The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-24
IERDICT OF suicide IN
Charles |. SPIER Case
STANDARD OIL MAN NOT THE
VICTIM OF A BURG
LAR.

Went Home Apparently Prepared to
Take His Life-Prlvate Secretary
Gives Testimony Indicating This
Spier Had Lost Much Money in Wall
Street-Had Deposited Bonds En-
trusted to Him by H. H. Rogers as
Collateral with His Bankers.
New York, May ga verdict of sui
eide was rendered tonight by the jury
in the inquest into the death, by pis-
tol-shot wound, of Charles L. Spier at
his home at st. George, Staten Island,
on the morning of Monday, May T.
Mrs. Spier told the story of the fatal
night coolly and calmly. She was the
most important witness except Otto
Hansen, Spier's secretary, whose testi-
mony 1t was that made the jury finally
decide that his late employer had gone
home on Saturday afternoon prepared
to kill himself.
Spier who was the personal repre-
sentative of H. Fl. Rogers, Of the Stand
ard Oil company, was found by his
wife, shot through the heart, in the
hallway of his house, a few minutes
after he had reused her from sleep to
tell her that a burglar was in the house
and, taking his pistol, had gone down
stairs. One chamber of his pistol, which
was found beside the body, had been
discharged. In the dinning room open
ing into the hall quantity of silver
ware was scattered over the floor, and
little doubt was entertained at the time
that he had met death at the hands of
a burglar. The police, however, after
examining the premises, inclined to the
theory that Spier had committed sui
eide, and later it was reported that he
had lost much money in Wall street,
and that he had temporarily deposited
as collateral with his bankers securities
entrusted to him by Mr.. Rogers.
Mrs. Spier, who followed a number of
unimportant witnesses, related how she
had been reused by her husband, who
told her that burglar was in the din
ing room, and after taking his pistol
went downstairs with the dog. She
followed him to the head of the stairs
and almost Immediately heard a shot,
followed by crash and another shot,
and, running down, found her husband
lying, bleeding and unconscious, in the
hall She screamed, and man who
was passing ran in and at her request
went for doctor. She knew nothing
of her husbands financial affairs.
Otto Hansen, who had been secretary
to Mr. Spier, testified that on Saturday
morning, May S, he accompanied Mr.
Spier from 26 Broadway to the Central
Trust company, where they obtained
Atlantic Seacoast bonds, which had
been deposited there by Mr. Spier, and
carried them back to rs Broadway
where they were delivered to II. H
Rogers. Hansen then went to his office
in the same building and Mr.. Spier fol-
lowed him later, Mr.. Spier remaining in
the office until after o'clock. They
wrote up all the minutes of the various
companies in Mr.. Spier's charge, in
some cases going back to December
and everything was brought up to date
Then Mr.. Spier cleaned out his desk
He did not appear excited or worried
Asked if he recalled Mr.. Splers last
words, Mr.. Hansen said that Mr. Spier
told him that If a certain letter arrived
on Monday morning to destroy it. The
letter was one written by Frank p
Keech, of Keech, Loew g. Co., relative
to the bonds which had been delivered
to Mr.. Rogers, and was demand that
Hhe bonds be returned to Mr.. Keech s
firm, where it appeared they had been
previously deposited.
Henry H. Rogers, jr., testified to
Spier being entrusted with 145,OO(
shares Of stock for the purpose of then
being deposited with the Central Trust
company as collateral for 3 new issue
of the Asbury Park and Seagirt rail
way bonds. Mr.. Rogers said it was not
known until May 2 that these bonds
Mere not propmtly deposited. Mr.. Rog-
ers was present when Spier's desk was
opened after his death. The keys tC
the inner drawers Of the safe were
found under the desk and a box of keys
was found in the waste basket.
Frank P. Keech testified that Spiel
had deposited with his concern tht
s145,ooO worth Of bonds as his persona
property. On the Friday before his
death Spier was allowed to take the
bonds to deposit in the Central Trus
company.
william Laws, secretary Of the Bowl
ing Green Trust company, testified thai
Spier had drawn $500, which he hat
on deposit there, on the Friday before
his death.
The jury, after an hours deliberation
found that Spier came to his death by &
bullen from pistol fired by his owr
hand.