New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-20
A DOCTOR SHOOTS HIMSELF.
PULLING THE TRIGGER ACCIDENTALLY.


n
BRAIN WHILE CLEANING A REVOLVER.
Among the people living in Washington
Heights few have been moro popular than Dr. william
rockingham. Unostentatious beuevocnce an cxten.
sve practice long residence and social habits had won
ior MN the esteem and regard OF large circle Of
friends and acquaintances. His handsome house at
one-hundred-and-fiftysc aud st. Nichoasave
Ia prominent feature in the landscape Yesterday
AFTER an early hour In the morning the blinds were all
drawn and later piece Grape traed from the front
door bell announcing to the neghbors that death had
entered the household but few were aware in what
sudden and tragic fashion.
few nights ago DIR. rockingham sat In his Office
awaiting the return Of his daughter. who at tho
Manhattan Hospital Fair. draught OF air attracted
his attention discovered that door was
wide Open Thinking that thieves might have entered
the house he took down FROM SHELF where 1t had lain
for years loaded revolver and made thorough search
OF the premises only to find that his suspicious
groundless. When ho replaced the weapon he
MOTTO ed that it somewhat rusty aud when
relating the incident afterward his family he OBJ served
that the pistol mgls have played false if he had
como across any burglars and that he would have to
clean it.
Yesterday the doctor in his accustomed cheerful
mood. He conducted family prayers usual His
daughter spoke to him about her dog which had been
sick time and had lost all his companiOnab.e
qualities She SAID that she had thOuLht Of
giving it 10 friend. He advised against this
probably knowing that its condition wOull mako
1t dnZcrOus gift and said that he would be;tcrk the
dog and fad another for her.
"If yOl thnk that is best, papa" she said the tears
yelling TO her eyes. "you can xii the dog"
lie replied: 81 will go into the office overhaul the
old pistol" and he proceeded nt to make prepara
lions for getting rid Of the dog. few minutes later
Robert RathbOne, whose friendship for Dr. FrOihing-
ham dates back twenty years drove along, and, obsev
ing lady members Of the household the soOp,
stopped chat with them. Miss rockingham
claimed suddenly turning pale:
There's noise; father was cleaning his pistol and
TIA afraid something has happened. Please come in."
Nr. RatAboDe jumped from his wagon hurried
into the doctors Office. Miss Froihingham's
forebod.ngs were. alas too Dr. FrOthn CHAM lay
stretched Al fu length his back the winiOw,
blood flowing from wound Ia the inside corner .! his
right eve, and Ooling from his month Tic smoking re-
yolyer bis feet aid by lay his specacCs.
steel Of or the glasses had been broken Dy
the bullet and fragments Of lhe glass strcws about
The hOor. which IN enc place was botched VITA blood.
ON the desk was snail phlal OF OIL some rags aud Il
cleanne.rOd with rag drawn through the slot at one
end. showing that the doctor had cot everything
ready fer cleaning the pistol DR.. Fro bingham
rtill breathing when Mr. kathJOne entered the
bat lie expired in few moments The bullet haG lodged
just how the accident happencd-for there is nothing
indicate thrt 1t was other than an accd"n-ls, 0r
course. matter OF surmse hut 1t would seem that Dr.
Troh!nghau whose eyesght defective, had stepped
To the window better how remove the cartrge,
and while fumblhE with the breach the hinge being
stiil il somehow cooked and discharged the weapon t
wa, 32calible Smih Wcsson. anl after 1t had been
speedily and s.irnUhcaliy extracted
Coroucr Kennedy ana has deputy, DIR. Conway, nI.ie
an examination IN the afternoon. took depOStOn> and
.rantcd burial permit. Mrs Fr0thinghi aDscnC
n Germantown, visiting GdUghtCrthe wife OF Sheld II
Potter, nephew Of Bishop Potter She ana her daEsh-
ter teIeGrdpGcU IOr.
Dr. IrOthinEhain born at JOhnstOwn y. Y, in
1880. Ills mother a niece Of Washington Irving
and daughter of General Richard Dodge. who married
the authul', ,lslor Anne living iIo graduated
from Union College and Obtained his medical diploma
from College of Physicians and Surgeons IN lsJ4.
For three years thereafter he worked AT Bellevue
Hospital, where he was as,9ciael with
Dr, Draper and sands. He attcrwam
went abroad and studied medicine Tor
two years Paris and Berlin At tie outbreak OF tho
war he entered the army surgeon OF the iith New
York Nolrnieer Before the termination OF the war -
contracted typhoid fever and hUnOraby discharged.
When ne had rr-aIutd his health he settled practs
ins ply stefan NcW-lork. where lac has lived.
lie was OF the physicians who attended Charles
O'COnor when his life was 50 long despalred Of Hs
Il niece Of james ". Brown the broker. she aud
the daughters mentioned the surviving me ubers
his immediate family. Dr. Rockingham was Que OF
eight brothers. three OF whom Presbyterian minis
ters. ply slclduS, one civil engineer aud Ole
sculptor lie himself elder in tue Presby tcrdu
Church.