Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-21
SHOT HIMSELF DEAD.
The Sad Fate of Walter e. scudde

AnC Sdo ate VI warner =. ScuQQcrs
IN GOOD HEALTH AND ExuBERASr SPIRITS LAST
EvHSIse-HK WRITES A LETTER TO HIS SWEET
HEART DIRECTLY AFrERwARD RECEIVES
In front room on the first floor Of No. 64l
East Capitol street lies the dead body Of Wal
ter t. Scudder, who, shortly before IL O'CLOCK
last night was apparently in good health and
exuberant spirits. AT II o'clock he was dead
In some inexplicable manner he had shot him.
self and he lived but three or four minute:
, after the fatal bullet punctured his breast.
In August, 1887, Mr.. Scudder came to thi:
city to take position in the government
printing Office, and up to the time of his death
had charge of the waste paper division of the
paper warehouse. He boarded, from the day
OF his arrival, in the home of DIR. Keech, at 42l
East Capitol street. Shortly before election
ne went to New York to vote, and after casting
ms ballot at Nyack, ON the Hudson, he went
over to Connecticut to see
THE YOUNG LADY TO WHOM HE WAS ENGAGED
"a Miss Maxson, whose home is in California
He remained in Connecticut until the young
lady was ready to return to her home and then
he escorted her as far as Philadelphia. She
continued on her way west and he came on
here. For some days after his return he was
sick; not seriously i'll, but simply under the
weather. This wore off and he returned to
his work In the printing Office ON Monday last
He left the Office yesterday at the usual hour
and at about $50 sat down to the dinner table
and ate more heartily than he had for some
time past He said the fresh frosty air had
braced him up so that he was himself again
In his demeanor he was
MORE THAN ORDINARILY CHEERFUL;
hrsry L.
him before. After dinner he went down to his
| cousins, Mrs. Van Doren, and there, in com.
pany with several relatives and friends. spent
the evening. Here. too, he was especially
bright. His mind seemed to be relieved of all
care, and his conversation was both wise and
witty He made an engagement with one OF
his cousins to take her to the Riding academy
on Saturday evening and to church on Sunday
and then at about $50 walked back to his Iodg-
ing and wrote letter to his afHanced (now in San
Francisco). About 10 o'clock he went downstairs
to the parlor, where the family was seated. and
asked for more wood for his stove. He con-
versed lightly for few minutes, and then took
the wood upstairs himself. Just about II
aclock sharp sound echoed through the house
and startled everyone. Miss Packard, who oc-
cupied room adjoining that of Mr.. Scudder's
called out: "Mr. Scudder. are you ill?" The
only reply she received was groan, and before
she could say anything more DR.. Keech and Mr.
w.
rushed upstairs and into Mr.. Scuddcr's room
SITTING UPRIGHT IN HIS CHAIR AND BLEEDING
TO DEATH.
Mr.. Scudder was seated in a chair. almost
upright and from his mouth and nostrils blood
was gushing at very rapid rate. DIR. Keech
at once supposed that his boarder was suffering
him the wounded man convulsively twisted
himself out Of the chair and fell upon the floor
and this movement threw the pistol out OF
Seudder's lap. That told the tale. Kicking
the deadly weapon to one side, the doctor lifted
the dying mans head and looked into his face
only to see there the imprint Of death. A few
seconds later, without a word or an appearance
OF consciousness, the unfortunate man departed
this life.
DIR. Keech at once notified Lieut.. Boteler,
who lives in the immediate vicinity, and that
officer responded without delay Suicide was
the first and natural impression but searching
investigation failed to reveal any cause for such
an act. On the table was the letter which Mr.
Scudder had just concluded. sealed and ad-
dressed, and near it were a number of
LETTERS WHICH HAD BEEN WRITTEN BY MISS
MANSON.
In none of these could there be found any,
thing which would be apt to cause a man to
take his own life-they were filled with Just
such expressions of hope and brightness as
would be naturally looked for in epistles of
their nature.
One very singular paragraph in the letter
which Scudder had just written referred to the
pistol through the fundamentally of which he
was killed. 1t seems that the young lady had
been requested by her brother Herbert (now
in California; to bring out with her an old pis-
tOl OF his which had for some years been loaded.
She was requested to have some one explode
the charges. but no one cared to do it, SO the
pistol was packed away in one of her trunks 1t
was evident that Mr.. Scudder had conversed
with Miss Maxson about this pistol. for in the
letter he gives expression to the hope that it
arrived at its destination without having done
any damage. Then he went on to say that he
had
JUST DISCOVERED AN OLD PISTOL,
which he had carried, and that, too, had been
loaded for long time. From this, he said. he
had just removed the cartridges, so there
might be no chance for an accident. Whether
he had not removed the cartridges when he
was shot, or whether he believed that all the
chambers were empty and was swapping the
pistol mechanically, will never be ascertained
The only circumstance connected with his
death that seems to controvert the theory
of accident is the wound itself. The ball en-
tered the breast about an inch and three-quar-
tiers above the left nipple and little to the
right OF 1t. Its course was straight through
the body. The muzzle of the pistol was held
so close to the body that the shirt was burned
by the explosion.
The body remained at Dr. Keech's residence
until this morning, when it was removed by
Undertaken ZurhOrst to Mrs. Van Doren's
home.
CERTIFICATE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH.
Coroner Patterson examined the body this
morning, and after inquirins into the circum-
stances surrounding the deceased gave a
certificate of accidental death from pistol
shot wound, the pistol being, at the time in
the hands of the deceased"
THE DECEASED AND HIS FAMILY
The deceased was thirty-three years of age
and was born at Princeton, N. J. He was
graduate of Princeton college, and for some
time previous to his appointment to the gov
eminent printing office was a teacher in Nyack
college, N, Y. The mother Of the deceased re-
sides ct South Amboy N. j., and her only re-
naming son is a druggist in Newark, n J. The
deceased was a cousin of Mr. P. V. De Graw.
the local manager of the United Press.
Miss MaxsOn to whom the deceased was en-
gagged, is a sister of Civil Engineer Maxson. of
the Washington navy-yard. VIM. f. Scudder.
the brother of the deceased. is expected here
this evening, and he will probably take the
body back to Princeton, where it will be in
tered
The Charge Against Major Blood.
ON TRIAL IN THE CRIMINAL COURT TO-DAY.
In the Criminal Court, Judge Montgomery,
to-day, the charge of obtaining money by false
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