Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-06
HANGED HIMSELF
WITH IRON WIRE
r. S. kiIImar Committed Suicide
This Morning at La
COON Depot.
TRIED AND FAILED BEFORE.
Letter Left Behind Is Rambling-NIan
Supposed to Have Been TEN
poarlly Insane.

One of the strangest cases of suicide
in the annals of crime in this city was
called to the attention of the police
about o'clock this morning when tho
lifeless body OF f. S. Kllimar, aged
about 80 years. and haillng from Spen-
Ger, Iowa. was found dangling at the
end of u piece OF bailing wire ut the
rear of dummy" engine in the yards
of the Salt Lake & Ogden Railway
company at South Temple and Third
West steets
The man had climbed onto the tender
of the engine fastened the wire to Il
lantern holder, wound the other end
around his neck and jumped. His feet
were within about a foot of the ground.
The body was discovered by some en-
ployes about the yard and word was
at once sent to police headquarters. The
patrol wagon with Sergeant Hempel
and officer Goldiug and Driver Moore
hurried to the scene and took the body
down Justice Dana Z. Smith was
notified and ordered the body sent TO
O'Donnells undertaking establishment
KILLMAR PROBABLY INSANE.
Undoubtedly the rash act was COM
mitted in a fit of temporary insanity.
This is the opinion of the officers and
attendants at the Wellington hotel,
where Killmar had been stopping since
Wednesday last. 1t is believed he
came here from Nevada. He registered
II Il fa,
a week In advance. Last night he left
a call to be awakened at c o'clock, ana
his request was complied with While
around the hotel he was quiet and so
far as known had not been drinking.
Arising at the time mentioned he went
TO the railway yards, secured piece
of wire and hanged himself as stated.
KILLMAR'S LETTER.
Among his effects there was s1I6.05
in cash, gold watch and an insurance
policy for 81 900 payable to his parents
There was also some mining stock and
a couple of grips filled with clothing.
Little or nothing is known OF the man
here, and a letter he wrote to his pa
rents gives about all the information
obtainable at this time on the 4th
he received a telegram from his father,
j. w. Killmar, from Des Moines, read
ing as follows:
DO you want to come to Des Moines?
How much money do you need! An
swcr quick, my expense.
The telegram was evidently not an
swered, but Killmar wrote a letter TO
his parents, giving his reasons for sui
eide. The letter in full. with the eX-
ception of the last paragraph In which
he speaks about the beauties of salt
Lake, and asks his parents not TO
grieve, is as follows:
LIFE A FAILURE.
Salt Lake City. April 5. 1908.
Dear Parents--I am going TO COM
nit suicide because l feel my life has
been q failure. My work at the smelter
at McGill has not proven satisfactory,
and | have been branded as i fool,
which bars me from all rights to heav-
en-. Dependency followed and 1 at
tempted suicide by drowning. This
failed and ! came to Salt Lake to re-
cuperate, but my reputation as fash
ionable hobo excluded me from all So
ciety and the city was compelled to
especially guard the city at an extra
expense, and the hotel at which L stop
ped was put to extra expense for extra
servants SO that whatever Insurance
money is due on two policies is required
to pay off my indebtedness.
The difficulty into which ] am pre-
cipitated is due to calling myself a
mining e, pert on account of having had
mine and smelter experience. But this
experience consisted only in office
work. and must be classified as such.
Unless one makes good he suffers the
consequences. The penalty attached is
the most severe and rather than suffer
ii take the above measure This, my
dear parents, Is going TO make your
grief unbearable, but We all make mis-
takes in our lives. and certainly have
In mine. feel the horrible conse-
quences, and am In the depths of des-
pair to realize my chance for heaven
Is gone. l have always been good but
have not held out to the end There is
no criminal charge against me. l have
Killed on one. l have robbed no one. /
have not Intentionally wronged any
one. but the fact OF working only at
my special work, being idle AT times
has classified me as fashionable holso.
and in the west this punishment IS Sc
we're.
My financial matters are all shatter-
ed There Is a note on Henry WNhe,
at McGill, amount OF $500, also one
months pay. The balance OF ready
cash goes with insurance money TO.
wards paying charges against me by
hotel and city. XNSN Your son,
j.. 5. KILLMAR.