The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-08
MYSTERY CL0AkS
DEATH OF SPIER
Large Life Insurance and Dogs
Failure to Bark, Sug- !
%-HS{ :, b..
gest Suicide. @5
Journal Special Service. '

journal Special Service. - . - 80 - :
New York, May ,8.-Mystery ,shrouds
the case of Charles L. Spier, officer and
director of numerous corporations
H. H. Rogers of the Standard Oil COM
pany, who was shot dead early yes
terday morning at his house in New
Brighton. At first it was supposed that
he had been killed by a burglar, who
escaped undetected, but investigation
has disclosed so many puzzling and con-
Trajectory circumstances that there is
question whether Mr.. Spier was not
killed by a shot from his own revolver.
Police Say Suicide.
Police officials who have been in
vestigating the mysterious death or
Spier, have reported that the evidence
indicates that he had committed sui
eide,
DR.. II. W. Patterson, Mr.. Spier's fam-
lily physician, who was one of the first
to reach the Spier residence after the
shooting, said today that he does not
believe Mr.. Spier committed suicide,
but thinks he was killed in fight with
burglar.
The disclosure of large life insurance
Just taken by the dead man may have
some bearing. A month ago Mr. Spier
made application for $4,000 insurance
in the New York Life. There were two
policies, one for $4,000 ordinary life,
payable only in case of death and the
other for $4,000 on the. endowment
plan.
Mr.. Spier paid the premium Of
$l,557.75 on the $4,000 policy with a
check and gave his note to Mr.. Boone
for sixty days for the other, On last
Saturday the agent called his attention
to technicality requiring another med
ical examination unless the second pol
icy were taken within thirty days,
which expired that day. Mr.. Spier i'm
mediately drew his check for $1,357.5O,
the amount of the second premium, and
sending out obtained the cash, which
he paid over to the agent.
Payable to Trustee.
When the policies were first made
out, Mr.. Spier had the name of his
wife inserted as beneficiary. Before
final acceptance, however, he made a
taken out and that of E'Alfred Lauter-
bach, trustee. was inserted The poll
cies are incontestable, no matter what
the cause of death.
The scene of the mysterious tragedy
is in the best section of Staten Island, q
region that has been much bothered by
burglars.
Boston bulldog named CLUSTER pos
sessed of an ugly mug and a ferocious
growl. It is the understandable actions
of Cluster on the night of the trag-
edy, his failure to growl and to bite,
that added to the mystery of the case.
Coming over to New York from Jer-
sey City a dozen years ago, Mr.. Spier
was on the high road to success in bust
ness and social life. His age at the
time of his death was little past 3S
years. In younger days he had been
connected with railways, and in some
manner attracted the attention. of H.
H. Rogers who took him into profitable
undertakings. -. p =
Took Dog with Him. ,..
The tragic events that followed later
In the night have been gathered in hys
terical fragments from the wife, sup,
plemented with the little known by
maids. None Of them saw what hap
pened; they could only hear the sounds
Soon after 8 am, according to Mrs
Spier, she heard a faint tapping on
her bedroom door. Then her husband
whispered: "Kid, ] think I hear burg
lars down stairs. Call the dog
Her husband entered the room softly
and, going to a bureau drawer, got
revolver, a cheap 32-caliber weapon
He spoke softly to the dog, which hi
took by the collar, and started from
the room. Mrs. Spier got out of bee
and followed him to the hall and diml,
saw him descend the stairs. ~
Only One Shot?
Anxious and fearful, she listened in
tently. A moment later she heard he
husband exclaim: "Sic 'em, Buster. ,
There was no sound. Almost Instant,
there came the crack of a pistol shot.
Mrs. Spier gathered courage and ven
tured down. Eva, the maid, felt TO
the gas jet and struck a light. At tn
foot of the steps lay the form of Nj
Spier, blood flowing from a wound i
his breast, and across him lay Mr.!
r Spier, half conscious.
The crimson stream ran over the pc
jamas Of the man and was slowly stair
ing the white nightrobe of the woman.