Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-14
ALEXANDER A. ROBERTSON.

Mr. Ferris is now in San Francisco and
has been apprised by telegraph of the
tragic ending of Robertson.
Inc suicide came as an awful blow
TO Mr. Homer and other associates.
When / took him UP 1t was a mat
ter of charity with me no matter what
any one said" said Mr.. Homer this
morning. I'VE never talked about the
past. He did not mention it and
neither did l.
CHIEF NOTIFIED.
1.-THE first l knew of the shooting
was when / was sitting in the office
of Chief Pitt talking to the latter.
Word came over the phone and Chief
Pitt said to me, Some man has shot
himself at 2l9 South Main street, It
must be Alex Not on your life, l
replied. Then word came that 1t was
Alex and we hurried down to the Of
fee in the chiefs buggy. ! don't
know anything about his private af-
fairs. Whether he has any relatives or
not | am unable TO say. He was am
on n business deal he thought that
people regarded him as a crook This
hurt him and he simply could stand 1t
no longer"
CHEERFUL TO THE LAST.
Prest. A. j. Davis said: Just short
time before the shooting, Robertson
came into my office and appeared to
be cheerful enough. He asked me.
when was going away, how busincss
was, and a few other questions. I
asked him to have seat, but he
seemed to be In hurry. Just few
minutes after he left, ] got word that
he had killed himself"
DIR. Reynolds, who was the first
person to reach Robertson's side, said:
He was alive when / reached him
and lost no time in giving him
powerful injection Of nitro glycerine
directly into the circulation. / kept
him alive for some little time, but he
was at no time conscious and made no
statement"
END CAME SUDDENLY.
w. j. Leaker and Mr.. Scheid, who
were in the office when the fatal shot
was fred, both declared there was
nothing in the appearance of Robert
son to indicate that he contemplated
suicide When he instructed them to
say he was not in il any one called,
they thought nothing of the matter.
AN INCIDENT.
AS Robertson was passing the Y. NJ.
c. A. building this morning half an
hour before he committed suicide he
the conner One of the men turning to
the other said. There goees an ex-
convict"
Robertson paused for n moment with
an expression of pain on his face and
then quickly walked OH without say
ing anything.
Justice Dana 4. Smith was summons
ed Immediately after the shooting,
and after viewing the remains, order
ed them sent to O'Donnell's undertake
ing parlors. Justice Smith said that
no inquest would be held.
Robertson was ~ years of age and
unmarried.
FERNSTRoM'S TRIBUTE.
Councilman T.. S. Fernstrom, who
was IN the council during the time that
Mr.. Robertson was there all Of one
term and part of another, spoke to-
day in the highest possible manner
Of his ex-colleague. Mr. Fernstrom
said:
II never saw AN act on the part OF
Mr.. Robertson that WAS not strictly
honest. He was very pronounced in
his ideas, and was one of the kind
of men that wanted to do things, He
was AN extreme partisan, but | be-
lieye acted I'm accordance with his con-
victions l believe he must have been
under a terrible strain when he was
led TO end his own life"
NOTHING BUT GOOD"
George Buckle who was president OF
the city council when Mr. Robertson
was u member, spoke feelingly of the I
dead man today. 81 can say nothing
but good of Alex Robertson" de-
clared Mr. Buckle, II always found
him to be man OF his word, and
there was moi the least suspicion of
dishonesty or desire for graft In amy
of his Official acts. II he said he
would do q thing, you could depend
upon Il that he would keep his word,
ana II he said so II was quite impos-
sible TO change his attitude until he
was convinced that he WAS IN the
wrong. When he was IN the county
iail awaiting trial visited him, and
he assured me that no would not be
convicted. because he was innocent
/ believed him and was terribly sur
prlsed when he pleaded guilty. !
ihought then that he aid 80 10 shield
others, and / am still of the same opn-