A Quiet Seattle Prospector Dies in a Hotel—and There Will Be No Inquest
John B. Conrad was found dying at the Grand Hotel; a friend from Seattle could offer no reason for suicide, and the case was closed without an inquest.
Jan. 8.—Special.—L. T. Westerman, a Seattle blacksmith, came here today to aid, if possible, in deciding what caused the death of John B. Conrad, of that city, who was found dying yesterday at the Grand Hotel, and died soon after. Mr. Westerman says Conrad was a quiet, kindly man, who prospected in the mountains much and spent a considerable portion of his time at the city library in Seattle reading and studying. He says there is no reason why Conrad should have committed suicide. Conrad's brother, Samuel A. Conrad, of Grand Island, Neb., has been notified of his death. Conrad had another brother, whose whereabouts are unknown. There will be no inquest.
“There will be no inquest.”
Before medical examiners and routine death investigations, unexplained deaths could be closed with a few interviews and no formal inquiry. Conrad's case—a quiet library habitue, a hotel death, a family notified by telegraph—shows how easily a life could end without a public accounting.
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