Second Student Suicide Inside Of A Fortnight

SECOND STUDENT SUICIDE INSIDE OF A FORTNIGHT

Albert O. Klein, a Pharmacy Student, Made the Prussic Acid With Which He Took His Own Life--Left a Note Saying That His Life Had Been a Failure.

Albert O. Klein, a junior in the department of pharmacy, took his life Sunday by administering unto himself a dose of prussic acid. With frothy and horribly burned lips the dead body was found in his room.

Thus, within a fortnight two students have committed the act of self destruction and the shock has cast a gloom over the entire University and townspeople.

Said Prof. Hinsdale, of the homeopathic department, when once commenting upon the subject of self-destruction: "I have observed these matters since I have practiced medicine and I have found that one suicide will generally be followed by another or more in the same community. Persons who contemplate such a thing will nerve themselves up by hearing of such things. They will argue with themselves that they have as much nerve as anybody else and the deed is done."

This theory is borne out in the present case.

Miss Agnes Inglis took her own life two weeks ago. It is known about college that she resorted to the revolver only when her attempts to obtain prussic acid at the drug store failed.

Klein may have taken up with the suggestion and, being a student in pharmacy, readily knew how simple it is to make hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid) when one has the ingredients.  The chemicals that enter into this most deadly of poisons were within reach of him at the laboratory and all he had to do was to take home two small bottles of the two compounds., mix them, and he would have the most effective of toxins. This is just what he did do.

Klein was a young man from Chicago who was helping work his way through college by waiting on table at the club house at 610 Forest avenue. Yesterday morning he was seen to come out from the bath room about 8 o'clock and go into his own apartments. Those in the dining room below waited for his appearance and when a half hour had passed and he did not show up, one of the students went to his room to ascertain what the matter was. He was horrified to find Klein lying dead upon the bed with his face terribly distorted.

Dr. Hinsdale, who lives directly opposite the house, was immediately summoned, but the young man was beyond all help the instant the deadly drug head touched his tongue.

Then they proceeded to investigate the cause and the means of self-destruction. Upon a table was a note addressed to "Wally," who is known to be Walter H. Hammacher, a freshman engineering student from St. Clair, Mich., and Klein's dearest friend. This note was ordered locked up and sealed until the inquest which will be held tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. As nearly as the coroner can recollect it, it read as follows:

"Dear Wally-

I hope that you will forgive me for what i am about to do. My life has been a failure and I am determined to end it all. O, Wally, dear Wall, forgive me.  Good-bye, Wally."

 On the table was also the evidence of the means of committing the suicide.  Two bottles properly labeled with the respective ingredients that would form prussic acid, and two tumblers told the tale.

There was no apparent reason why Klein should have performed the rash act. True, he had received a condition in chemistry, but he was a faithful student and this amounted to little in the way of an eventual graduation.  "However," said one of the students, "this subject was one in which he thought that he was particularly proficient as his laboratory work was far above the standard and the condition came to him as a complete surprise. He was certainly discouraged over something as the letter that he left indicates and it may have been that condition. He was a young man of exemplary habits and a good student. He was one of the last fellows in the world you would think would do such a thing."

Since the beginning of the present semester Klein has roomed alone, his old chum, R. H. Chapin, of St. Johns, Mich., having failed to return this term.

The young man's brother arrived yesterday and took the remains back to Chicago, Coroner Watts having given this permission as there was no question about the affair from a legal standpoint and the jury which has been summoned having viewed the remains.