Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1909-10-07
DEAD; COME IN,
SIGN ON DOOR
Young Richmond Man Tired Of Fight
Against Misfortune-Cculdn't
Stand Adversely.

RICHMOND. vA.-Special- Des-
perate and Respondent in his fight
against misfortune, Charles r. Semi.
young pressman. put an end
shall Street sometime late Thursday
afternoon. where the unhappy man
sent a bullet through his brain His
body was found by the police. Tackled
on the door TO the dwelling. which
was unOccupied except for the pres
ence OF the edad. was this grswso@s
card:
Dead. Come in.
1 (Signed) CHARLES E SEMI"
When discovered the body lay en-
the bed. the quilting 70 which was
soaked in blood. One leg rested with
the foot under a pillow. the ether had
fallen over the side or the bed ana
rested on the floor. The body lay
with the head at tho foot of the bed.
/ A .3.-caliber Hopkins-Atlen revolver
was claspcd In the right hand. but the
finger had dropped from the trigger.
When found the man had been dSsa
for some hours. Coroner Taylor ar
rived at ; o'clock.
The suicide OF Senf. who was a well
known pressman. thirty-sight years
old. is attributed 20 family and imam
csal difficulties. The act was commit
ted with the greatest elaboration.
which was attested by two letters writ
ten just prior TO death. and by the
| care with which the clothing OF the
. desperate man had been arranged In
had been removed and placed side
by side by the bed. His coat was
{ found. neatly brushed and carefully
! hung over chair. Ills hat and col
e had been pat to rights. Ey his hat
were found two letters.
In the first letter. addressed TIE
Whom IL May Concern" were read
these lines: should they want 20
know my reasons. just tell them that
have tried in vain" In the second
letter. directed 20 Miss Lena Snef. a
sister of the deceased. the dead man
. Expressed the desire that his rent bs
paid 20 a Mr.. Goddard and that his
funeral expenses be properly betrayed.
lie informed his sister that he had
~ made over a life Insurance policy in
her name. lie explained TO her that
ne had experienced difficulty in col
|lectiug certain sums OF money due him
Tie LEFT farewell 20 all. and thus closed
a his letter and his life.
10 Senf was last seen alive at break
~ fast yesterday morning at the Elba
A- Restaurant. on Broad Street. At y hat
b. hour ne committed the desperate deed
ne is not accurately known. The facl
DC that ne was dead was nrst revealed
er when Henry Gibson. driver for th'
i, Troy Laundry. called by little be
II fore O'Clock. Gibson saw the sigr
q" on the door. which read: Dead
~ come in-" He at once notified the DO
U.s. lice.
-k According 10 Detective Sergean
plated suicide for sometime. Whel
AZ informed OF the death or her brothe
lg Miss Lena Semi was nearly PROSTATE
and suffered violently from nervou
r agitation. She expressed the unusua
~ apprehcnsiOns under which she ha
- labored during the entire day. Ear
az ier In the morning "a bird had flow
III her window and beaten its wing
ng against the panes OF glass. She Ia
as taken this in symbolic manner an
'il had expressed the belief that u fore
~ Swallowed death. She went at once {
RI the room containing the body Of IN
ler dead. where. IL is said. she almost co
BOT lapsed.
Tor Mr. Senf was member OF the Lal
io' rel Street Methodist Church. where =
-' was noted for his charity and acttvit
inc He was corresponding secretary OF a
err Richmond Printing Freshmen Unto
the so. 112. and was esteemed by mar
. friends.
~ After examining the body Corona
~ Taylor decided that the deceased Ia
Inc come 10 his death by his own han
lch so one heard the shot fired.
AIR. Semi leaves two sisters, Nj
re Lena Senf and Mrs. Minnie Conrad
.s-TIA OF Baltimore. and one brother Fri
80. Senf. an engineer on the Richmon
Axe fredericksburg and Potomac Ra
vuI road. lie was born OF German pa
r. ents Robert and Mrs Sent
The funeral announcement will
given later.