The San Francisco call., 1908-08-02
Student DIES
MYSTERIOUSLY
BY OWN HAND
IVernal Reyalk Leaves Happy
Friends, Visits Saloons and
Drinks Poison
Absence of Motive Clouds Pc
culiar Case and Father
Fears Foul Play
Four Letters Written Shortly
Before Self-DestructiOn
May Explain

In the contents Of four letters
mailed yesterday at dawn lies, in all
probability, the key 10 a solution OF
the mystery that shrouds the motive
which prompted Vernal RevaIk, a
brilliant student Is years of age. to
end his life with poison The young
lad, unconscious and in the last throes
of agony from potassium cyanide
poisoning, was found gasping out his
life in hack at the ferry depot a
few minutes after o'clock yesterday
morning.
The writing of these four letters
was young Revalk's last act before
stepping into the hack. IN which all
evidence goes to prove he administered
the fatal drug with his own hand His
father. r. E Revalk. who is engaged
In the typewriter business. held fast
yesterday to the belief that his son was
the victim OF foul play, but there is
nothing to sustain his theory, while
everything. except the striking lack OF
a motive which might prompt the act
points 10 deliberate suicide
/ Vernal Revalk had almost all that
life could offer TO boy. Before him
stretched a happy and brilliant. future
The night before his death he spent
IN the midst of his closest friends. the
guest OF honor. There he was the
gayest OF the young throngs leading
/ the gayety, joining in the youthful fun
and accepting with laughter and hand
clasps the congratulations and good
| wishes OF those who had gathered TO
n i'm Ha In n
had no money cares and was on the
eve Of his departure for Manila. where
he was to Ill q good position under the
federal government, and TO which he
had looked forward with the liveliesr
Anticipation. There was no knowledge
OF the existence OF a single sorrow in
i his young life Then. in the midst OF
| his expectations and-the good wishes OF
his friends ringing IN his ears. came his
death. sudden. and startling hedged
around with MYSTERY.
FOUND IN CoxyTLsIoSS
The. boy stepped into a hack at
lO'Farrei1 and Fillmore streets and told
the driver. ~Finny'-John Flynn-to
drive him to the ferry. This was about
4:s0 "a m. yesterday. When the hack
reached the ferry depot Flynn opened
the door and Revalks body. eonvulsive
| in deaths throes. came topping out 10
the sidewalk Flynn placed him IN the
cab. drove to the harbor emergency
hospital and there the boy died 80 min
utes later. An examination or MS
stomach disclosed large quantity OF
cyanide OF potassium.
Revalk left his home at 1927 Califor-
MA. street early yesterday evening and
with companion. Jack Schweitzer OF
1900 Clay street went TO the Arlington
hotel and there met Mss Solita Nc
/ Gill. a mutual friend The evening
g. 4r-T1 a.
| a party given by Mrs Eugene H Fol-
som to a number OF young people az
her residence at 2916 Sacramento
street The occasion was a farewell
party to Revalk. who was TO sail 70
Manila August to accept position
As he was the guest OF honor ne vas
not uaired on with any OF his girl
friends. but went TO the party with
Jack schveitzer. who escorted Mss
McGiIl-
ESCORTS YOUNG LADY HOME
He was the central hgure at the gath
erfn~ All his closest friends from ths
Lowell high school. from which he
graduated this year. were present and
all ala their best to make his formaA
/ farewell as happy as IL could be made
a. the conclusion OF the affair ais
bo.ts.S asked him 70 escort home Miss
EC.ladvE Cameron. who lives at 312 Sec
ond street End not far from his own
home
several OF the boys had planned TO taks
lin q little bit OF the night life OF the
CITY. after the girls had been taken
to their respective homes Revalk did
mot spend. much time with Miss Cam
Eeron. and on seeing Ter safely to her
/ home. excused himself. saying he had
/ TO meet the boys On leaving her he
went TO the. Relay saloon at Fillmore
= = -
phoned his father. telling him that
/ he had agreed TO take run around
town with his friends and would spend
the night with one OF them
"As I knew the youngster TO be
straight and sensible" said the father
yesterday. and as knew II would oe
/ about the last occasion on which he
would be able TO go round with his
| former schooimates. told him 70 so
ahead and have a good time Those
were our last words"
TELEPHONES FOR FRIENDS
The telephone message 10 his father
was shortly before a m. and. follow
ing IT. he began to telephone his
friends. asking them 10 meet him at
the Relay saloon The hour was 50
late. however. that they told him TO
postpone the affair. The last one he
lfelephoned TO was Ralph Allan. 1f74
Sacramento street Mrs Allan an
swered the telephone. and not wishing
| TO let her know that he was up at thar
/ hour OF the night. Revslk gave his
name as Roy Cameron. brother OF the
girl he had taken home and who Is in
the country
please ask Ralph to come to the
/ nhona.~ said he. and such was the in
| tense pleading in the voice that Mrs.
ALLAN woke her son and told him tbs
message When the latter went 70 tbs
tefephone -Revalk had hung up An
other message was 10 Clifford Jones'
He laughed and chatted with Jones and
repeatedly begged him 70 get out OF