The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 4, 1906, Page 43

——— /[ Pages 31056] T SAN FRANCISCO, SUN DAY, FEBRUARY 1906. KILLS HIMSELF WHEN ALL BELIEVE HIM HAPPY. Cameron Owen, barely 22 years old, with = happy home, good employ- ment and many friends, committed suicide by gas asphyxiation in a room at the Occidental Hotel Friday night. An sbsolute Inck of suffcient motives makes the affair mysterious. - 3 Youth Devoured With Secret Ambition ‘ to Write Flees Humdrum Life. -+ | - ., a young believed by ployers to | YOUNG JEWELRY _SALESMAN WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE BY GAS ASPHYXIATION. » -+ t was no letter, no note to father, r mother, brother or friend, man -or woman. As a last good-by, as the sole explanation of the mystery of his death, he left that one sentence, on its strange parchment, “And I've burned my bridges behind me.” HAD LITERARY AMB"qON. But in the breast pocket of his coat, among unimportant papers, was some- thing which throws some light on the mysterious workings of his soul It | is ‘a Iittle allegorical story written by himself. the story, while walking along a w in “a place so wild and lux- F with green that it seemed miles anywhere he meets a ‘tramp. A is ing, -although old e singing,” says the - > “for he knows that his com- { caiiag have hurried forward to pre- ot is lodging against the night- rhrept) fall when the sun has sunk on the end- ing day of his journey.” The story finishes with these words: “Smile through your tears. Life is only a day. It is made of sunlight and shadow. Its vicissitudes and its overwhelming joys are nil at the dusk of the twilight, when night and rest closes round us | 2nd we are at home.” And this, perhaps, is the explanation of the tragedy of the boy’s life. His parents and friends say that he wrote much. Undoubtedly within him was & great ambition to be a writer. And even while he smiled over his book- keepin at the jewelry store, the un- toil, the prosalc life, were ut his heart, yearning for | r things, till finally, on the thres- P |hold of life, he deliberately hastened V.| “the dusk of twilight” of which he wrote And now those that knew him, but | should have known him better. are wondering. —_—ea Poll Ehe Music at Golden Gate Park. . %ig| The following selections will be ren- | | dered by the Golden' Gate Park Band | | to-day: Part . I—"Star-Spangled Banner”; | march, “Jose” (sMarcus M. Blum); over- | ture, “The Mill on the Clff” (Refssi- ger); waltz, “Jolly Fellows” (Vollsted); I solo for xylopohone (selected), S. Sam- | uel; “Hungarian Fantasie” (Tobant). Part II—Overture, “Fest” (Lassen); (a) intermeazzo, “Cavallerfa Rusticana™ (Mascagni), (b) humoresque on “Bede- itself and absolutely o A the he went ‘straight to | re he asked | registered, Bishop, Honolulu.” ones, but at | al I, which | The clerk, | in firm | ke with | aying good-by | mediately broke and calied Manager | room was full of gas. lying in bed, as if covers in | sleep, the arawn up | 1ia” (Bellstedt); selection, “It k. showing that he had not | In Nordland” (Victor Herhe‘rg?pfggx:: is clothes were folded | Of the Evening Star” (Wagner); march, medicated | “The Diplomat” (Sousa). iffed about in all the | e room that might have Room Thief Caught. ir. Dr. 8. Potter, called im- , pronounced the young man 1gh making al efforts some possible spark of life, foot of the bed was spread . upon which the desperate had written with burned ‘And T've burned my bridges “After having robbed the room of Wil- liam O’Brien at 400 Fourth street yes- | terday morning of a number of articles, ! Jacob Cottam returned later in the day to carry off more stuff, which he fafled to take on his first visit. His daring |landed him in the hands of the police. A pair of stolen shoes were found on | Cottam’s feet and in his room at 345 Fifth street more of the stolen goods were recovered. He was charged at the Southern station with burglary, . sentence, running @n faint wis across the white cloth, is rhe message Owens left behind. There INSURANCE REPORT 1S (OMPLETED Armstrong Com- mittee's Work: at an End. g L S Legislation Involving Sweeping Reforms Recommended. Investigators Favor the Mu- tualization of All Companies. Special Dispatch to The Call. * NEW YORK, Feb. 3.