The Detroit times., 1909-05-12
NOUN TAIN OF LIES
. CRUSHEs OUT LIFE
Herman Kelvin Kills Himself /;
Unable TO Bear Burden Of Amaz
ing Falsehoods He Told Wife.

NEW YORK, May 12-Maybe IL
was TO rid himself Of the crushing
weight OF mountain Of falsehood that
he had piled. lie by lie. upon himself
that Herman Kelvin. % years old.
killed himself in his home AZ No. 222
Elm-ave, Glendale. Queens. One OF
his lies. on which ught was thrown
was that he WAS q clerk in the Gus
tom house The truth was that the
had taken civil service examinations
several times. but always failed.
Instead OF confessing 10 his wife. he
kept up the deceit From time TO time
he told her he was going to take more
examinations for Q higher position,
and on every occasion he reported
that he had passed and that his salary
would be raised.
Mrs Kelvin thought II rather
strange that in their two months Of
married life he never Brought home
any pay But he always gave ready
excuse. Once he said his name had
been spelled wrong on the pay roll
and ne would have to walt until the
next pay day. AT another time he told
his brother-in-law. who is employed
In a bank. that he would mail two
checks TO be cashed. A week after
that the brother-in-law asked Kelvin
why the checks had not reached him
Kelvin replied that . postofice clerk
had stolen them and had been arrest
ed. Several days after that he an
nounced he had received 81 for APP
pearing as a witness against the
clerk The wife. however. never saw
ans part OF the 81.
Six months ago Kelvin was employ
I'D by the Metcalf Co.. silversmiths
Of No. . West Thirty ninth-st. He
got $50 week. He had been keep
ing company with Miss Clara Sander.
daughter OF Henry Sander, OF No. 3f5
I.afayette-ave.. Brooklyn. for more
than three years. The pair hesitared
sbout getting married because OF his
small pay friend OF Kelvin told
him he could easily pass the exam
nation for a Junior clerk In the Gus
tom house, where he would start In
al So q week.
Kelvin studied for the examination
snd spent much time over his books.
About ten weeks ago he took the ex-
animation and felt sure he had pass
ed So confident was he that he gave
up his position with the Metcalf Co,
fitted out an apartment in Queens and
married the girl he loved. He told
her he had passed and was getting
s22 a week in the custom house.
Two weeks after the marriage day
Kelvin came home and said he had
received two weeks vacation. Mrs.
Kelvin thought this strange. but did
not question him. Soop after he re
turned TO work he told her ne nat
passed new examination and would
get S25 week. She believed that,
too. though she never saw the money.
A little more than a week ago ne
said he intended taking an examina-
tlon for the secret service. A few
DAYS later he told his wife he and two
other men had tied for first place
with 50 per cent. and as there vas
only one position vacant the three
would have TO be examined again.
Next day he said he had been success
full and would get s2s a week. He add
ed that ne didn't know whether to be
clated over his good fortune. as he
might be sent to European smuggling
cases.
Returning home from visit To her
parents. Mrs. Kelvin stumbled over
the dead body of her husband In the
kitchen He had placed an end OF
rubber tube In his mouth and turned
on the gas.