New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-23
ACCIDENT OR SUICIDEf


MAN.
The sound of pistol shot was heard in the Hotel
Brunswick about o'clock Yesterday morning while
nearly every one in thebuilding asleep Pat
rick F. Rooney, the night watchman, who was in
the lower part Of the building, thought that tho
sound had been made by the sudden slamming Of
door or by the fall of some heavy body About four
hours later the watchman while on the top floor
of the hotel noticed light shining through tho
transom over the door room No.227 Thinking that
the room was unoccupied, and that the gas had
been left burning by mistake Rooney tried thc
door and found it unlocked As he stepped into the
room to turn of the gas he saw lying on the moor
the body of a man in full dress. The mans head
rested upon the fender of the fireplace IN one corner
of the room. The hands and arms were out
stretched the palms of the hands being turned up
ward. Near the right hand lay large revolver Of
the English bulldog" variety with an ivory
handle. There was pool OF blood
on the carpet and blood stains the right side OF
the mans face. The watchman felt of one OF the
hands and II was cold. Then he ran down stairs
and told the clerk, Homer L. Blinn, what he had
seen.
The clerk recognized the body rs that OF Philip
SCHUYLER Van Rensselaer,, a boarder at the hotel.
He at once dispatched porter TO the residence OF
Dr. Thomas H. Allen, No. 90 Madison-ave. The
physician found that death had been caused by o
shot wound in the side Of the head almost directly
above the ear The bullet from the revolver.
of fortv-four calibre, had entered the cavity
of the skull in slightly oblique direction and had
pessed through a portion of the BRAIN 1t had not
passed out of the head. DIR. Allen expressed ms
opinion that death had been instantaneous and
that the man had been dead about four hours. Tho
hotel clerk remembered that Mr.. Van Rensselaer,
had entered the hotel and had taken the key to his
room at the desk shortly before O'Clock. Early on
Tuesday evening he had taken his wife and her
cousin, Miss Annie Biddle, of Philadelphia, to SEQ
the San Francisco Minstres and after their return
from the theatre he had gone out again. Mrs. van
Rensselaer, and her cousin came to the hotel
together from Philadelphia few days ago and
were sleeping III double room on the second
floor
Before informing Mrs Van Rensselaer, OF tho
death of her husband Mr.. Blinn sent for the dead
mans brother James 4. Van Rensselaer,, who IL o
lawyer at No. 206 Broadway and lives at No. 40
West Thirty-seventh-s Mrs. Van Rensselaer, was
20 much prostrled by grief that she kept her room
during the rest of the day and only her rela-
tivcs.
THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATIONS.
The police were informed of the shooting also, and
made an investigation. The room which Mr. Van
Rensselaer, had occupied was a small one; it
contained a bed, washstand writing table, ono
OF two chairs and two leather trunks. The remain
ing space was hardly large enough for half dozen
persons to move about IN. When Mr.. Van Rens-
| selaer's body was found the furniture was all In
place. 1t was clear that the man had not been shot
by any other person than himself, as his clothing
was not dsarranged and his watch, pocket-book
| and some valuable jewery had not been disturbed
| Traces of powder noticeable on the index
| finger of his right hand and upon the fingers and
palm of his left hand indicating clearly that ne had
/ f.aII with hnf
the the muzsie and the index finger of the
where the bnllet entered his head there were marks
| of burnt powder The police regarded the case as
one of suicide, and the Sergeant on duty at the
Thrtieth Street Police Station telegraph the fol-
| lowing message to Police Headquarters:
Philip Van Rensselaer,. boarder ia the Hotel Brans.
wick committed suicide by shooting himself In the right
| The police also sent word of the shooting TO tho
| Coroners office. and Coroner Merklc went to tho
| hotel in the afternoon, accompanied by Deputy
and the bullet was found nbedded between
the scalp aud skull bone on the left side OF the
head nearly opposite the point where iG had en-;
| and had lacerated the brain badly IN Its course
| through the head The direction of the bullet
showed that the barrel Of the weapon must haze
| been held bearly perpendicular to the side of tho
| head. Coroner Merkle took the testimony of the
hotel clerk and night watchman and OF Dr. Allen.
He also had private conversation with the brother
| of the dead man. When spoken to by reporter OF
The TRIBUNE afterward, The Coroner said he be-
lieved thaf the shoe ing was accidentaL lie based
his belief on the statements made To him by James
L. Van Rensselaer, and others thae
| there was no known cause for suicide,
and that the dead man had been known to handle
his revolver carelessly.
REGARDED AS AN ACCIDENT BY THE DEAD MANS
PRIENDs.
James T. Van Rensselaer, said that his brother had
no cause for suicide so far as known by any Of
his relatives He was only thrty-eight years old,
and was healthy aud sonnd In body and mind. He
had comfortable income. was free from debt and
happy in his domestic relations His
wife idolizcd hlm. and he loved her
passlonate.y. They had children. He had
travelled extensively, and he was well educated.
His business was prosperous and was not Of nature
to troubIe him. Although hv hsd purchased stocks
occasionally, he was not q speculator. His habits
were beyond reproach. Personally, brave snd gem
erous and possessing unusual physical beauty. hc
was faVorite IN society, aud 1t was nos
known that he had any enemies Since
1867 he had spent much Of his time in the summer
in California and the Territories where he owned
mining property Last he made ia S G
through mining regions and places occnpied by tho
Indians. He returned TO tho East in January; His
pha during her husbands absence and he joined her
there. He came 20 this city and rook room in tho
Hotel Brunswick about six weeks ago. In speak
ing about his Western journey to his brother. In his
room in the hotel recently he showed the fevoiver
which he had carried with HIM and which he said
he had used lie haDdled II so careessly that
his brother said Phil. be careful You will
hurt yourself" Philip only laughed aud said he
was used to the weapon. In referring TO tins tho
brother said feel certain that Philip shot him.
self by accident lie was fond of handling the re-
volver and he probably took IT out of his pocket to
examine 1t after going to his room this morning.
lie must have been holding il loosely IN both hands
and he very likely turned his head 10 one side as is
was discharged. he revolver was selfcocking.
with very delicate movement"
oil IL. >ln IranH HlSfn nn n
the deceased man, said that the theory OF suicide
was absurd; Mr.. Van Rensselaer, could not have
had any motive for self destruction.
s. Van Rensselaer, Cruger. consin of the dead
man, when asked by u TRIBUNE reporter whether