The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-09-27
KEPT UP HIS NERVE
Henry Foster Writes Letters to
Coroner and Friend and Then
Blows Out His Brains
SUICIDE WHILE DESP0NDENT

Frisco Man Who Killed Himself North
ofKenosha Leaves Verdict for Corr
oner's Jury-Last Dollar Had
Been Expended
Henry r. Foster, aged 40 years,
supposed to be resident Of San
Francisco, committed suicide by
shooting himself with 49, calibre re-
volver on the Burlington road, two
and half miles north OF Kenosha,
this morning The remains were
found just after II O'Clock by an auto
mobile party from Racine consisting
of Mrs. c. I. Shoop, wife Of the we'll
known physician, Mrs. w. L. Wait,
wife Of the proprietor Of the Racine
hotel, and the chauffeur, Samuel
Hansen. The body of the man was
laying IN the weeds along the side of
the road and it was noticed by Mrs.
Shoop after the car had passed the
spot. The tourists returning found
that the man was dead and at once re-
ported the case to the police Of Ke-
nosha.
Chief Of Police O'Hare and Assist
ant Chief Newhouse went at once
with Hansen and the women to the
scene and Coroner Robinson followed
in another automobile. AS soon as
an examination was made Of the body
Of the man it was found that he had
deliberately taken his own life. In
his pockets we're found two letters
evidently written by a man of good
education. The first, which was ad-
dressed simply "To the Coroner, 2 was
as follows:
/ 'To the Coroner;"
Il presume under these circum-
stances there will be an inquest, a
verdict Of suicide because Of despon-
dency will about cover the case. I
presume my body will be cared for at
county expense, and | apologize for
causing any expense or trouble, how
ever slight. Let my burial be as
simple as possible, and for your
trouble please accept my watch and
give my gun and other trinkets to
| your assistants. Please mail the let
ter have written, together with the
short account of subsequent affairs.
| l guess that is all, and thank you.
HENRY r. FOSTER. Aged 40.
In the envelope with this letter was
enclosed two cents to be used in pur-
chasing postage stamp to send the
following letter to r. B. Steffens, $40
| Mission street, San Francisco. The
letter, which was written in Milwau-
kee on Sunday, was as follows:
milwaukee, Wis, Sept. %, 100.
Dear Fred
Your letter was forwarded to me at
ST. Paul, and was very glad to hear
!, from you. / am sorry to say that the
bad luck still continues, and | wish /
was back in old Frisco again. Now,
Fred, | am up against it, and nearly
broke, and am going to put an end to
it if something don't loosen up in a
day or two.
/ am going to hike today to the
South as far as my little old dol
lar will take me and then pass it all
up. I'll ask the coroner to mail this
| to you with details of the final event.
I'll carry this with me for want to
put off your knowing as long as pos
sible. will have to leave my clothes
here and there won't be much left
My watch will go to the coroner if he
will let you know what happens after
| am through. hope you will get
! along all right and | hope you will
not blame me for. what am about to
do, for you know what have gone
| through with since the quake. Good
bye Fred. Your old pal,
HENRY"
The fellow had evidenta1ly followed
his program to the minutest detail and
had been dead for an hour when
found. He was we'll dressed and his
watch and other "trinkets'' were of
the best. The remains were removed
to the city and the coroner's Jury,
summoned from members of the
crowd that gathered about the dead
body, returned verdict of suicide.
The police officers are now seeking
to find some trace of the relatives of
the man and the remains will be held
pending their investigations.
z. g. Simmons has subscribed SIS
to the Lincoln Farm Association
fund abeing raised by Miss Runa1s
through her patriotic entertainment
to be given at Rhode opera house Oct.
4. SIS is the limit fled by the asso-
citation as the largest sum from any
individual, the desire being to make
the Lincoln memorial possession of
the people. Mr.. Simmons, as always.
has done what he could.