New-York tribune., 1908-12-09
F. D HIRSHBERG SHOT
THIRD ST. LOUIS DEATH.
Shrouded in Mystery-Tragcd'e$ IN
UOrId's Far Directorate.

ST Louis Dec S-FranCis \. HirsChberg. proi'"-
nent in the Roman Catholic Church and a PerSo'a
friend of Archbishop Glennon, also well known III
club and business circles and as director ol I"S
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, was shot ana N'iie"
at his home No. 3Sls LfndeH Boulevard early 10
day. Whether his death was the result OF murueF
or suicide has not been determined.
The Hirschberg tragedy. following close upon
the suicides yesterday OF Charles A. kkstroThei'
Swedish Vice-ConsuI and Charles w BLOW
,rorninen+ business man both Of whom we're
friends of Mr. Hirschbag has caused SenSa'ioi'.
Members of the family aver that ne vas
by q burglar The police who are lnNe9tls
the case declare, however. that there ~ ~
dence of the presence Of intruders IN tne III
berg home. Ill.,,
4 trail Of blood stains the statrWaN lea1n's
from the reception hall the first moor llu'C" -,
that Mr. Hirschberg vas shot at the tooI o .'i7
stairs and then turned and walked oaCn - ~
hedroon, on the second floor From there he crossed
hau,-e,. and nassed through his wifes room 70
tbe bathroom. He returned and staggered .ll'o
his v-ife's room Mrs. Hirschberg says she a"oAe
inst in time to see him sink TO the nool' uHco"
scious. -, ..
Mrs HrschberE had her husband earned -
his bedroom He died soon afterward without
making a statement as TO how he was Shot As
far as the police can learn. no member OF 's
household was on the lower floor at the time O.
the shooting Mrs. TIirschberg is deaf ana tileie
fore she did not hear the report Of the reNolNeI'
A
families and having for his wife daughter "i
the late General D. NJ. Frost the posltoh OF MI
Hrschberg in St. Louis society was high. ne was
son Of Nine. Lucille Hrschberg. who before NJ.
marriage was Miss Lucille ChauVin' a h7Ihoei u
ono of the oldest and most exclusive French fahl-
l;e. N the ctv Mrs Hirschberg is sister Of Lady
HobIesuortb wife Of an English peer. There are
no children.
Mr Hirschberg was ffty-four years old ana 1or
many years had been a leader in the insurance
ir+-o 61Cp
the system of insuring employers against acci-
dents to their workmen He was one oi the OF
Eanizers Of the ST Louis Fire JnderWrlterS FtSs'
Ciation which later succeeded DE tl7 P'eSeIi'
organization the Fire Prevention Bureau OF 81
TouFs He was A member of the ST. Louis tIno
the country club the FloTlssant Valley country
Cfuh and the MONDAY club He was chairman VI
the committee that had charge of the entertain
rnent Of aIl distinguished guests who came 10 81
o,,s at the time of the Worlds Fair
The police investigation revealed several oafhllg
circumstances The blood stains on the stairs m
dicated that Mr.. Hirschberg stood on me ''i'u
step from the bottom when he was sno'. iil"le
diatey below him there was an antique chaH
which bears a deep dent, as though 1t had pee.
struck hv the revolver which was found beside IT,
Tho u,eanon WAS Of a type used thirty years ago
Members of the family told The police that they
had never seen it before. The bullet which caused
death not found -
T7r,sfcians who examined the body differed as
.. +ba nrohabIe course of the bullet. There were
wounds inst below the point of the left jaw and in
the right temple one physician asserted tlal me
t,IIet had entered the Jaw and ranged upward. the
o,ber declared that it had taken the opposite
course.
Friends of the family say that Mr. HfseIipeIs 3
had heen in i'll health for three years THIS Is ue-
pia5 hv his business associates. who say that ne
had been only slightly indisposed lately The posi-
bIIit, Of financial domestic trouble was secuted
NV intfrnstes of the dead man. although some OF ms
.aeus1 arnuaintances say that he had been com
-1oirine that business not what il should be
A minute search of the premises by the ponce
fa,Iad ia reveal any signs Of the entrance, of an
Intruder All locks and bolts were found secure
and unmarked If assassin entered the resi-
da,co they assert he must have used skeleton
l,e, and then carefully locked the door on depart
ure after dispospg of the revolver in the manAer
in which il found
4 coroners inquest begun This afternoon
The statement of Mrs. Hirschberg was heard and
tho hearing then adjourned until tomorrow, pend
ing autopsy-
FRANCIS D. Hirschoerg is the niurteenth Of the
ST Louis worlds Fair directors who have died and
at least the ffth who have met tIi'slc death
lanes l. blair died under mysterious circum-
stances after the exposure of many forgeres; Isaac
" NTorten killed himself, did altO William j
annn who shot himself IN the bathroom Of his
home. William II NoIker died from injuries suf-
fared in an automobile accident The death Of
Charles H. Turner in New York City WAS not fully
evn1ained Corwin H Spencer died aAer financial