesterday when he again appeared at
the Doctors ONCE drinking
He declared he had married Miss
Emma Rawlings OF Trimble street,
former attache Of the Ogiivie store
at Fourth and Broadway. at Metrop-
oils Christmas night. After remaining
few minutes he left the ONCE and
was seen no more there until found
lead this morning.
After Hardfsty resigned, the ply
stefan secured the services Of limo
lean Foster, a young man employed
at the George o. Hart hardware
store. to make his fires. The young
man passed the Office early, and
would make the fires and then go to
his regular position. This morning at
1920 he went into the Office and
found Hardisty lying on the couch.
turned partly on his side, as il in
slumber Young Foster felt of hin,
and although his face was still warm
his hands were icy cold.
Young Foster had smelled the
fumes of carbolic acid and suspected
the truth but was 100 frightened to
make complete investigation. Run
ming down stairs he encountered Mr..
Ike Hollowell. of the fire department.
Mr.. Hollowell is off duty today and
hearing the boys story ran up 10
find that the young man was really
deaS.
DR.. Robertson and Coroner Chas.
Crow were summoned and arrived a
few minutes later.
Or. Robertson stated that an ex-
animation of his suite OF rooms show
ed Hardisty to have broken into the
Office. He forced the lock OF the back
room and entered the Office proper
through an open door between the
two rooms which is never locked. He
went to the emergency case and
knowing where the carbolic acid was
kept, secured the poison and pouring
IL into glass drank the contents af-
ter writing the few letters he left.
A letter addressed to DIR. Robert
son read as follows:
Paducah. Ky. Dec. 2e, 1905.
DR.. J. ID. Robertson.
Kind Sir:
ask one favor of you; please
send my brother the word by the
telephone. If there are any letters
come to me, send them to my moth
err. Her address is Mrs. Frances Har-
dlsty, Uniontown. Ky.
and oblige
(Signed) LEN HARDISTY.
The date OF the letter being the
26, Indicates that the boy went into
the Office before midnight and first
wrote the letters. From his condi-
ton when found 1t is believed that he
must have taken the drug several
hours before.
BY the side OF the letter to the
doctor was found another letter adj
dressed to Miss Emma Rawlings.
City.
There was another slip Of paper
weighted down by bunch Of keys.
There were few lines scrawled on
the paper directing that the keys be
turned over to "Jlm," colored man
who runs pressing club in the rear
Of the Office. The hoy had kept the
keys for the clothes presser while en-
ployed in the Robertson once.
The glass from which the acid was
drunk was also on the desk. and
few drops of the liquid left in IL. A
small photograph was also found ON