Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-04
ABANDONS IDEA
OF KILLING SELF
SCION OF RICH EASTERNERS
FAILS TO KEEP WORD
WRITES OF INTENTION FROM ST.
FRANCIS, SAN FRANCISCO
Bids Farewell to Intimate Friend in
Los Angeles and Disposes of
Baggage He Had in
Storage House

The police of Los Angeles and San
Francisco are mystiied by the action
of Arthur w. Doyle, scion of a wealthy
and prominent New York family, who
is stopping at the st. Francis hotel
San Francisco, after writing letters to
persons in Los Angeles disposing of
his trunk and bidding farewell, say
ing he was about to commit suicide
Although undoubtedly coming from
one of the best families of New York,
the young man had been working as
a dishwasher for a month up to a
week ago at the Pottinger sanitarium
in Monrovia. He left there stating it
was his intention to go to Melbourne,
Australia.
The two letters received in Los An
geles were both dated Sept. 1, written
in a neat and cultured hand on sta
tionery of the st. Francis hotel, san
Francisco. To Jack Howley, fellow
employe at the sanitarium in Mon
rovia, he wrote a long letter, bidding
him an affectionate farewell ana
pleading with him to keep from his
worked as a dishwasher. The other
letter was addressed to the Bekins
Van & Fireproof Storage company ana
read as follows:
Boyle's Letter
j nave a ITuLlh Ill yOul GbOlCiACN'70
with two years. storage paid in adj
vance, and as 1 am about to kill
myself tonight in the above hotel,
am mailing warehouse receipt to my
aunt. who will write for same.
Please let her have trunk and
oblige. ARTHUR w. BOYLE.
Immediately on receipt of the letter
in Los Angeles, telegraphic connec-
tion with San Francisco was made, In
the hope the young man nigh nave
hesitated in his act of self-destruction,
and that his life might be saved. When
attaches of the st. Francis rushed to
the young mans room they found him
unhurt and smiling.
whats the joker" he inquired pleas
antly, when the situation was made
plain to him.
Doyle denied writing the letter. He
has been stopping at the hotel since
Wednesday.
Confirmation Of the intended suicide
was found last night in Los Angeles
when it was discovered a second letter
had been written to an intimate friend
of Doyle, Jack Howley, who is en-
ployed at the sanitarium in Monrovia.
This letter was written in the same
hand as the one to the storage COM
pany, and is declared by Howley un-
doubtedly to be authentic. 1t reads as
follows:
The Other Letter
Dear Jack-Good by, old chap.
love you so much. For you 1 would
do anything. Today die.
Jack, want to see you again, but
It is impossible. I am now in my
room writing my last words. Adieu
to you.
From home I suppose you will
hear of this, but 1t is one that loved
you. My relatives will write to the
sanitarium to see what line of work
I had. But please, it will be the last
thing you can do for ME-. NOW,
PLEASE, tell them in the office not
TO tell them what I did, but that =
had an office position.
Good by, Jack. Yours, ART.
Boyle is about % years old and ap-
parently in the best Of health. what
impelled him to write the letters IS
mystery. One of the managers of the
st. Francis hotel, San Francisco, after
long talk with young Boyle, SAID
"he had been writing some letters
which he should not have written"
The hotel people suspect some love af-
fair that has made Boyle morose and
are keeping close watch on him.
Says He Was Wealthy
Although his friend Howley declared
BOYLE was of a prominent and wealthy
New York family, the young man said
in San Francisco his father Is a we'll
to-do merchant of Brenham, Tex, that
his home is in the Texas town, that he
had no aunt in the east, although he
admitted he had recently come from
New York city. He admitted being in
Los Angeles two days before he reached
San Francisco, but denied having left
any baggage there.
Boyle came to California about a
month ago Shortly after his arrival
at Los Angeles he obtained work as
dishwasher at the sanitarium. He
seemed we'll educated and well supplied
With money. He received remittances
from the east.
When he left he announced his IN
tention of going to Melbourne, Aus
tralia. Nothing more was heard of him
until the letters announcing the intend
ed suicide were received.