Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-08
DOUBT SHROUDS
SUPPOSED DEATH
LONG BEACH WATCHERS BE-
LIEVE MAN DROWNED
Reported Note Announcing Intention
Of Committing Suicide SUISSE
quently contradlcted by
Telephone Message
especial to The Herald

LONG BEACH, Nov. TAT O'Clock
,. IN. today a. man, apparently apout
~ years of age, came to the Long
Beach bath house and rented a SUIT
and room. He was alone and the pain
house officials remarked to him that ne
must hurry, as the place would De
closed within half an hour. He replleo
that this would give him all the time
he required, and Immediately dasneo
hurriedly across the beach and into the
surf. The bath attendants watched MIN
plunge boldly into the breakers ana
disappear into deep water. There ne
was lost to sight.
About $3.50 came a telephone message
from Los Angeles, evidently in wom-
ans voice. informing the bath house
proprietors that a man named Frank
Brooks had left note saying he had
gone down to Long Beach with the
Intention of drowning himself.
Subsequently one giving his name as
Chester Herbert stated that he, Mrs.
Brooks and a Miss Eva Decker had
been to the theater together, and that
on their return Mrs. Brooks had found
a note from her husband which ran as
follows: Don't worry; you will find
my body at Long Beach"
Subsequently Miss Decker telephoned
Long Beach not to call up any more
as 1--WE have found him."
The man, who was last seen disap-
nearing from view beyond the breaker
line, did not return to the bath house.
He left behind him there a suit of light
gray clothes and q crush hat. In one
of the pockets was found a poll tax
receipt, No. 50,33S, made out In the name
of r. e. Caniff, described as an engi-
neer living at 954 West Twenty-third
street. On the coat was a button OF
the Order of Stationary Engineers.
Also there was found in a pocket a
memorandum book with the name Joe
Lane written ON one of the pages.
The man is described as about six
feet in height, with dark complexion
and brown hair.
The Long Beach police discredit the
telephone message from Miss Decker
and believe the man committed suicide.
The beach patrolmen have been on the
lookout all night, but their search has
been as yet unsuccessful.
Inquiries made in Los Angeles failed
TO give any satisfactor.- clew TO the
mystery. In the directory the name of
Frank Brooks is given, with the de-
scription of laundryman, and the adj
dress of Ill West Tenth street. A call
at that address ELECTED the reply that
it must be some other Brooks.
The name 2. c. Caniff does not ap-
pear in the last directory, although
it does in an old issue, but Mrs. H.
M. Canniff was found at 1853 South
Hope street Information there was
to the effect that her husband was
dead. but that he had brother named
E. G. Canniff living in the city. The
address, however, could not be OBJ
tained.
Further investigation developed the
fact that the telephone used in COM
municating with Long Beach belonged
to a Mrs O'Dell, living at S27 Towne
avenue but inquiries there met with
the reply that it had been used as
a convenience by acquaintance, that
Mrs. O'Dell knew nothing of the case
and did not want to have anything to
do with it, but that she had since
been informed that the missing man
had been found. Whether this was
or was not true she could not say.
The Long Beach watchers are still
continuing their search.