The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-22
STURGIS COFFIN A SUICIDE
SHOT HIMSELF a WEEK AGO, BUT
TT WAS KEPT SECRET.
Even Intimate Friends of the Perfumery
Maker Did Not Know It-"Esm0rrhsse
or the Brain" the Cause Reported
Had Grieyed Over Daughters Death.

Maker Did Not Know It-"fiem0rrhsse
or the Brain" the Cause Reported
Had Grieyed Over Daughters Death.
sturgis CofHn. for nearly thirty years
a partner with his brother-in-law, John B.
Laid, in the ~perfumery manufacturing
firm Of Coffin 4 Lsdd at % Barclay street,
killed himself a week ago yesterday at his
summer home in New Canaan, Conn,
! although it was given out by his family
! and friends that the sudden death had
been c. caused by "hemorrhase OF the BRAIN
true enough, technically.
Mr.. Coffin's relatives and friends made
strenuous efforts to keep secret the fact
that MIR. Coffin committed Fuicide. They
held a conference and decided they would
be justified in suppressing the exact facts
Of Mr.. Cofin's death. The funeral wac held
on last Monday from the home OF John B.
Laid in Brooklyn, and rome OF the many
friends Of Mr.. Cofin ~ho attended had the
| slightest idea Of the truth. The authori-
ties Of Fairfield county, Conn, stated that
they were not aware that Mr.. Cofhn had
taken his own life.
For a week none outside OF the immediate
circle Of Mr.. Cofin's family and friends
knew the truth, and 1t was supposed that
the death return OF "hemorrhaee Of the
brain" would be accepted generally, Yes
terday, however, IL became known that
Mr.. Coffin a week ago yesterday morning
shot himself through the head while he
wac lying in bed. Benjamin |. Mott, who
with Mr.. Laid bought Mr.. Cofin's interest
in the perfumery firm. admitted yesterday
that Mr.. CONN had died by his own hand,
broken hearted over the death Of his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Natalie Coffin de Forest, two
years ago.
mir. Coffin" said Mr.. Mott, was not
himself after his daughters death. He
idolized her and 0 ene1 to lose interest
in life when she died. | have noticed
him here In the office on a number OF coca
sions when he was talking over business
matters. II was clear that his mind was
far away and that he was talking business
more or less automatically. He had lost
a daughter before Mrs, de Forest died,
and she was the only child left to him and
his wife, He brooded constantly about
Natalie, and if ever a man had a broken
heart 1t was Coffin.
HE was a man Of great wealth. with a
first rate capacity for enjoying life. His
father, the late Henry Conn, left him a
large sum OF money and his business career
was very successful. Probably he hadn't
a worry In the world or a cause for melan-
choly outside Of the grief over h~isdaushter,
Natalie. Three years ago | purchased
part OF his holdings in the firm, and year
ago Mr.. Ladd and l bought the rest Of his
interest and MIR. Coffin definitely retired
from the business. He was accustomed,
however, TO coming to the Office frequently.
I saw him here on the morning OF the day
before ne killed himself. His manner was
much the same as usual.
mir. Cofin's family was shocked terribly
by his death, and after talking the matter
over they considered that the best thing to
do would be TO suppress the news that it
was a suicide. They thought OF the I'M
pleasantness that would react upon them
II the newspapers published the truth and
decided they would be justified in a tech
nical evasion
Mr.. Coffin spent Thursday a week ago
in New York. He went back to his summer
home in New Canaan on Thursday night
and was sick when he arrived home. Mrs.
Coffin attended him most OF that night.
AT about o O'Clock Friday morning Mr..
Coffin appeared to be much better. and his
wife, thinking he was falling asleep, left
the room for a short time. When she re-
turned she found that her husband had
shot himself through the temple. 1t was
thought that Mr.. Coffin had jumped from
his bed the instant Mrs. Coffin closed the
door behind her and had taken a revolver
out OF a bureau drawer. 1t wasn't likely,
Mr.. Coffin knew what he was doing. Long
brooding n the sharp attack of illness,
they considered, might have unsettled his
reason.
Sturgis Coffin was 81 years old. He
went into business thirty years ago with
John b. Ladd, who married his sister, Miss
Emily Cofin. He had married Miss Eliza
beth Wadsworth Shipmsn, whose sister,
Catherine, became the wife Of Henry n.
Whitney, q Manhattan banker. The bust
ness Of manufa curing perfumes that Ladd
a CONN built up took first rank among the
perfume houses Of this country.
Mr.. Cofin's Brooklyn home was at 200 /
Columbia Heights, which he leased from
Abbot Low Dow at the time Of his daughter
Natalie's debut. For many years previous
TO that he had lived at ISL Henry street.
In the last two years Mr.. Cofhn spent most
Of his time in New Canaan, coming to
New York and Brooklyn only occasionally
TO look after hie investments.
Mr.. Coffin was a member Of the Down
Town Association, the Hamilton and the
Riding and Driving clubs Of Brooklyn.