Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-06-03
CRA7ED
MAN SUICIDES
Samuel D. Bridge, a Former
Perth Amboy Resident,
Kills Self in Columbia.

According to an article appearing
in the New York Times two young
American engineers in search of oil
in the jungles of Columbia were
stricken with fever and committed
suicide by shooting themselves when
unable to obtain medical aid. One
of these men was Samuel Davenport
Bridge, son of S. ID. Bridge, of Mon
terey. Mexico, who during the win
ter of 1915-16 and the spring of
the latter year lived in Perth Amboy.
Sammy" Bridge. as he was known
among his many friends about the
Y. NJ. {. A.. where he roomed. was
mployed by the American Smelt-
ing & Refining Company, while here,
delivering gold bars to New York
daily.
While in Perth Amboy. Bridge
spent most of his spare time on the
Y bowling alleys. having entered
in several tournaments and bowled
on the representative team. He left
this city in the fall of 1916 for Yale,
where he qualified as a sub on the
varsity football team. During the
war he vas in the service and since
| his discharge was representing an
American oil company as an engin-
eer and geologist in an endeavor to
locate oil in Columbia.
The letter to the New York Times,
telling the tragic story of the suicide
of the two young Americans, vas
written May 10 by j. Il. Lockard of
Bogota, Columbia. 1t said that the
two victims were members of a
party of four Americans prospecting
for an oil company. The four Amer
leans arrived in Bogota several
months ago, the letter said, and
started an expedition into the inte-
rior that was destined to be fraught
with almost incredible hardships.
The expedition started for the PAM
pas of San Martin on the quest for
oil, the plan being to enter by way
of Villavicencio and to leave by way
of Medina. The party left Bogota
well equipped with tents, trunks,
books, provisions, arms and ammu-
milton and a considerable amount of
n. ney in American gold. One of
the party was, nearly killed by a
jaguar and all four nearly lost their
lives at the ~treacherous ford of a
river. Here only the surefootedneSS
and ability to swim OF the mules
they rode brought them to safety.
The poems who accompanied them
several times unSuccessfully urged
them to return.
Finally Bridge and another whose
name was not learned, became i'll
with fever. These were the two
youngest of the party and their COM
panions with great difficulty brought
them into the little village of Gao
hala, where they obtained accom-
modations at a small hotel kept by
a woman with six children.
Lack of adequate care caused the
condition of the two sick men to
become worse, as the only remedy
they had at hand was quinine and
whiskey. A telegram was sent to
Bogota requesting that a physician
and a clergyman be sent to them
and, in the meantime, was
had to a native physician. The lat
ter's home made remedies, distilled
from roots and herbs, did not prove
Immediately took offense at the re-
physician was expected to arrive all
marks to this effect and refused to
give further treatment.
Other kilograms for help were
sent to Bogota n finally a reply
was received that a physician would
arrive from that city on a certain
day. During the night before this
physician was erpected to arrive all
in the hotel were awakened by the
fusillade of shots, coming from
rooms on the second floor.
The two sick men were found
dead, having killed themselves with
their revolvers. Notes were found
saying they could lot endure the
pain of the fever any longer. Bridge,
in his note, also asked that his body
be embalmed and sem to his mother
in Texas. Bridge was twenty-seven
years old and had $4,000 in gold in
a money belt around his body.