SPENNER

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Monday, January 19, 2009 at 04:43:51 :

The Marin Journal
Thursday, June 19, 1913
Page 7

Young Man Suicides

Fritz Spenner, a native of Germany, aged 32, suicided in Sausalito on Wednesday, June 11th.

The deceased came over from San Francisco on Wednesday morning, hired a boat from Capt. Forest, the launchman, and went out on the bay near Ft. Baker, and shot himself in the head, death ensuing instantly.

Capt. Graham Parker of Ft. Baker was taking a walk along the beach at four o’clock on Thursday morning, when he way a boat, ten feet from the shore, with a body in it, and knew the man was dead, because his head was hanging over the boat, dragging in the water.

Men were summoned and the boat pulled to a landing.

The deceased also wrote a letter to a friend, Alfred Kuhn, telling him, too, that he would see him no more.

Although the dead man had shown no symptoms of mental aberration, his friends knew that for some months past he has been wrought up over industrial and economic problems, and had become interested in the oratory and literature of political revolutionists.

The body is in charge of the county coroner, and Dr. Sawyer will administer the estate, the parents of the deceased, living in Carlsbad, Germany, being the heirs.

Spenner, who was an architectural moulder, was in comfortable circumstances, having several thousand dollars to his credit, and the ability to earn seven dollars per day.

He was engaged to be married, and had recently given his fiancé eight hundred dollars, that she might pay a visit to her old home in Germany. He wrote the girl a letter, sending her all his effects, and telling her that she would never see him again. There had been no trouble nor misunderstanding between them, so far as known.