The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-24
Suicide of Millionaire AbscOn-
der in Florida Not Believed.
Body Found Does Not Tally
With ChicagOan's Measure.
TRICK TO END LONG HUNT
Detectives Have Him Under
Watch in Mexico.
Suicide at Miami Was "BrOke'i
and Marks Gone.

Miami, Fla, Oct. 24-Denial that
the body found in the Pershing hotel
here Friday is that of Warren c. Spur
gin, missing president of the Michigan
Avenue Trust company of Chicago,
was made here today by Chicagoans
in this city.
The suicide. it was said. was a man
OF only five feet ten inches. while
Spurg.n, it is said, was six feet three
inches. The dead man weighs 165
pounds. while Spurgin, it is declared,
weighed a hundred pounds more.
Daughter Hurrics South.
chicago, Oct. 24.-Miss Vivian
spurgin, daughter of Warren c. Spur
gin, absconding Chicago banker, left
here today for Miami, Fla. where her
father was discovered a suicide in his
room in the Pershing hotel, to con-
firm the Identification of the body and
bring it back for burial.
Spurgin shot himself thru the fore
head. His body was identified by w.
+. Bennett of Miami, a former Chi
cago broker, who up to two years ago,
was an intimate friend of the fugitive
banker. Spurgin had registered at the
hotel as &C. Hayden, New York"
Publication of 'Hayden's" photo
graph in a local paper resulted in the
identification, Bennett recognizing the
picture as that of Spurgin.
All Marks Destroyed.
Spurgin, who disappeared on July
21, following the discovery of a
$1,0OO,000 shortage in the accounts of
the Michigan Avenue Trust company,
of which he was president, was
broke" when ne killed himself. Be
fore ending his life he tried to destroy
every clew to his identity His room
was strewn with torn papers He
ripped the tailor's marks from his
clothing, he tore the sewed-in name Of
the makers from his shoes
Miami authorities said Spurgin had
been in that city two weeks and that
he appeared to be worried and de-
Epondent.
For several months the police have
been on the trail of Spurgin, their
hunt leading into all parts of the
country and to Mexico. Investigators
had attributed the bankers downfall
to women and the bright lights.
Hes Cornered in Mexico"
Maria, Tex, Oct. 24.-The idea that
the body OF the mystery man." found
a suicide in a hotel at Miami, Fla, is
that of Warren G. Spurg.n, abscond-
ing headt of tho Michigan Avenue
Trust company of Chicago, is secuted
by the district manager of a nationally
known detective agency who trailed
Spurgin to Chihuahua. Mexico.
1T is either a case of mistaken
identity or a ruse to try and get US off
the track. I received a telegram Sun
day from my men in Chihuahua and
he was still there. In addition to that,
one of them came out of Mexico Sat-
urday and made complete report to
me of Spurgin's activities while the
guest of his American friends on the
outskirts Of the city"
Tho district head announced:
We have had these ruses tried on
us before. Unless we were pretty sure
that the man in Chihuahua was Spur
gin. we most certainly would not have
had from two to four operatives
watching him for the past four
months"
Tho district manager also pointed
out that in the event of Spurgin COM
hitting suicide he would have no rea-
son for removing all Identification
marks from his clothing as the "mys-
terry man" did.