Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-02
PROMINENT MASON
COMMITS SUICIDE
Collinsville Theater Man Takes
Chloroform at Oklahoma
Hotel Here.
LEAVES FULL EXPLANATION
"This Is Directly Suicide
Indirectly Murder" Is His
Introduction.

To my wife: Sent you to Enid today Mrs.
Allin's $50 check Twill help you not me.
ss you see I've made the final arrang gements.
Had you sympathined with me- cheered me
III Of me. this never would have happened.
forgive you and may God bless you. Lou.
p. y. After what have twice done (tried
to) for you and los. my all each time. could
not stand your censure-it finally broke my
heart. Life has been u torture since you left
and must find rest, rest. rest.
In this mood l.. NJ. Russell, promi-
nent theater owner of Coilinsville.
committed suicide by taking chloro-
form at the Oklahoma hotel in Tulsa
early yesterday morning. In addition
to the foregoing note to his wife, Rus
sell left four-page statement. intro
duced by the startling sentence, This
Is directly suicide-fndirectly murder.
So no autopsy Is necessary"
Russell was proprietor of the Rex
theater in Collinsville and is known to
have been at one time man OF con-
siderable means. He was a thirty
the Shrine at Detroit. Mich. Mrs. Rus
sells address was given as S14 West
Elm street. Enid. Okla.
GrOans Lead TO Investigation.
According to information brought
Out III lllutSt Iltlu III JuStl't isCc
Daniels court yesterday afternoon,
Russell came to Tulsa Tuesday and
took room at the Oklahoma hotel.
He had no baggage. During the night
Tuesday guests at the hotel heard
groans from Russell's room, but made
no investigation.
In the morning hotel attaches called
the man and receiving no answer.
entered the room to find him dead
across the bed. A wad of cotton.
soaked III chloroforna, was clutched in
his hand.
First Note Dated July %.
Evidence that the suicide had been
premeditated for 30 me time was found
in the fact that the longer explanation
was dated July 20. but later changed
IT was to be found. The manuscript
was In a neat. refined hand and bore
the marks OF we'll trained and edu-
Gated mind.
The opening Of the statement is as
follows:
"To whom it may concern:
This is directly suicide-indirectly
murder. So no autopsy is necessary.
"One more unfortunate
Weary OF breath.
Rashly importunate.
Gone to his death
Just another case of mans
(w0man's) inhumanity to man.
my spirit Is crushed, my heart is
broken. For my i'll success I've re-
ceived nothing but abuse. false accu-
sations and dcsertion from one who
Is still dear TO me, and l can endure
1t no longer. When one has nothing
to live for-why live? With a dog
like devotion twice followed my wife
here from the northwest (whcre each
time made a stake) because she
would live no where else but Okla
homa, near her daughter; and both
times l lost all. For this misfortune
] have suffered the torments of the
ID been accused Of everything
and every charge false. false as HI
and my death will prove they are
false.
Designing, INSCRIPTIONS grafters
here have also contributed to this
sad ending"
At this point the dead man has left
a lucid description OF some business
deals which have turned out badly for
him, due to the supposed betrayal OF
associates.
'I do not note all these things here
with malice or rancor," the state
ment here proceeds to say. simply
to show why this deed. why this
tragedy-for the motive therefor, the
truth must be told at such a time as
this
IT request The Tulsa World (my
favorite paper) print this. that The
CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE