The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-16
DETAILS OF rue TRAGEDY.


Was Discovered -DIGd by Ills Own Hand.
WAsuINoroN, Dec. l5.-The suicide Of
Hon. Franklin B. Gowen, Of Philadel-
phia, formerly president Of the Philadsl-
phia & Reading railroad, was great and
painful surprise here in Washington,
where the popular Philalelphian had a
wide circle Of acquaintances aud friends.
II was known to very few that he was in
the city at all. He came to Washington
on Monday last, to conduct the George
Rice oil cases against Southwestern rail.
roads before the Interstate Commerce
Commission, and on Tuesday, Wednes-
day and Thursday he appeared as Mr..
RiCe's attorney in those cases.
Mr. Gowen had not been noticed about
the hotel since Friday afternoon, when
no retired to his room, which he oCcu.
pied alone, having come 10 Washington
nnaCcompanied. Yesterday afternoon
the clerk began to suspect that some.
thing had happened TO Mr.. Gowen, for
lie had not been seen since dinner time
yesterday. Hesent several times to Mr..
Gowen's room, aud repeated kuoCklngs
Jailed to bring any response.
DISCOVERY OF THE BODY.
at length 1t was decided to break into
the room, and Policeman Cross was
called In from his beat 10 assist. A man
was lifted up and climbed in over the
transou. He found the body OF Mr..
Gowen lying on the floor, with his head
under the table. The dead man had
evidently stood up before the mirror
aud fired the fatal shot. The pistol was
a Smith & Wesson, 3S.caliber, brand
new. It lay on the hearth several feet
from the body. Its ivory handle was
crimsoned with blood.
The dead man was very well dressed,
and his coat and underwear were soaked
in blood. Through the wound In the
head the brains were ooEing. The body
was cold, showing that death had taken
place several hours ago, probably before
midnight.
THE FRIENDS NOTIFIED.
Aid was called and the body removed
In q patrol wagon to the morgue. A
messenger was sent to Postmaster Gen.
etal Wanamaker, who was friend Of
Mr.. Gowen, aud kilograms were sent to
the dead mans friends 10 Philadelphia.
Notice was at once sent 10 the Coroner,
who made preparations for an inquest.
The head clerk at the hotel says that
Mr.. Gowen was in the habit OF taking q
little champagne with his meals, but
nothing else. The fact that the explo.
sion Of the pistol in the hotel produced
no excitement whatever, is one OF the
remarkable features Of the affair. There
was q decided dlsinClinatiOn 10 talk
about the case In the hotel. One OF the
attaches Of the house protested that he
Knew very little more about the matter
than that his duties kept him overseeing
matters generally at the hotel. The pro.
ptietor very properly refused 10 take
any steps towards removing the remains
until alter the arrival Of the police.
During the afternoon many prominent
people called at Wormley's, to offer any
asslstahCe possible In having the dead
mans body removed 10 bis home in
Philadelphia.
INSANITY SUSPECTED.
All Of these callers, several OF whom
are warm friends Of Mr.. Gowen's Of
many years. standing, expressed the
greatest surprise at bis act, and only one
OF them yentured au opinion as to the
cause Of IL. This gentleman, who Is an
old Philadelphian and friend OF the dead
man, was confident that insanity was the
cause Of the suicide. Insanity rims In
the 9owen family, this gentleman said,
and he recalls the fact that one OF the
three brothers OF the man who killed
himself yesterday disappeared mySte.
ftouBly q few years ago and was never
heard Of again.
Mr.. GoWen has been very closely cor !.
lnsd 10 hls business affairs since coming
70 Washington, on Monday last, and has,
there fore, seen comparatively low Of I'D
triendS, He spent nearly all hls time ia
the rooms Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, and the members and oiti.
clalg oi this body all say they have no.
tiCed nothing unusual In bis manner,
and have seen no slgns Of illness or men.
tai eGCitement Of any kind.
THE aoDY RENoyEp.
early 10 the evening the body was
taken from the inorgue 10 the under.
taking establishment, aud soon after the
I a