Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-22
singular Suicide of a Colored Man

HOW HE TRIED TO Oh SSGE HIS BAD LUCK
AND DIDN'T SUCCEED.
This morning, about one O'Clock. Robert NJ
Wood, colored man, who has for a month past
been engaged in keeping A refreshmenL saloon
at the corner of 10th and p streets north west,
shot himself in the forehead with a pistol, the
ball entering the skull above the left eye. His
wife, who was present in the room at the time,
Immediately blew a whistle. and the police Off :
GERS responding. physician, DIR. Stearns was
sent for, but could do nothing for the sufferer
as the wound was fatal, aud death ensued about
- O'Clock this morning. DIR. Patterson, the
coroner, was summoned, and on making inqui-
rles into the case, ascertained the following
facts from the wife and cousin of the victim
the latter boy:-For some time past Wood has
been
EMBARRASSED IN BUsISRRs.
Persons he was indebted 10 were pressing him,
and he was unable to collect money due him
For three or four days past he has been unusu-
ally depressed in spirits, walking much, in a
thoughtful mood. A little over month ago he
moved from the square above, and since then
had been impressed with the Idea that persons
in the neighbOrhOod were prejudiced against
him. An old man from Alexandria. named
Page, about 80 years old, had been to see him,
and
PROMISED TO GIVE HIM GOOD LICK.
telling him to nail left-.Oot hOrsC shoe outside
his door, and right-tOot horse shoe inside, and
todriye nine penny nails in a circle in a certain
plank, and good luck would certainly return to
hlm lie did not follow these directions, and
the man, when he came again, gave him a piece
OF root, telling HIM TO drop some whisky on it
three times day, and wear il in his pocket,
and whenever lie was making a bargain he
should put his hands ON this root. This he did
but still his good luck did not return, and he
was then told to put IL IN running water,
TO REMOVE THE SPELL.
he said that the work was done, and he
cOuldn DO any more, and yesterday said he
paper yesterday headed 50 a Sickening Mys-
tery,' referred to him. The wife said that She
had been 10 fOrtuhe-teller's, and was told tn at
two stoTekeepers in the neighborhOod- a
TAI man and the other short uaan-had pot
the old man to conjure her husband Last night
ne saiu theI were going TO be surrounded and
he sent her to Mr.. Maurice Huriey's
to borrow pistol saying that he was afraid of
helhg attacked, and about II y O'Clock at night
Mt. Hurley raped at the door, when Wood
said TO his wife that they were there then She
recognized Mr.. Hurley's voice. and the deceased
got mp, and, cutting one of the window cords,
let Il down to him Hurley and drew up the
pistol thereby. She then told him 70 be care
full, saying that she was afraid il would strike
something and go of. They both laid down
again, and about ] O'Clock this morning he
awoke her, saying he heard some one He then
jumped up and went to the back window and
said he saw man on the shed. He told her to
would fix him. She did not see any one, and as
she was turning away
THE PISTOL WENT OPP AND HER HUSBAND
WAS KILLED.
She believed that 1t was accidentai; that the
pistol was discharged by striking the bed. DIR.
Patterson decided that an inquest was un-
necessary, coming 10 the CONCLUSION that the
deceased killed himself while laboring under a
nj OF insanity, and gave a certificate to that
The deceased was quite a good -looking, ro-
bust man, and is said by his neighbors TO have
borne good character, being sober and indus
trlous, ana attendlng strictly TO his business.
MILITARY NOTES.-The COrcoran Zouaves.
under the command OF the energetic CsntsIn
Enoch, have just organized and equipped a NJ ne
brass band OF 20 pieces, as stated In TIE STAR
a few days since. IL Il under the lead of Pro-.