New-York tribune., 1911-11-28
KILLS HIMSELF IN HOTEL
Former Yale Student Made Care
full Plans for Suicide.
CUTS THROAT WITH RAZOR
Body Found When Lawyer Gets
Letter from G. B. Clark,
Telling of Intentions.

Carefully planning his act which, accord
ing TO his friends, he had threatened sew
eral times before, Charles b. Clark OF the
class Of 9S, at Yale University, cut MS
throat with razor at the Hotel Hermitage
Seventh avenue, near 42d street early yes
terday morning, and was found about four
hours later. when his lawyer, Ashbel +.
Fitch. to whom he had written or his IN
tention the night before called up the hotel.
A member of the Yale Club who had
known Mr.. Clark for number of years
said that the act was result or his mel
anchoic disposition.
Mr.. Clark, this acquaintance explained
had made a plucky fight against a weak
ness which seemed 10 be hereditary. for
about four years before his father died ne
had successfully fought it off. but the
death OF his father had been the means OF
plunging him into the midst or II again
About two years ago, he said, he had been
asked to leave the Yale Club because OF
this Railing, and had gone West for
time. on the advice Of his physician There
he had undergone a cure which had enabled
him TO abstain from It for the last eigh-
teen months.
CLARK was nevertheless VI pdi tiNN'A''' -
nervous disposition, he went on. smoking
sometimes so TO 100 cigarettes a day, and
often drinking several cups of strong cof-
fee for breakfast, with nothing else. He
had besides some trouble with his nip
which made him lame.
He was a sandy little fellow. though, In
spite of it ALL" said his friend. Il sup
pose at last the strain became too much
for him"
The proprietor of the Algonquin Hotel.
where Clark had lived since last August,
received a note from him in yesterday
mornings mail, dated at the Hermitage. 1t
read:
Dear Case: don't want TO do the trick
in your hotel, so came over here. Look
after my valuables."
This had been posted apparently at the
same time as the letter to Mr.. Fitch which
led to the discovery of the suicide Mr..
Fitch's brother, associated with him In the
law firm OF Fitch, Mott & Grant, said that
the letter gave no reason for the act, and
merely remarked that something was la
BILE to happen" Mr.. Clark, he added, had
made a will several months ago, which was
still on file in the Office
Immediately on the receipt of the letter
Mr.. Fitch called up the hotel and found
that an attempt had been made to reach
Mr.. Clark about an hour before by tele-
phone, but without success. This was
doubtless in accordance with the call for
s:30 o'clock yesterday morning which Clark
had left at the desk wheh engaging the
room the night before. A porter was sent
UP TO the room when Mr.. Fttch's call came.
and he found the body on the floor Of the
bathroom. fully clad.
A search of the rooms by Coroner Holtz-
hauser revealed an open letter running:
Please excuse the trouble have made.
Just Communicate with the Yale Club, No.
80 West 44th street, and they will look
after me. Please have no notoriety' and
another card, on which was written "A. T.
Fitch. No. 80 Nassau street, 1890
The dead mans mother, Mrs. -lary b.
Clark. has lived at the Murray Hin Hotel
for the last few years ON hearing OF her
sons act yesterday she went 10 the home
Of her sister, Mrs. w. r. Move, at No. lOS
East 55th street Queries there were re-
ferred TO Edgar T. Wells, living at the Ho-
semitic. No. $50 Park avenue, an uncle of
MIR. Clark, who said that his nephew had
remained at college only three years. leav-
ing without his degree. His father, he said,
was Edmund S. Clark. formerly Of the firm
Of Danforth Clark & CO., drygoods mer-
chants of Boston. The Clarks had lived
in birmingham, a suburb Of Boston, since
Colonial times.
Young Clark had entered the New York
Office OF his fathers firm. Mr. Wells re
marked. after leaving college. and had
gone from there into the real estate busi-
ness. His father had left him an inde-
pendent income, however, and for some
time past he had not been engaged in any
occupation. He had no idea why he SHOULD
have killed himself, he said.