The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-17
TWO SUICIDES
AT THE WILSON
IN TWO HOURS
Continued from PAGE /.

N1HhthACb ~ VII 49, -
peat the startling statement. which
was verified in a few minutes by the
arrival of DR.. ira X. Humphreys. After
a hasty medical examination the man
was taken to st. Marks hospital. where
he died at o'clock.
Whether the fatal dose of morphine
was taken accidentally or with suicidal
intent followed by an immediate repent
ance, is not known. The one bit Of evi-
dence to bear out the latter theory is
note written on scrap of paper, simply
saying Notify d. T. Evans. Denver
Colo This is taken to indicate that
Erenice contemplated suicide. but aside
from the note he left nothing behind to
afford a clue to his motive for self-de-
Mr.. Evers. in his conversation last
night. said:
Il have known Harry for the past six
or seven months, but / am at a loss to
had no bad habits. was not what you
would call a drinking man. and so far
I ever knew had 10 trouble or Worry.
Although he never spoke of his family.
yet I always thought he came Of good
people. who occupied fairly high posi-
ton. at least, in life. I was stunned when
I heard that he had committed suicide.
and 7 cannot figure out yet why he
should have taken his own life"
Tragic Death of Ecoff.
Even mere tragic in its details and the
trail of sorrow IL leaves behind It.
is the self administered death Of W. d.
Ecoff. From bundles of letters found in
his room it is indicated that he leaves
not only loving sister and father in
the east. but fisncee in Salt Lake,
Miss Katherine L. Condie.
Ecoff had been employed for some time
past as stationary engineer for the
Utah Construction company. located at
Shsfter. New. He made frequent visits
to Salt Lake. and on his last arrived in
the city five days ago. registering at the
Wilson. which ne used as his city home
He spent Sunday night with several &C
quaintances, among whom was c. Duck
worth, j fellow workman Ecoff spent
most of Monday in his room. and during
the day sent one of the attaches for a
bottle of giycerine and q tflree-ounce vial
of carhOiic acid. He appeared in the no
tel lobby for short time in the evening
but retired to his room early Yesterday
about $3.50 O'Clock DUckWorth. who had
missed his companion, went to the ROOM
and in response to a gruff invitation TO
come in entered EcofFs room to find
him in a Crouch"
KneeIing by Bedside.
When asked why he was still in bed.
Ecoff said that he had a pain In his
side. but that ne would get I'D and go
down stairs soon Duckworth left and
hung around the lobby of The hotel wait
ing for his friend. AS time passed he
made up his mind that Ecoff had gone
back to sleep. and about 2:3O o'clock, with
one Of the beilbOys. went back to the
room. Receiving no response to the
knock on the door, and finding that it
was locked from the inside. Duckworth
forced the door and stepped into the room
to see Ecoff kneeling at the bedside in
the attitude of prayer and dead Be
side the bureau lay the tell-tale vial. while
the empty glass lay on the floor. as il had
slipped from the nerveless fingers Of the
suicide after he had drained the contents
of the bottle.
4 slight crystaIIiza ton on the glass to-
get1er with the burned lips and tongue
showed that Ecoff had drank the three
ounces of acid undiluted
Within almost the minute or two after
Duekworth had left the room, Ecoff evil
IDENTIFY had arisen from the bed. clad in
his night dress, and gone TO the stand.
where the bottle of carbolic acid stood.
He had either poured tt into the glass and
guDed II down. and then iurched for
ward To the bed. or perhaps. with the
glass Of poison in his hand. he had kuelt
down at the bedside in suppiicstion and
then taken the poison, hurling the glass
behind him.
He died without leaving the slightest
word for his motive or manner of ending
life.
Motive is Obscure.
y
for Ecoff's suicide is wholly obscure.
Among his effects were found d bank
book showing that he had at least ST00
on deposit in the Commercial National
bank on Dec ;. 1905 he had taken out
Z 5000 death and disability insurance pol
Icy with the Pacific Mutual Life Insur-
ance company. in favor of his father
paving in advance one years premium,
and he was assured of good steady pO-
sition. thus obviating any financial wOr- /
-. Letters found in his possession conf
ing from his sister. sweetheart and friends
were all filled with the spirit Of love
and good cheer, and failed to carry the
slightest hint of vexatiOn or portentOus
worry.
From the letters which were found It
was learned that his father is John r. (
Ecoff of Memphis. Tenn. an inspector
for the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection I
& insurance company The ma iority of
the letters. the latest OF which /
is dated March 3. 1909, are from
his sister Mamie the return address on
the envelope being M. V. B. 80 College
Of the sister and from those of Miss Kath
crime Condie It was also CLEANED that the
after was bethrothed to Ecoff. Miss
Tondie. who resides at 325 West Fifth /
South street is an attache OF Banks !
store. Suffering under the
shock Of her betrothed's death. Miss Con-
lie was compelled to deny all interviews
asst night. II was learned. however, that
The suicide was committed without the
east suggestion of warning other than a
possible prsmontion. since during the
Law she had called Mr.. Ecoff BY tele-
phone at the hotel four times.
Coroner Stanley A. Hanks took charge
'TTHK IEJNHu