New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-14
SHOT HIMSELF AS HE FELL.
PECULIAR DEATH IN MOUNT VERNON.
CAPTAIN wHrrrAKER FOUND AT THE HEAD or
THE STAIRS WITH BULLET IN HIS HEAD

TKB STAIRS WITH A BULLET IN HIS hh'>N
--BEIdEF THAT 1T WAS AN ACCIDENT
The shooting and death Of Captain Frederick
Whitaker at his home, at Seventh-aNe ana oeV-
enthst, Mount Vernon, at II a. m yesterday i"o
70 the general belief that he had commltteo SUI
eide, but at the inquest by Coroner NordouS0 'ii0
verdict was accidental death or otherwise W
the fury unknown" Captain WhjttaKS was
well-known man, prominent "F'"'
q conspicuous figure in Mount Vernon. wnere ne
had lived for eighteen years before hls ocS'n' nc
was a man of peculiar temperament h"soi"ie
his manner, and became violent al hn'er rN"4S
that he had become mentally unoaIahce"' ", nD'
two years ago he became a convert 10 spirl'u"i-
ism and was an enthusiastic worker IN 'ii"C 0"u'o
The first person TO arrive after the shoouhg was
BENJAMIN F. Ashley, Editor and proprietor oi
westchester County Record VINO mas oeeh Oiie
firm friend of Captain Whitaker for many Seuro'
He had been sent for by the dead mau 8 "lie' M"
arrived about twenty minutes a1ter the snooIins'
The dead mans wife and dsughUer' VINO "ei'
down stairs at the time, told him they heaFu ono
.bo, nnd fan at the same time. MIR. Ashley went
up the stairs and found the dying man prea'hInH
his last AZ the landing on the second door Be
s;as him Law the five-chambered revolver with one
chamber empty: across the body was the Cap
tain's walking stick, and near by his hat The
onlv sign of life was slight dutterng OF the
mis- DR.. Carlisle, the family physician, was the
next to arrive, and found life extinct.
THE COURSE OF THE BULLET.
On making an examination Of the wound, the
doctor discovered that the bullet had entered the
skull at the centre of the right parietal bone and
passed obliquely forward and downward through
the brain TO the left side and lodged under the
orbit Of the left eye
The coroner was suommoned, but before he ar
rived the body had been taken downstairs and laid
out, by direction of Mr. Ashley. In the afternoon
the inquest was held in a room on the first door
by Coroner Nordquist aud jury. The theory ad-
ysnced by Mr.. Ashley, that the shooting was accl.
dental was accepted by the jury. In the course
Of the examination q paper was produced by the
coroner, which had been found folded in pote
in the dead mans pocket. II was memorandum I
without date or signature, and had apparently
been written by Captain. Whitaker in the morn
ing. II set forth that he had in January last In
dorsed with Colonel Henry tIuss note for $500
for f. L. Wright; that Wright had been trying to
cheat him, and caused him much trouble. This
was not considered sufficient cause for suicide by
the jury, and the theory OF accident was adhered
TO- the verdict beng given as above stated.
Inquiries made in the town by Tribune re-
porter proved that the quarrel of the captain with
K L. Wright had caused the former much unhap-
piness for some time. These men had formerly
been intimate friends, and worked together in pom
tics Captain Whitaker had raised the $500
loan TO enable his friend 70 &C 10 housekeeping,
captain learning that only part of the money
had beer used for the purpose intended. ana than
q chattcl mortgage had been gwen 70 another per
son on the furniture bought with the money. The
first p. yment of 500 on the note to the Lincoln
National Bank OF this city, was due on SATURDAY,
and Captain Whitaker paid il, although ne had
not received the money from Wright; Inc atter
said yesterday that the captain had slandered him
and misreprcscnted the case. He was ready TO
make the payment OF 81 90, be said, when he
heard OF the captains death.
SOME DOUBTS ABOUT THE CAUSE
Other men were seen who secuted the theory
of the shooting being accidental. 1t was true
that there was no written or recorded threat OF
suicide, they said but the dead man was a victim
to sudden caprices. and had, besides his trouble
with Wright, a domestic life which was far from
what it should be- Dark hints Of debt and ex-
frayagance were made and the belief that such
n wound in such o place could have been inflicted
by any manner OF accident was hughed NJ as pre-
posterous. =,
The revolver was one he had carried for several
Years and was 3S-calibre His wife testified at
the inquest that he had probably taken 1t out OF
his pocket as he went up the stars; ana u mac
been discharged as he fell. Captain WhlttaKer nao
been downtown in the morning, and the shooting
occurred Immediately after his return home.
He was born in London. and was ABOUT nltV
years old. He came 10 this country when a young
man, and made his living by writing exciting sea
stories At the breaking out Of the Rebellion he
enlisted as a private in the 9th NewYork Cavalry
was shot through the left lung at the battle or
the Wilderness and rose to the rank of brcVet cap
tain. After four years OF service he returned TO
his literary IaborS. and became attached 70 the
editorial staff Of I" The Army and Navy journal
His bestknown works were The iAfe m OF Uenerai
Custer The Volunteer Cavalry " The Cadet
Baton. and his stories in "The New-York
Ledger" but he was contributor 70 several
other papers and some of the leading magazines;
He was member Of Parnsworth Post, G. A. H.
at Mount Vernon: of the Charles Lawrence Post,
Portchester, and of the Press Club in this city.