The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-28
ONE CUTS THROAT,
OTHER DRINKS ACID
Otto Burkman, Crazed by
Drink, Nearly Succeeds in
Ending Life.
.PEDDLER IS SUICIDE
Olaf H. Carlson, Despondent
Through Poverty, Takes
Poison and Dies.

Crazed by drink and despondcnt from
being ont of employment, Otto Burk'
man, waiter residing at 341 Second
East street, attempted suicide by cut"
ting his throat from ear to ear with
q razor yesterday afternoon at $50
| o clock.
just two hours later Olaf H. Carl
son. AZ years of age. a peddler OF fruit
and vegetables, living at 3iS Marshall
avenue, Waterloo, ended his life by
drinking carbolic acid.
Burkman is lying at ST, Mark 3 hos
pital, weak from the loss Of blood, but
with chance to recover.
Before slashing himself Burkman set
fire to the house after soaking bed
clothes and carpets with kerosene. Mrs.
Burkman had left the place only few
minutes before, going to the Felt build
ing to do some scrubbing.
| After he had used the razor, the
would-be suicide stood in the front
door and was seen by Roy johnson,
who came around the corner of the
house on his way from the yards Of
the Kennedy Construction company.
Faces Death Defiantly.
"I've done it, said Burllman TO
| Johnson, and turned back into the
"Let ME alone OF I II fix you, too, ,"
screamed the bleeding man, johnson
summoned help and he and J. Kauf-
man and ?. G. Conkhn, neighbors,
drenched the floor with water and
threw the burning clothes into the
yard.
When the police patrol arrived, car
rying Motorcycle Patrolmen Smith,
Woodward and Husbands and Driver
bo full nf al n
that it was almost impossible to enter
them. Burlk1nan was lying on the floor
in pool Of blood apparently dying.
He was rushed to the emergency hos
pital, where he regained consciousness
after being attended by DR.. H, B.
Sprague. Unless Implications occur,
he Will probably live. is the opinion Of
DR. Sprague. The blade, though max
ing cash across the entire front of the
throat, failed to reach deep enough to
sever any Of the large blood vessels.
His Second Attempt.
BurlSman Is said to have attempted
his life eight years ago in Heber City
in the same manner. For the past six
months Mrs. Burkman has supported
the family, including her three children
by former marriage, with her earn
ings as O scrub woman in business
houses Of the downtown district. Burk-
man was born in Aledo, Ill, and has
brother-in law; Frank Andrews, in Park
City, 1t is said, and his mother, Mrs.
Caroline Allen and brother. Guss Burk-
man, are said to be living in Aberdeen,
Idaho.
Mrs. Burkman was formerly Mrs.
AlonZo Mason Of Park City, where her
former husband, Mason, was killed in
mine accident six years ago. She
has been married to Burkman for four
years. Her father and mother, Mr.
and Mrs. John K;issicl5, are. living in
Park Citv, Of the three children of
ing In Park City; Fred, aged Q, had
gone with his mother. and Willie, aged
7, was playing at neighbours at the
time Of the tragedy.
Ignores Others.
Living in other rooms Of the house
are Mrs. Mary Taylor, a widow, and
Mrs, Roy Riley. When asked Last night
why he tried to fire the house, Burk-
man answered, tFI wanted to make a
good Job Of it."
people in the house; did you want to
burn themq' was asked.
"When fellow is going to kill
himself he DONE think about other
people," said Burkman. 'sI was dis
couraged and wanted to end it all.'
Leaves Five Children.
A fit OF melancholy despondency
over his inability TO make anything
but very poor living for his family
at his occupation is assigned Us the
cause for Carlson g act. He leaves
widow and five small children in des-
titute circumstances,
Some time since. Carlson was forced
to sell fine horse that he used to
drive in making his rounds. He pur-
chased poorer one, that could pull
but small load, and his business suf-
fered in consequence, IL is said. Last
night he went out back Of the house
and lay down On q couch, His wife
discovered that he had taken the drug
Just as he was diving. Decedent was
native of Sweden and was born
there May 25. 1865 The body was re.
moved to the morgue Of Undertaken
Joseph William Taylor