The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-04-24

| Yerkes awakening Mrs. Stuman by
| lighting q match In front hallway. No.
| 2, Yerkes shooting himhelf at bed
side
Chicago, April 21-The apparent
suicide Of Frank Yerkes still is a mys-
terry which strangely parallels the
| Nan Patterson case. A few hours be-
| fore daylight Mrs. Shuman was awak-
ened by someone lighting a match In
| the front hallway of her home at 75S
West Sixty-first street. Finding that
! entrance was barred Mr.. Yerkes went
| to the rear door, removed his shoes
and broke open the barricaded door,
When he had thus gained admittance
he rushed into the apartments OF Mrs.
| Shuman and on the edge OF her bed
shot himself. This is the version Of
the only witnesses of the tragedy, who
| like the Nan Patterson case. were In
| tereSted parties.
Yerkes was a widower 60 years old
and manager of the south side branch
Of Kee & Chapel Dairy company, 1850
Champlain avenue. After the shoot
ing policemen entered the flat and
found the two women alone with the
dead body of Yerkes. Mrs. Shuman and
her friend, Miss Ethel Blackwell. The
young ladies were taken into custody
but We're released after the coroner'S
jury had held an inquest over the body
and declared that Yerkes committed
suicide. But an element OF mystery
still remains and 1t will never be posi-
lively known, any more than the shoot
ing of Caesar Young, whether death
came at his own hands or that of an
other
Mrs. Shuman is unusually pretty and
attractive. She Is 20 years old and
was divorced little more than a year
ago. She is to sing with the Metro
politan Opera company in the Audi
torium theater tomorrow night. Miss
10 years old.
One point in Mrs. Shuman's story,
which Is substantlated by collateral ev-
idence is her assertion that Yerkes was
madly in love with her and wanted
her to become his wife The police
have two letters which he wrote to
the singer. He regarded her as a
coming star, and was completely un-
der the spell Of her magnetic pres
ence
Mrs Shuman pictures the man as
highly dangerous character. She said
he threatened to kill her and tried
to break into her apartments the night
before. She insisted she had spurned
his attentions from the first Her
statement to the police in the Stock
yards station was as follows:
Il became acquainted with Yerkcs In
Elgin, Ill, about year ago, / was
divorced from my husband In Chicago,
and | went to Elgin few weeks later.
Yerkes and 4 daughter were living In
Elgin at that time. His wife had died
"Yerkes fell desperately in love with
me and had been pestering me with
proposals OF marriage. He was always
asking me to become his Wife put
up with the annoyance for three weeks
and came back to Chicago. believing
that | would rid myself of him.
But Yerkes would not let me alone
He came to Chicago after me. | went
to work in a hospital as a nurse and
am still employed In the institution
Yerkes has been coming to my
home for the past eight months. Each
time he would ask me to marry him.
| spurned his love and told him I
never would become his wife.
"One night week ago he came to
my home and offered me some mon
ey He threatened to shoot me il I
refused to accept It / threw the mon.
ey back at him. On previous occasions
he had sent ME money in letters and |
had to keep it. He would not take it
back
Sunday morning he came to my
home between l and 2 o'clock and
pounded on the front door | knew
who 1t was and | did not want to get
up.
after he had pounded on the door
for over two hours / got up and went
out. When ! pulled back the curtain
on the glass door | saw him on the
porch with revolver In his hand
He ran when he saw me.
II have been engaged to sing IN the
chorous Of the Metropolitan Opera
company at the Auditorium theater
Saturday night
Il attended a rehearsal at the tbeater
last night and started home shortly
before midnight | met Miss Black
well near my home.
had feared that Yerkes would try
we'll to sleep at my home with me.
She consented and we retired about
l o'clock
AT 2:30 I was awakened by the
striking of a match In the front hall
way. / saw the glare of the match
and awakened Miss Blackwell Ycrles
went to the rear door few minutes
later / got up and put table and
d chair against the door.
in spite Of this, Yerkes broke
open the door with a crash and came
running into the house, | was wear
Ing a black dress, and In the dark
ness slipped by him and ran down
stairs and notified the jnnitor. Miss
Blackwell remained in bed"
Here Miss Blackwell took up the
story: