Evening star., 1938-12-16
Coster Shoots Self to Death
After His Re-Arrest Is Ordered;
Vernord Revealed as Brother
Mckesson Firm Head
Fires FutuI Shot at
Connecticut Home
0y the Associated Press.

NEW YORK, Dec. 16.-F. Donald
Coster, president of McKesson &
\ Robbins, Inc, whose real identity
was disclosed as Philip Musica, an
ex-convict who became head Of the
multimillion-dollar corporation, shot
oand killed himself today at his home
In Fairfield, Conn.
News that Coster- Musica had
taken his own life came shortly
after the United States attorney s
Office here had ordered his rearrest
and that of George E. Dietrich, as
sistant treasurer, and George Ver-
nard, Canadian agent for the firm,
on charges of violating the Securi-
ties Act of 1884.
Back in 1918, when the Musica
family were involved in the collapse
of their United States Hair Co.,
Philips father, Antonio, tried to
end his life.
Turns Gun On Self.
Coster-M -Musica's suicide cnmaxed 8
week Of dizzy developments, starting
when it was discovered that the
crude drugs department of McKes-
son & Robbins, under his direct
supervision, had apparently built up
fictitious assets of $18,O0O,0O0.
The man who lived down a crimi-
nal past of Is years ago to become
head of the great drug firm turned
a pistol on himself as Chief of Police
Arthur Bennett was arriving at the
Coster's big country home.
Federal authorities were on the
way to the luxurious Coster home to
rearrest him at the time.
Fully dressed, Coster went into
the bathroom, pressed pistol to his
right ear, and pulled the trigger.
First reports indicated that Mrs.
Coster had seen her husband with
the pistol but had been powerless
to restrain him. She collapsed
afterward.
Samuel Reich, an attorney, rushed
from the home as soon as he had
heard what had happened, put his
hand to his head, pointing with a
finger as though it were a pistol,
and shouted:
HE shot himself! He shot him
self!"
Investigators were told that three
weeks ago Coster-who formerly
was Philip Musica, an ex-convict,
until he made an almost incredible
change IN his name, his associations
and his whole life-had indicated
an intention to take his own life
and that his three pistols haG been
secreted in the family garage by a
chauffeur.
The investigation into the sat-
100000 drug firm which Coster
headed had not begun at that time
an investigation of an apparent
$l8,000,000 overstatemen. of assets.
Art German, an assistant Federal
attorney in New Haven, Conn, ar
rived at the front door of the Coster
home only to hear the shot that
ended Coster's life.
Come to Arrest Coster.
II arrived here about noon in
company with about 10 other men
connected with the United States
marshals Office in New Haven" he
said. 1--WE had come here to take
Coster into custody for the purpose
Of raising his bond before the COM
missioner in New Haven.
LAS we stood at the door we heard
a shot from upstairs. The house.
hold was in turmoil. I hAve seldom
seen such hysteria or heard such
weeping as was set up Immediately.
'U. S. Marshal Bernard Fitch ran
upstairs and found the body of Co.'S
ter in the bathroom, bullet through
his head. He was dead-thoroughly
Gead-when Fitch found him.
Mrs. Coster was panic stricken
and hysterical almost beyond con-
troll. She was there with a man
named Jenkins who was associated
with Coster in some way. The rest
of the household, as nearly as I could
discern, were servants.
With us was Dietrich. When he
heard the shot he suddenly became a
broken man. He wept pitifully and
carried on when he learned that
what he had feared actually had
happened.
Mrs. Coster kept repeating:
"'He told me he wouldn't do this.
He swore he wouldn't
The entire household seemed to
take the shooting very hard.
Dietrich denied to us that he
(See MUSICA, Page A-5.)