Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-20
TAKES HIS LIFE
/. IN LAUREL CANYON
ARCHITECT LEAVES A NOTE
JUSTIFYING DEED
Recent illness, II Is Thought, Affected
j. C. Goerschs Mind-strange
Letter to Wife Gives His
Theories on Death
o O. 1900 @ @%@@@ g 5000 g 9 9
. sVo USE ron COFFIN,
@ CHOIR OR GRA We DIGGER" 8

o
o Following is copy of the
o peculiar note left by Goersch as
@ the only statement of his deeds
% sDeath il as natural ns birth, II
o IL n heritage of birth, therefore let
o no man blame me that ! take my g
@ life. II IL my desire that the
o wishes set forth here by me be 6
o compiled with.
o sInstend of n coffin I wish to he G
o placed upon n stretcher made OF g
o plain boards, with side pieces ris- g
o ing about a. foot SO as 10 hold the 9
o body in place. A carpenter can fix e
8 such an affair in five minutes.
o 81 do not wish 10 be dressed In {:
q, suft of any material that might he e
g, useful to those remaining ON earth g
o so wrap my body i'm some sort of e
o material and send II 10 the cremn- g
o tory in an ambulance or wagon. e
@ .sIt is far better to preserve g
o remembrance of II person as they 9
o looked when alive and well, so do {:
o not look mt my body. An under-t
o taEer il as unreasonable as 9
@ plumber when It comes to charg- G
o ing.
O. .'There is no use of n coffin, .
D chapel, a minister or choir, II grave g
o or a gravestOne, floral decorations g
o or n grave digger or anything OF
O that kind. and i do not wish them. g
% Save your money for some better 9
@ use. Your husbnnd.''
O. o 900 @ @ @ o @ 90 @ 8 @ @ @ @%%
death is as natural as birth, it is
heritage of birth, therefore let no mai
bla me me that l take my life.'
Such was the last statement of j. c
Goersch, a prominent youhg ARCHITECT
of Los Angeles, whose body was fount
in Laurel canyon, about five miles iron
Hollywood, yesterday afternoon.
That the ung man committed SUI
eide by shooting himself through tn
brain with a Winchester rifle was ONLY
too apparent to officers who invest1
gated the case, and the body was SEN
to Pierce Bros morgue to be prepared
for it's last resting place.
The body of the young architect wal
discovered yesterday afternoon by MRS
Florence Robinson and Mrs. A. Val
Zandt.
The two women were walking through
the canyon picking flowers when the.
noticed the body leaning against tn
side of a small hillock
The appearance was that of ma
resting and the limbs were in an cas-
attitude. Both women supposed 1t t
be a man sleeping until /. closer in
spection revealed the ugly wound an
powder marks under the left temple.
Notify Sheriff
Without st, ping for further investi
cation the two women made a dash TO
the nearest house. There they man
aged to telerhone the sheriff S Office
and Deputy Gilbert was hurried to tn
canyon.
Goersch had selected a secluded spo
a bout two miles from the mouth of tn
canyon wherein to end his life. Tina
the suicide had been carefully planne'
was only too evident by the letter writ
ten by the detected business man
his office. Ali Chamber of Commerc
building, Tuesday morning before n
started on his last Journey.
He had walked to the spot and ha'
placed himself in a reclining position
with his back to a little hillock. Wit
extreme difficulty he had managed t
work the muzzle of 80 Wincheste
rifle to his left temple and held it ther
while with his right hand he reache
down and pulled the trigger.
Death had been instantaneous. TIL
bullet had entered the skull just belo'
the left temple and had ranged upwar
through his brain and had come ou
high on the right side of his head, lift
ing his hat off.
No reason could be given for tn
young mans act except that he ha
| been i'll lately and was probably suffer
ing from a fit of insanity when he al
ranged for the ghastly deed.
Letter to Wife
In an inside pocket of his coat le'
ter addressed to his wife was found.
postscript asked that C. M. Sage, chic
| deputy in the city tax collectors offic
be notified and that funeral arrang'
ments be turned over to his care.
The widow and baby of the decease
reside on Estrella street and Mr.
Goersch is Frustrated over the TRACED
Goersch was % years Of age.
An inquest will be held today al
the funeral will probably take place t.
| morrow.