—After five months of constant effort and the examination of witnesses extending over four months of this period, the joint legislative com- mittee on insurance has completed a draft of its report, which presents the most ad- vanced scheme of life insurance legisla- tion ever attempted in any State. Standard forms of life insurance poll- cles are provided for, equalizing all in- surance in the State, while bonuses and rebates are forbidden, under severe pen- alties. 8 Agents are placed under strict super- vision and their compensation must be either full salary or commissions, mixed compensation being forbidden. Life insurance companies are forbidden to control subsidiary companies, and their officers may not be stockholders in such concerns. State supervision of an absolute char- acter is provided, and publicity of all accounts, expenses and holdings of every nature is made obligatory. . Reform in’ investments is provided for, but no attempt is made to debar compa- nies from holding safe stocks. Mutualization of companies is advised and encouraged. Open elections, fair ballots and a full and fair representation at annual elec- tions are provided for and ballot-box stuffing is forbidden, The surplus must be apportioned among the insured each year, and the present idea of deferred dividends is made flle- gal, while payments upon death are di- rected within thirty days. Methods of bringing sult are provided and all literature must be submitted to the superintendent of insurance. PERSONAL. William J. Brewer of New York City is at the St. Francis. 8. M. Newmark, a merchant of Los An- geles, is at the Palace. E. C. Merritt, a merchant of Santa Rosa, is at the Palace. George W. Kleiser of Portland, Ore, is at the Hotel 8t. Francis. Captain Luclen Young, United States navy, and Mrs. Young ate at the Palace. H. A. Bulwer of British Columbia is at the St. Francis, ‘accompanied by his wife and famiily. - R. W. Wagner, a real estate operator of Ocean Park, near Los Angeles, is at the Hotel St. Francis. < Leopold F. Schmidt, a prominent brewer at Olympia, Wash., accompanied by his wife, is at the Palace. R. H. Pease, president of the Goodyear Rubber Company, who has been in Port- land for the last two weeks, is expected home on Saturday. Sidney A. Cawston, prominent in iron and steel manufacturing circles in Se- attle, and who has been at the Palace for the last week, will leave for the north to-night. Frank C. Martin, who has been the day |HEROIC DEAD OF FIRE DEPARTMENT LIE IN STATE AT CITY HALL. Thousands ISURMCE HEN UNDER ARREST President - and Secfétary of . the Continental. Life Com- pany Accuséd - of “Fraud i + , SALT LAKE, CITY, Utah, ‘Feb."3— Hiram Tyree, president of the Continental Life Insurance Company, for whose ar- rest a warrant was Issued yesterday at the instance of the County Attorney of Salt Lake County, the complaint allegihg that President Tyree had made false re- ports of his company’s business to the Secretary of State, arrived here this morning from San Francisco and sur- rendered himself in the court of Police Judge Diehl. He was released under $5000 bonds. The Continental Company, which was organized two years ago, had written about $6,000,000 of insurance in the States | Idaho, Washington of Utah, Montana, and California. Cameron C. Wylle, secretary of the Continental, was also arrested late this afternoon by Sheriff Emery, the charges against him being the same-as-those made against President Tyree. Both are accused of falsifying the accounts of the company to deceive policy-holders and the public as to the status of the com- pany. Secretary Wylie was released under $500 bonds. Certain minority interests in the Con- tinental Life Insurance Company, which are sald to be dissatisfled with the ad- ministration of President Tyree, have sent a representative to San Francisco to. look into the affairs of the Western Securities Company and the Western Agencies Company. These are corpdra- tions organized under the laws of Ari- zona and -alleged to be controlled by cashier at the Palace Hotel for fourteen years, has resigned. He will go into the employ of John Caffrey, Pacific Coast agent for Charles Graef & Co. He will be succeeded by Jesse T. Armstrong, deputy county recorder of Alameda. el Californians in New York. NEW YORK, Feb. 3.—The following Californians are in New York: President Tyree. HELENA, Mont., Feb. 3.