Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-15
AREMARKABLE TRAGEDY.
Man and Wife Found Dead To.
gether.
Is a Case Of Double S,.icides

Is It a Case Of Double Suicide?
The very mysterious deaths OF John and Jane
Riley, man and wife, discovered early this morn
ing, have caused considerable excitement in the
neighborhood where it occurred, X, between
18th and 14th streets northwest. Mr.. Ben Hol-
laday, the well known mall contractor, resioes
at No. 1911 street northwest. It seems that
his hostler, John Muir. went to the stable in the
alley, in the rear of Mr.. Holidays residence,
this morning to give directions to Mr.. Riley, the
stableman, who slept In bed room over the
stable. Finding the door locked, Muir raped,
put could get no response. He reported the
facts to Mr.. Holiday. and they proceeded 70 the
stable sta s from the inside OF the yard and forced
the door on that side Proceeding up stairs the
body of John Riley was found on his bed,
stretched at full length. and the body OF his wife
ON the floor beside the bed, both dead. Riley was
clothed only In his drawers and undershirt; his
wife had all her clothing on except her shoes
and bonnet. There We're no signs of violence,
no blood, nor any other evidences Of a struggle,
as no walls or bottle showing evidences OF hav-
ing contained poison were found in the room.
Mr.; Holiday was shocked at this terrible sight,
and he at once dispatched his hostler to the
police station, ,on Massachusetts, avenue betwee
9TH and 10th streets. TO notify the officers ther
OF the facts. Sergeant Milstead at once repaire
10 the place and found the condition o
thirgS as stated above. Mr.. Riley had
heen in Mr. Holladay's employment for
ONE time as laborer and stable man. Mrs
Riley was IN service at the house OF
gentleman on |. street, and was in the habit OF
visiting her husband at his room over Mr.. Hol-
adays stable. IL was ascertained that she had
visited her husband last evening, and that they
lad left to go out about O'Clock last night, she
being somewhat under the influence OF liquor.
II is not known at what hour they returned,
and 1t was rather unusual for her @ 10 remain sm an
cured from within, the keys to each entrance
being found in the locks inside when the door
was forced. Another singular Iact Is y, TeatedM ia
other. No quarrel or difference had ever been
known TO exist between them. They were ootn
about As years of age, and had . oeea zen
no children living, their only child.
daughter having died when quite young. The
belief among the household OF Mr. liolladay Is
that it was premeditated suicide. Mrs. Holla-
day observed a gaslght in the window OF the
stable at ! O'Clock this morning. and communi-
Gated the fact to her husband, who thought
nothing of Il. The gas was burning this morn
ing. dimly, II having been partially turned OH.
Riley was stretched at length on his back on the
single cot bed In the room. his knees bent, his
feet resting on the bed and his eyes closed as IL
peacefully sleeping. His wife was beside the
bed her head resting on the side OF 1t, one knee
the right one-bent under her. and the other
leg extended in front, With the chair tilted over
on her back, position showing that she had
pitched forward. From the indications on the
! floor It appeared that she had vomited while
resting In the position in which she was found.
| There was no unusual smell in the room of gas
| CT drugs OF any kind and no indications what
| ever OF foul play. Mr.. Holiday sent for the
| coroner, and it was afterwards concluded TO re-
| move the body TO Mr.. Buchly's, the undertaken,
| on Pennsylvania avenue. between 9th and 10Th
streets. toprepare for burial, previous TO which
| an inquest will be held. Coroner Patterson de-
! cided not TO hold the Inquest untfl tomorrow,
so as to give him time to get up all the evidence
in the case that can throw any liShton the mys-
| teriOuS affair."
! The deceased was a member of Hibernian
! Society No. /, of this city, In good standing,
! and both he and his wife were generally popular
| among their acquaintance and much respected,
| They were both born and raised In Ireland.
| Riley came here in 1861 as body servant to an
| was in the employ OF Lord Lyons as coachman
| up to the time Lord Lyons was recalled. He
! was an experienced coachman, having been
| raised at this service. Lately he had purchased
| a house and lot on 18th street, for which he
| owed a part of the purchase money, but was
not pecuniarily embarrassed. His wife came
| here from Philadelphia, and they were married
which time they had lived together happily and
| without ever the slightest difference between
| them, so far as Is known.
SUPPOSED TO BE DEATHS FROM Po IsoN,
AT one O'Clock to-day, under the direction OF
| Dr. Patterson, the coroner Dr. j. L. Hart1gan,
assisted by DR.. McArdle and Others. made a
| post mortem of the bodies at MI. Buckly'S eS-
| tablishment. The organs OF both OF the de-
ceased were In perfectly healthy condition,
but the stomachs which did not contain the
same kind of food, showed some irritation,
which would indicate the presence OF an irlta-
! ting poison, but it is impossible to say what
| kind until an analysis is made.
Dr., Hartigan completed the post mortem
| about ~ O'Clock, ahd says that there was an
entire absence of natural causes OF death In
! each case There Is presumption tnab the
! poison was taken outside, and that the man
quietly laid down for it to do its work, while
! the woman was evidently In the act OF undreSs-
| ing when it took effect.