The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-07
Arthur Thompson of Theodore
Takes Own Life in Room
ing-HOuse.
WRITES TO HIS MOTHER
BEFORE DRINKING POISON
Claimed to Have Been Robbed
by Woman Whom He Didn't
Know.

Drinking carbolic acid. Arthur Thomp-
son OF Theodore, Utah. commit
tod suicide in the hallway at the
top or the stairway leading to the Briton
rooming house, So East Second South
street, Wednesday afternoon at o'clock,
After drinking the acid he attempted to
drive a pocketknife Into his heart, but
failed. He was removed to the emer-
gency hospital and died there while be-
ing attended by physicians. He told oc-
cupants OF Bernsten's saloon, at 82 East
Second South street, that ho had been
robbed of $50 In the rooming house by
woman whose name he did not know,
His pockets contained sS35 in coin. His
relatives at Theodore haTe been notified.
The body was removed to the undertak-
Ing parlors OF O'Donnell Co.
Thompson left the following letter. ad-
dressed TO Mrs Lucy NJ, Thompson of
Theodore, Utah:
s:To Mother and Friends: l am tired OF
life and am going to kill myself. 1t Is
now about ! o'clock. and within one
hour / will he a dead man. own II rs
cowardly thing TO 90. but am all IN
and don't know what to do. So good
"ARTHUR THOMPSON"
According to the landlady OF the room
ing house, Thompson rented a room
TUESDAY night at II o'clock and wont di-
rcctly TO IL. IIe was In an advanced
state OF intoXicatiou when he rented the
room and when asked 10 register he re-
fused to do so. Nothing more was seen
OF the man by the landlady until his
body was found lying on the floor at the
top OF the stairway.
Said He Was Robbed.
He was seen, however, during the
fnr b, R6rnStGiM'
saloon, and he was heard to say that
he had been robbed OF the $50. Albert
Tall the bartender, had noticed Thomp-
son about the saloon since IL had been
opened the past few days, but had paid
no attention to his conversation or ac-
tions. Thompson told Tall that he was
tired of life Wednesday forenoon and
that he was going to end ii ALL
Mrs. Nellie Hopkins. one OF the room
ers. saw Thompson place the bottle con-
tanning the acid to his lips just after
him declare that he was going to end
his life Springing at the man She
knocked the bottle from his lips, but he
had succeeded in drinking portion OF
the acid The falling bottle splashed acid
over both her forearms and hands. but
she poured whisky over the burns before
much damage had beon done, DR.. G.
NJ. Benedict was called TO attend her.
Cuts Himself With Knife.
After falling to the floor Thompson
attempted to drive n pocketknife into
his heart. He succeeded In wounding
himself and his clothing was saturated
with blood. AT the hospital IT was
stated that death Was due to the acid.
The iandlady OF the rooming house said
regarding the theft OF the $50 that
Thompson had not been with any woman
while in the house and that he had not
lost any money to her knowledge
Thompson was between 23 and ~ years
Of age. and not married He was born
in Hendersonville. Garfield county. His
fathers name Is John o. Thompson. ot
Iowa. and his mothers name. before her
marriage. was Lucy NJ. Groves, a native
of Mississippi. Arrangements for the
funeral will not be completed until
Thursday morning.