—Hiram Tyree, president of the Continental Life Insur- ance Company of Salt Lake City, whose arrest 1s reported to-day, 1s well known in Montana, having formerly been super- intendent of schools at Dillon. His com- pany has several million dollars of insur- ance in the State. Former State Auditor J. H. Calderhead of Helena, is a director of the company. From San Francisco—Mrs. Denning, at the St. Andrews; D. Roth and wife, at the Sayoy; J. E. Stracham, at the Gerard; J. C. Redpath and H. P. Tay- lor, at the Breslin; W. J. Ahern and J. F. Malle, at' the Broadway Central; T. L Cushman, at the Netherlands. From Los Angeles—H. C. Fryman, at the Imperial. From San Jose—The Misses Macken- zle, at the Hoffman. ’ —_— Rifuses to Go to Hospital. The City Hall police station was notified on Friday afternoon by E. H. Manville, steward at the Central Eme gency <Hospital, that a woman in the front room of the third floor at 365 Golden /Gate avenue was very 11l from inbaling gas and that her husband had refused to allow her to be taken to the hospital. Policefnen Steenson and Quarles were sent to the place and; lthey found that the woman was Mrs. M. Smith. She had greatly improved {ana personally informed the policemen that she would not go the hospital. The policemen were told that when the room was first entered everything I was tightly closed and gas was escap- ing from two open jets. It was re- ported to them as a case of attempted suicide. 4 —_——————— Two Persons Reported Missing. Mrs. D. W. Beers of 202 Fillmore street yesterday reported to the Po- lice Department that her husband had been missing for the-last two months. His description is 46 years old, height 6 feet, light complexion, sandy mus- tache, scar on right temple, dressed in working clothes. His wife and two children are in a destitute condition. John Jordan, 14 years of age, has been missing from his home, at 10% Walter street, since a week ‘ago yesterday. His mother has had no word of him, but expressed her belfef that he co ‘care for himself and that he has se- cured work out of town, ' B TAFT RECEIVES PORT OF CANAL COMMISSION 10w Rear Admiral Endicott the Only Mem- ber Favoring & Sea-Level ‘Waterway. 'GTON, Feb. 3.—The report of t mian Canal Comission, re- cording its decision’In favor of an 85-foot level lock canal. was submitted to Secretary Taft to-day. The report is accompanied by-the report of the Board of Engineers, the majority of whom declared for a sea-level canal. It will now be for Secretary Taft to express his' views upon the great project in an'indorsement when trans- mitting the papers to the President. It appears. that Rear Admiral Endi- cott, the naval member of the com- mission, was the only one who aiffered from the majority. . TURBINE MACHINERY . FOR 0 NEW BATTLESHIPS Board of Decldes to Recommend Its Installation. b WASHINGTON, ‘Feb. 3.—The Board of Construction of the navy has about decided to recommend the installation on board of the South Carolina and the Michigan, the two new battle- ships now being: designed, of turbine machinery. It is probable that bidders will be Invited to offer their own de- signs for such machinery. Take Last IMPRESSIVE SCENE, 14 THE CITY HALL, ‘WHERE, THE DEAD TIREMEN™ LIE With the gunlight slanting through the colored windows upon the enflow- ered caskets, the mortal remains of Captain Charles W. Dakin and Thomas J. Hennessy of the Fire Department lie in the cathedral-like rotunda of the City Hall, the still faces turned to the sky above them, whither their souls have so recently fled. Never in life did these brave men ap- pear stronger or more manly than as they lay in the center of the rotunda, while the silent throngs of men, women and children passed by them for a last brief view, ¥From all clases and con- ditions of the city's population they came to pay reverent honor. All day long the living line passed the coffins, some for a brief glimpse at the faces of the dead, some—principally women— to kneel beside the caskets to offer a short, silent prayer, and some—prinei- pally children—to leave small offerings ot violets, with which the black-draped catafalque was covered. The stillngss of ‘the vaulted inclosure was broken but once during the after- noon. As Mrs. Dakin was leaving the building, where she had been seated during the entire. day, the great fire gong in the main corridoy of the hall clanged its harsh annouficement of a blaze and mechanically the men about the caskets counted the strokes as they reverberated through the building. Out- side the sharp, vibrating peals of the fire bell on Chief Dougherty's wagon broke 'in upon the listeners and died away in the distance, but the familiar sound fell unheard upon the ears of the two in whose honor the living had ‘sathéred. They had loyally answered thelr last call, and in purple letters, on high baunks of flowers, the gift of com- rades of engine 4 and truck 1, was the simple inscription “Last call, box 36.” GUARD OF HONOR AT BIER. In the early morning when that fatal number was “tapped in” to engine com- pany i Captain Dakin and Hoseman Hennessy went to their death. Fire was blindly eating Its way in a lower compartnient on the army transport Meade, and clouds of smoke rolled up froni the open hatchway. Below, in the poisonous vapor. lay struggling officers and men of the troopship, and down through the rising smoke by means of scaling ladders went the firemen, Choking and gasp- ing, the men worked until the order was given to leave the inferno. Dakin and Hennessy, side by side, neared the ladder, when the captain fell. Hennessy reached the air, saw at a glance that his comrade was not with him and again plunged below, to be fatally attacked by the fumes. That both men fought against their fate is mutely shown by he cuts and bruises on their faces. About the caskets all day long was stationed the guard of honor from the Iire - Department, relieved every six hours by a new detail. The first to have ‘tHe honor were Captain H. F. Horn, Lieutenant E. McCormick and Firemen J. B. Owens, B.‘Crummey, M. Wormuth and James Reynolds. The police detall com _ Bergeant Eastman and Pa- trolmen John.O'Conmnor, Joseph Flynn, ml . Charleston and Robert M. center, at the head of the ~ 1“!:'»'&""“ GUARD OF HONOR COMPRISING MEMBERS OF THE FIRE AND POLICE DE- PARTMENTS IN THE ROTUNDA OF THE CITY HALL., WHERE BODIES OF THE HEROES OF THE TROOPSHIP MEADE REPOSB. 5 were lighted candles. Across the casket of Thotnas J. Hennessy lay his uniform coat and cap, while on Captain Dakin’s casket rested his cap, with its officer’s insignia. About the coffin were floral remembrances from Chiet D. T. Sulli- van, Rincon Parlor No. 72, Native Sons of the Golden West, of which Dakin was a member, and from Las Lomas Parlor No. 72, Native Daughters of the Golden West, together with wreaths and stands of flowers from relatives and friends in and out of the department. Seated near the coffins were the rela- tives of Captain Dakin, including Mrs. Dakin and her child, Ernest Dakin, sud- denly made fatherless. F. Roeckner, a nephew of the captain, was also present. Of Hennessy’'s family there were Mrs. Hennessy, Mrs. P. Hennessy, his/moth- er; Mrs. H. Swett, his sister, and his three brothers—J., N. and A. Hennessy. NIGHT -BRINGS THRONGS. At night in the rotunda the floral em- blems, banked in the form of a cross, be- gan to slowly extend into a circle as later offerings arrived. After the lull at supper time in the line of people passing the cof- fins the evening crowds began fo gather, and all through the evening the rotunda was thronged. At 11 o'clock the place was filled with people as the homeward bound stopped for a few brief minutes at the hall. To First Assistant Chief Dougherty and Becond Assistant Chief Shaughnessy Is due the credit for the shifting of men in the department so that the number could be spared to take part in watch duty yesterday and last night and for the funeral detall to-day. Assistant Chief Dougherty has entire chargs of the funeral arangements and services in the rotunda, while the detailing of men and arranging the formation of the escort has fallen to Assistant Chief Shaughnessy. The funeral services, to be performed by Archbishop Montgomery, will take place at 1 o’clock this afternoon. Follow- ing the services the escort will form on four sides of Marshall square, opposite the City Hall and Bighth street, mounted police having the right of line and rest- ing on Marshall square, facing west. As the column moves rank and file of police will fall in, followed by the regimental band of the Third Infantry, U. 8. A. Following the band will come the first battalion of the Fourth Infantry, from the Presidio, under command of Major Mc- Ivor. The city officials In carriages will then follow, including the entire Board of Fire Commissioners. After the Com- missioners will come a special escort of | 100 men from all the firehouses in the city and a detall from the Department of Electricity. PALLBEARERS SELECTED. Next the Native Sons of the Golden ‘West and other organizations will fall in and immediately precede the hearses. Following the hearses will come the car- tiages, of relatives and friends of the dead. The list of pallbearers