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19 December 2021

COOGAN story 

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appearing in "New York Times" (19 SEP 1927, PAGE 16):

MAN KILLED IN LEAP
FROM HOTEL ROOM

Jesse Coogan of Salt Lake City
Falls Six Stories to Street
From the Clendening

DESPONDENT OVER DEBTS

Wife of Cousin Says Religious
Fanatacism Also May Have
Unbalanced His Mind

***

Leaving incoherent notes behind in his bedroom, Jesse Coogan, 50 years
old, of Salt Lake City leaped from a sixth story window of the Hotel
Clendening at 202 West 103d Street at 4 A.M. yesterday and died of his
injuries in Knickerbocker Hospital a few hours later.

James Anderson, night clerk in the hotel, heard the body fall and
found Coogan lying in the roadway.  The street was deserted at the time
and there were no witnesses to Coogan's jump.

In Coogan's room detectives found business cards describing his Salt
Lake City occupation as "heating plant installation."  An incoherent
letter asked that A. C. Christiansen of 408 Boston Boulevard, Salt
Lake City, be notified and expressed the hope that "all will be 
forgiven." but did not say for what the writer wished forgiveness.

"I know I can disprove the charges," the letter said in another place,
again failing to give details.

Mrs. Fannie Coogan, also a guest at the hotel, told the police she
was the wife of a cousin of the dead man.  She said Coogan had been a
religious zealot for many years and had spent a fortune on religious
work.  She said she believed his fanatacism had deranged his mind and
that when he was unable to find work in New York he became despondent.
Mrs. Coogan checked out of the hotel soon after daylight yesterday,
leaving no address.

The police notified Salt Lake City authorities of Coogan's death and
they wired later that Christiansen would claim the body.

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appearing in "Ogden Standard Examiner" [UT] (19 SEP 1927, PAGE ?):

INJURIES CAUSE 
UTAHN'S DEATH

Jesse Coogan Leaps From 
Sixth Floor of New 
York Hotel

***

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 - (By the Associated Pres.) - Jesse Coogan, aged 50,
said to be an installer of heating plants in Salt Lake City, Utah, was
killed here Sunday when he leaped from a window in the sixth floor of
a hotel.

Mrs. Fannie Coogan, a relative by marriage, said that Coogan was a
religious zealot who had come to New York in search of work.

Coogan died in the Knickerbocker hospital of a fractured skull one 
hour and a half after the fatal leap, without regaining consciousness.
An incoherent letter was found, detectives said, in his room.  It
expressed the hope that he would be forgiven and mentioned 
"brainstorms."

"I know I can't disprove the charges," said the letter, but no charges
were specified.

Disappointed at not being able to find work was the reason for the
suicide given by Mrs. Coogan.

RECEIVES HELP

SALT LAKE, Sept. 19 - Mr. Coogan left here on August 14, asking A. C.
Chrisensen of the Lagoon concessions interests to look after his
estate, using insurance proceeds, if "anything happened" to him.
Christensen said Coogan, president of the Coogan Engineering company,
had been worried over financial obligations, not being accustomed
to financial adversity.  Christensen and other friends advanced him
funds to get to New York.  Several times he had threatened to take
his own life but was encouraged to continue on in the hopes of 
better times.

Coogan came to Utah 15 years ago from Milwaukee and, during his
prosperous years, put considerable money into mining property.  He
lived at the Newhouse hotel and later at the chamber of commerce,
being unmarried.  His latest work was installing the heating plants
in the L.D.S. hospital and St. Mary-of-the-Wasatch college here.

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