New-York tribune., 1906-05-24
SSPIER KILLED SELF
His Hand Held ReUoIver, the Yer
dict of CorOner's Jury.

se.o. =, oortin,ous session from o'clock yes
seraav afternoon until O'Clock last night the
s,,-y empanelIed by Coroner NJ J. Cahin. OF
Richmond County to inquire into the death Of
Charles L. Spier. the confidential agent of H. H.
Rogers who was shot in his home in New
Brighton, Staten Island. on May Z, returned this
verdict:
The jury finds that Charles L. spier came to
his death by n bullet wound in the chest as de-
scribed by the coroner's physician. and that the
shot was fred by his own hand
ThIrtv-tsree witnesses were examined by Cor
oner Cahill and District Attorney J. J Kenny
Including the widow her two servants. H. H.
Rogers. jr.. Alfred Lauterbach. four physicians
and in fact. almost any one who could shed any
light on Mr. Spier's death. The questioning of
the witnesses went TO such extreme length that
members of the jury protested again and again
20 the coroner and an angry scene ensued At
one point. Walter c. Kerr. one of the juryInen.
asked the District Attorney for advice to
their right 20 leave the court.
The most dramatic moment of the inquest was
while the widow. Mrs. Dorothy Williams Spier,
was on the stand. She had told how her hus-
band had awakened her informing her there
were burglars in the house: how he had taken
the revolver, and. accompanied by Buster, the
dog. had run downstairs; of the shots. the crash
as Of glass and Of her finding him dying in the
passage outside the dining room All had been
described clearly, succinctly, with an emotion
that was none the less evidenced though kept
well in hand. when the Coroner suddenly pro-
duced Spiers revolver and asked the widow TO
identify it. Mrs. Spier picked up the weapon
and examined it carefully.
May II" she inquired Of the Coroner. Receiv-
ing an affirmative nod. she broke the revolver
peered into the exposed chambers. locked the
Tho
air snapped the trigger
Yes" she said that's his revolver"
H H Rogers Jr.. was called toward the end
Of the inquiry. He told how his father on March
u gave spier s15O.OOO in bonds OF the Asbury
Park & Sea Girt Railway Company and the Sea
Coast Traction Company, and 1000 shares Of
stock Of the latter company TO deposit with the
Central Trust Company. who were later to is
sue in exchange bonds of the Atlantic Coast
Electric Company a new concern, result Of
the merging Of the two former companies
Later on May >, Spier also received 1000 shares
of stock Of the Asbury Park Company for the
same purpose. BY the testimony Of an officer
NJ the trust company and that OF Frank p
Keech, of Keech. Loew & Co. the brokers with
whom Spier did business, it was shown that
epier on March %, two days after getting them
from Mr. Rogers. deposited these bonds with
in which he speculated; that on May he got
them from the brokers a promise TO replace
them by cash on May (the day he died); that
the bonds were sent TO the trust company that
day and that on the following day the new
bonds were handed to Mr.. Rogers in Spier's
presence. Thus Spier was in the position where
he had 10 make good with Keech, Loew & Co.
for the bonds on the day he was shot.
4 feature of the testimony was that the three
surgeons examined TO the distance from the
body the revolver must have been held when the
fatal shot was fired disagreed widely. Dr. {. H
Townsend was sure II must have been held in
contact with the body, Coroner's Physician DIR.
Now that il must have been at least twenty
inches away and DIR. Mcguire, who aided in the
autopsy that it must have been several fee:
away.
There much comment on the verdict in
Staten Island last night, the general feeling
being that the mystery surrounding the case was
not entirely dispelled, especially in view Of the
fact that the jury had apparently carefully
avoided saying Spier was suicide.