The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-03
SHOT HIMSELF
THROUGH BODY
Suicide of E. A. Gage, Son of
the Former Secretary of
the Treasury.
DRINK DROVE HIN INSANE
WIFE IN SEATTLE SEARCHING
FOR HIM.

Seattle. Aug 2.-E. A. Gage son OF
Lyman j. Gage, former secretary of the
treasury, committed suicide this after
noon at $3.50 o'clock in the Tourist hotel,
corner of Occidental avenue and Main
street by shooting himself through the
body with a .3S-cahber revolver. He died
a few minutes later. The only cause for
the shooting which can be assigned was
that he was temporarily insane from
drinking His wife, Mrs. E. A. Gage,
came here from Chicago last Monday and
employed detectives to locate her hus-
band. Friends of the dead man believe
he learned of her presence and fearing to
meet her decided to end his life. Gage
evidently knew that the detectives were
on his track as he had registered at the
Tourist hotel under the assumed name
of j. w. Gorst. He went there July %
Before that time he was stopping at the
GTeystOne where he stayed when he
reached Seattle from Chicago July Z.
Leaving there July 10 he vert to one OF
the other hotels Of the city and also
registered there under an assumed name.
None of his baggage was at the Tourist.
Discovered by BeIboy.
The suicide was discovered by Walter
Brown. belboy in the hotel, who heard
the shot fired and rushed into the room.
finding the man lying apparently dead
Officer Keefe was then notified and he
called up the ambulance. BY the time 1t
had arrived Gage was breathing his last.
When found he was lying on his back,
while beside him lay the revolver with
which he had ended his life. He had evil
IDENTIFY stood before the mirror and placed
the gun to his left side. A circular mark
on his undershirt showed that he had
moved the muZZle of the weapon from the
center of his chest to the left side. He
had removed his coat. vest. collar and
shoes.
Pistol and Dagger.
When the shot was fired he toppled
over, whirled and fell on his back in the
position In which he was found. The re-
VolVer with which the deed was done was
a .3S-Caliber Colts, which was evidently
brand new. A large dagger. also new,
which was found on the bureau. made 1t
appear as though he had contemplated
taking his life for some time. There was
nothing in his room except four empty
whisky bottles and quart flask which
was half full of liquor. On his person was
found a bank book of the National Bank
of Commerce which showed that he had
deposited more than $1,000 when he ar
rived here. On July a he had requested
the bank to give him statement of his
balance remaining and it footed up to
S2I1.S5, according to their reply. The
check book failed to show that any moro
money had been drawn since that date.
Inquiry at the bank showed that Gage
had deposited money there after reach
ing Seattle from Chicago and that he had
come highly recommended from eastern
and local persons.
Body Identified.
Captain D. H. Jervis. general manager
of the Northern Fisheries company, who
was formerly we'll acquainted with Gage,
went to the BOnney-WisOn undertaking
parloTs, where the body was removed to
shortly after the shooting, and Identified
it. J. d. Trenholme of the Northwestern
Steamship company also Identified the re-
mains. Gage had been at the Northwest
ern Steamship cOmpany's offices several
times to visit John RoSene, with whom ha
was well acquainted TrenhOlme says
that Mr. Gage intended TO settle in bus
mess here, but that he did not know
definitely what he intended to do.
Wife Searching for Him.
Mrs Gage arrived in Seattle from Chi
cago last Monday. She went at once to,
the GreystOne, where her husband had
been stopping, and requested the hotel
people to assist her in locating her hus-
band This they were unable TO do as he
left no word when he changed hotels.
Mrs. Gage was accompanied by her six
yeaT-old son John, the elder son, Lyman,
aged 10. remaining in Chicago with rela-
tives. She did not hear of her husbands
death until late in the evening. On learn
ing of the suicide she went at once to
]. s. Goldsmith, formerly connected with
the Northern Alaskan Trading company,
who had been her husbands employer and
had sent him TO Alaska more than ten
years ago, and together they went TO the
morgue, where the body was seen.
A Seattle man who had known Mr..
Gage intimately for a number Of years
declared it as his belief that the suicide
was the result of depression brought
about by weakened physical and men
tai condition, the result of an illness
which nearly carried him off a year ago
at Chicago.