The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-07-30
Frank Taylor, Who Has Been
About the City for Several
Days, Posing as Pure Food
Inspector, Suicides.
TRAGEDY WAS ENACTED
EARLY MONDAY EVENING.
Taylor Used the Lining of a
Coat Sleeve and a Pair of
Suspenders in Accomplish
ing His Purpose.

Frank Taylor, aged sixty three
years, who has been in Richmond for
the past few days making the rounds
of grocery stores and saloons claim
ing to be a pure food inspector,
man of mysterious parsonage, commit
ted suicide Monday night in the city
Jail, hanging himself with the lining
from a coat sleeve and pair of sus-
penders. He was arrested about
twenty-minutes past eight and at nine
thirty, when Patrolman Vogelsong
went to the Jail to give the prisoners
ing to the cross bars on the iron graf
ing. He had been bead but very
few minutes as Patrolman Vogelsong
states that the man was warm and
his face was neither black nor puff
fed which is evidence that ne could
not have been dead more than five
attempt to restore the man to life was
unsuccessful.
Claimed to be Soldier.
Other than his word that he was
from the soldiers home at Marion,
the police nave no clue to his identity.
Grocers about the city have been
bothered for several days by a man
claiming to be an inspector, hanging
about their stores and ordering GER
tain improvements made in their
places of business, and taking SAM
pies of about everything in the shops.
Taylor was recognized as the man
who was doing this. He was fairly
dressed and under the Influence of
liquor when he made his calls on the
grocerymen, and for that reason he
was never taken seriously, although
ne made threats on several different
instances that something direful
would befall the grocerymen if they
did not obey his orders. The John NJ.
Eggemeyer grocery at Fourth and
Main streets. seemed to be center
for the attacks of Taylor He appear
ed there almost every day during the
latter part of last week, and ordered
one thing and then another done He
stated that he was a pure food in
spector and when asked where his
badge or papers of Identification were
he said that they would get to see
them the next morning.
Tried to Collect Money
At the grocery of VIII Brumley,
Taylor it is asserted went through
the grocery and took samples of sew
eral things and made an attempt to
collect money from Brumley for max
ing the inspection. This Brumley re-
fused him after he had telephoned to
the Eggemeyer grocery and learned |
of the mans character. Taylor be- |
came irate and threatened Brumley
with the law but his threats were un-
needed. Monday he made his appear |
ance al. several saloons and grocer |
les. Monday evening about eight |
o'clock, Taylor made his appearance /
at the Mag and Reilly grocery on
Main, near Fifth and began lingering
in some berries sitting in front of /
the store. The proprietors telephon-
ed for the police and Patrolman vo-
gelsong took him in charge and sIat-
ed him at headquarters on the charge /
of drunk. Supt. Bailey questioned /
the man but gained nothing from him /
with the exception of the place where
he lived. When asked why he had
claimed to be pure food inspector
the man said. che was just doing it
for little amusement" Taylor was
taken into the city Jail shortly after
the examination.
Used Sleeve Lining.
1t is supposed that on entering the
fail. and fearing that more serious
charge might be filed against him
than that of drunk. he began brooding
over the situation and decided to COM
init suicide that his troubles might
end. That he did not commit the
deed Immediately on entering the Jail.
was evidenced by his physical condi-
ton when found. Taylor had taken
his coat off and pulled the lining from
his left coat sleeve and after tearing
1t into strips he tied the pieces to-
gether and tied them around his neck
A pair of suspenders was next
brought into play and these were tied
around the cross beam on the cell
bars and then to the lining and the
man sank to the floor. Practically
all Of ~ body, with the exception of
his shoulders and head was lying on
the floor of the jail. A narrow black
mark around Taylor's neck was all I
the sign of violence on his face or .
body Patrolman vogelsong who :
odo | +.