Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-05
BELIEVES HIS
FATHER SLAIN
SON GOES TO SALT LAKE TO
CLEAR MYSTERY
Charles D. Heasllp Doesn't Credit
Story of Suicide and Is Deter
mined to indicate His
Parents Honor

In order to vndicate the honor of
his dead father, who was said to have
committed suicide, Charles d. Heaslip,
a young business man of Los Angeles,
has gone to Salt Lake City to look
up the records of the death of his
father, Irving Heaslip.
Heaslp served more than thirty
years in the regular army and at the
time of his death ranked as sergeant
major
He disappeared from his rooms in
Salt Lake City and several days later
his body was found in a small stream,
southeast of the city. a peculiar fea-
ture was, the arms of the dead man
were bound behind his back.
No marks of violence could be found,
but the body had remained in the
water SO long, the manner of death
was mere conjecture, his son says.
Finally it was given out death was
probably the result of suicide.
Young Heaslip came to Los Angeles
some time ago In order to make a
home for his father. He was formerly
in the theatrical business, but de-
termlned to settle down in one place
and acquire a competency.
Goes to Salt Lake
= When almost ready to send word
to his father to come to Los Angeles
the son received news of his father $
death and left last week, determined
to make full investigation of the
cause of death and vindicate his fa-
ther's soldierly honor.
He sold his business and with the
money obtained from the sale is prose-
cutting an exhaustive inquiry.
He is now rooming in modest lodg-
ing house in Salt Lake City. A Herald
correspondent called on him to in
quire as to the success of his mission.
"The object of my visit to Salt Lake
is to prove, If it is possible, that my
father Irving Heaslip, was murdered,
in order that his name may be cleared
of the stain that has been placed upon
it by those who charge him with hav-
ing committed suicide" he said. For
more than thirty years my father was
a soldier in the regular army of the
United States. He gained the rank of
sergeant major by merit. He was the
oldest sergeant major in the army and
was respected and honored by his fell
low officers.
Father and l had drifted apart some
years ago. and in January of this year
| came to Salt Lake with theatrical
company and looked him up There
was a reconciliation and father, who
realized that he was getting old, asked
me to give up the theatrical profession
and engage in a business where l
would be permanently located.
This 1 agreed to do, on the condi-
tion that he would come and make his
home with me. We two were alone in
the world and we had come to the con-
clusion that it would be better for us
to live together and do what we could
for each other.
Il sold my business and paid my
debts. L came to Salt Lake at once,
and had scarcely anything to live on.
l was forced to go back into the show
business in order to keep alive.
Il am convinced that my father
was murdered. By whom / do not
know and can suspect no person in
particular. My father was man of
honor and had served his country too
long to disgrace his uniform by ending
his own life. He had no trouble SO
far as l know and never lacked money.
He had large amounts of money out
to army men, secured by notes, but
this could not have worried him
greatly, as he had a pension which paid
all his living expenses. There was nc
reason for him to kill himself. 1t
would not be my wish to punish his
slayer. All 1 want to do is to f1nd
the evidence that will show to the
world that my father died as the vic
tim of some other person, and did not
die by his own hand"