The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-24
A. M.PETERSON'S
SUICIDE CARRIES
AIR OF MYSTERY
Restaurant Keeper Fires Bullet
Into His Mouth and Motive
Is Unexplained.
ACT FOLLOWS FIRE IN
HIS PLACE OF BUSINESS
c. {. TAILOR, WHO DISCOVERED
TRAGEDY, REFUSES TO
DISCUSS 1T.

In manner sensational by reason of
the mystery which surrounds the sui
eide, A NJ Peterson, proprietor of the
Baltimore lunch room, located at 50 West
First South street, yesterday took his
own life in the basement of his place
'ot business The self-murder was COM
mltted with a bullet from a .32-caliber
revolver, the shot. which was fired at
II ga in the forenoon. entering the roof
OIL the mouth and ranging upward into
the BRAIN Death resulted within two
hours.
While the proof of suicide was positive,
and there was absolutely nothing 10 give
the slightest indication of foul play va
rious facts gave the affair a mysterious
light 1t is stoutly asserted that neither
financial nor domestic troubles had wor-
rled Mr. peterson, but there are con-
fhcting stories told regarding the Incl
dent.
The police were informed of the sui
eide within few minutes after Peter
son had sent the leaden ball crashing
through his brain. and Detective Burt
and Jailer Ripley fastened to the res
taurant. In the basement there they
found Peterson lying on the floor in a
pool of his own blood, groaning but I'M
conscious. The man was taken to the
Emergency hospital. where he was at
hospital, where he died shortly after
wards.
When the officers arrived at the scene
of the suicide Peterson was still clutch
Lind's Version of Suicide.
1t was the general opinion that finan-
cial troubles and worry had led to the
suicide, but this theory was secuted by
Gus Lind, brOther-in-laW of Mr. Peter
son. Mr. Lind has been associated with
Peterson in the restaurant for some time
past and was one of the first to reach
the latter after the shot had been fired
He asserted positively yesterday that he
knew that Mr.. Peterson had had neither
financial nor domestic troubles. and could
only give as reason for the suicide
that Peterson had committed the act in
a moment of insanity.
To a Herald reporter last night Mr.
follows:
81 see the evening papers say that the
suicide was due 10 worry over finan-
cial losses. / want to correct that be-
cause I know he has had no troubles
at all The fire last Sunday night did
but very little damage. None of the fur
niture or fixtures was damaged, and the
only loss was caused by the smoke. In
any event. we were fully insured. and the.
business has been on a paying basis all
the time. | know this and say it to
show that il was not worry over either
financial or domestic troubles that caused
my brOther-in-law TO take his life.
When he came in here this morning
ne showed no signs of being worried.
and the suicide was an awful shock to
us. The restaurant has been closed since
the fire next door last Sunday night.
while We were cleaning up the place, and
the painters were to have been in this
morning to repant the interior
About 9 o'clock Mr.. Peterson teIe-
phOned me to see if the painters were at
work, and when / told him that they
had not come he said he would be right
down and get after them. He came in
about 10 o'clock and then went out, saw
ing that he was going TO see C. E Tay-
Tor, the insurance agent and the landlord
of the building. He came back soon aft
er. saving that Mr. Taylor was not in
his office. and then he went in and out
of the restaurant TWO or three times.
Taylor Makes Discovery.
Then he came in about II O'Clock and
went down into the basement The cook.
John Grandfield. one of the dishWash-
ers and myself were in the restaurant at
the time Peterson came up with about
half case of eggs and said to the cook:
See what you can use out of these We
must have something to eat Then he
went back into the basement. A few
minutes afterwards we heard sort OF a
cracking noise, something that sounded
like the breaking Of kindling wood, and
Grandfield said The old man must be
doing things down there
We didR't pay any more attention. not
having any idea of what had happened
Mr.. Taylor carne-in a little alter that
and asked If Mr.. Peterson was in. and I
told him he was in the basement and
that he had better go down there. /
knew they wanted to talk about the
painters
Mr. Taylor went down into the base
ment and the first thing I knew he
rushed back with a scared look on his
face and cried out that man was lying A..
i'm the basement hurt and groaning. I
said that it must be Peterson and ran
down the stairs to find my brother-in-
Continued on Page 2.