The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-07-12
A Deliberate SUICIDE.
4 Former ResIdent of WashinGton,
Pa, Shoots Himself on axe
The Pittsburgh Commercial.

From the Pittsburgh Commercial.
On Saturday evening last the steamer
Muskegon started from Chicago for port
Grand Haven, bearing large number OF
pleasure-seekers, who were going across
the lake to spend the Sabbath and per-
haps the Fourth. Among the many pas
sengers who purchased tickets was noticed
a portly, Incorporating man, who wore Il
melancholy look upon his features, and
who appeared like person without
friends. As he entered the cabin he went
directly to his State.roOm, alter ne hau
registered his name where he remained
until dark. Then he came out upon lht
deck of the boat and paced backward
and forward in an ab>tracted manner LOT
n considerable time, when he returned
ogsin IN his state-room. About O clock
on SUNDAY morning, after the passengers
/ had retired he again came on deck, anu
! was seen bv the night-watchlnah III Inc
/ storm Of the steamer, where he sat med-
/ ;ts,inr for AN hour or more. In
,I,. meantime he had been to the
steward and asked for drink OF
Gounr of some kind. The stew
ard told him that no liquor WAS sold on
the boat, and he went away and was not
seen again. About four o'clock the re-
port OF a pistol was heard in the direction
of the stern, but nothing was observed,
and the watchman paid no further atten-
tion to the matter The steamer was at
this time about twenty miles of Grand
Haven. Two hours later, the port was
made, the passengers were awakened, ana
filed out upon shore. Then the man who
had attracted attention the night beior"
was found TO be missing, and search was
made for him on the boat, his disappear
ance being associated in the minds OF the
officers with the pistol shot heard the
night before They went to the state
room occupied by him, and there found
nothing but an ordinary linen duster.
But this proved sufficient to furnish a
clue TO the mystery, tor in one of the
pockets was found sealed envelope bear
ing the stamp of the Gault House; ad-
dressed to "any officer of the boat and
containing half sheet of common note
paper, on one side of which was written
with ink, in elegant penmanship, the fol-
lowing letter, nc date being given;
,'My name is Daniel X. Albright, from
Fort Madison, Lee county, Iowa. I'm
pecunious circumstances, financial en-
barrasments and inability to obtain en-
ployment has led to this result. Am
Mason and q Knight Templar, belong
ing to Jacques de Molay Commandery
No. 4, of Washington, Pa. | leave this
that there may hc no mistake as TO my
death, the nature and whereabouts there
of.
The above seemed to have been writ
ten at the Gault House and the follow
ing appears to have been added just be-
fore the fatal shot was fired as it WAS
written in pencil on the back Of the
sheet:
"From the report Of the pistol, You
will know | shot myself and cast my
body into the lake The small pittance
OF change you will enclose IN an enve-
lope and send to my wife, Mrs. d. X.
Albright. Fort Madison. Iowa. 1t is not
necessary to send linen duStcr left IN my
Statcroom, No. -.
The "small pittancc alluded to was
trihe over a dollar in currency 1t WAS
forwarded as requested.
Mr.. Albright was some years since en-
rared in the dry goods business in Wash
ington. Pa, and was well known and
highly esteemed. He failed in business
and went West. Recently he had son
clerking in a store in this city. The sui
eide seems 10 have been most deliberate,
and il Is strange that II person possessing
MIR. Albright's ability and intelligence
should have been driven to such dire
extremity from causes so apparently
trivial as those mentioned in the letter.
The body will probably never be recov-
cred.