selected as repre- senting the firehouses of the city includes many of the friends of Captain Dakin and H Hennessy. The palibearers for o.,m will be K. Bridgeworth, engine 4; J. J. Kenny, engine 17; Captain H. Rice, corporation yard; George Mc- mwm ‘which View of Dakin and Hennessy Frank McCluskey, water tower 1, and Harry Carter, engine 12. The route of the funeral escort will be from the City Hall and Marshall square out Market street to Valencla and out Valencia to Sixteenth, where the escort will withdraw and the hearses and car- riages will proceed to Holy Cross Ceme- tery, where the remains will be buried. M b FUNERAL OF WALLACE. Third Officer to Be Burfed With Mil- tary and Masonic Hounors. The funeral of Third Officer George Wallace, who so_ bravely gave up his life In the fatal fire on board the army + transport Meade, will take place from the Masonic Temple, Post and Mont- gomery streets, at 2:30 o’clock this aft- ernoon. After the services in the tem- ple the remains will be acccompanied to the Third and Townsend streets de- pot by Doric Lodge No. 216, F. and A. M., and ‘a ‘military escort from the Pre- sidio, whence they will be sent by the 3:30 train to the Mount Olivet Cemetery for interment. The rewains of the deceased hero now lie in state in the undertaking parlors of H. F. Suhr & Co., 1137 Mission street, where members of Doric Lodge have a guard of honor to keep watch until the remains are taken to the temple at 1 o'clock to-day. At 2:30 o'clock two troops of the Fourteenth Cavalry from the Presidio ‘will assemble at the corner of Post and Montgomery streets and accompany the remains to the depot, and after the de- parture of the funeral train will re- turn to the reservation. The order was issued by General Funston, who wishes to show the respect of the army to the heroes who gave their lives to save the army transport from destruction. Wallace was the son of James Wal- lace of New South Wales, Australia, and was 29 years of age. He has been u trusted and worthy officer of the trans- port service for several years, and leaves hosts of dear friends who regret to hear of his sad fate. e i Resolations of Respect. The joint Committee on Streets and Public Utilities of the Board of Super- visors met yesterday, but adjourned out of respect to the memory of the fire- men, who met death on the Meade, with the following resolution: “Whereas, Owing to the ceremony taking place within the dome of this building at the present time, where the citizens of our city“are publicly ac- knowledging the noble heroism of brave Captain Dakin and Hoseman Thomas Hennessy of the San Francisco Fire De- partment. who rendered the last full measure of their devotion to the service of our city, in giving up their lives in the performance of their duties; and “Whereas, It {8 but just and proper that no officfal business be transacted at the mecting of the Street and Public Utilities Committees this afternoon; therefore be it ‘Rseclved, That this joint committee meeting adjourn out of respect to the memories of our brave members of our Fire Degartment.” — e——————— Mr. M. Simin In New York. More enterprising than ever, Mr. M. Siminoff is scouring the New York | market for the most fetching American and imported novelties in the cloak ana | sutt line, to be expressed and c?led at |‘'once in our factory; the only difference | will be better made and lower priced. | Whenever the question of quantily and | low prices for cash arises, Mr. Siminoft | is always on the spot; no quantity too Jarge for our outlet. In the meantime, | keep your eyes on the advertisements | of the Golden Gate Cloak and Suit House. > Ocean Shore Railroad Franchise. The special meeting that was to have been held yesterday by the joint com- mittee on Streets and Public Utilities ot the Board of Supervisors for the purpose of hearing protests against the | proposed grant of franchise to the | Ocean Shore Railway Company for an electric railroad on Tweltth and other designated streets, was postponed out of respect to the dead firemen. A large number of Interested citizens | had - gathered in the assembly rooms | of the board. As the ordimance grant- ing ‘the franchise to the Ocean Shore Company will not come up for final passage until April 2 next, It was agreed that the chairman of the joint committee should call another meeting about two weeks in advance of the date mentioned. at which time those against the franchise will be beard. Biven n!m'lo be