New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15
F. B. GOWEN A SUICIDE.
SHOOTING HIMSELF IN HIS ROOM AT WORM
LEY'S.
no CAUSE KNOWN FOR THE ACT - VISITING
WASHINGTON TO ARGUE SOME CASES BE-
FORE THE INTERSTATE CoMMTssToNs
-wORMLEYS UNsEEMLy HASTE
10 REMOVE THE BODY


FORE THE INTERSTATE COMMISSION
-woRMLEYs UNsEEMLy HASTE
TO REMOVE THE BODY.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRypUsEJ ~
Washington, Dec 14.-Franklin B. GoweD, OF
Philadelphia, formerly president of the Phila.
delphIa and Reading Railroad Company was found
dead in his room, at WormIeys Hotel, at about
1 o'clock this afternoon, with bullet wound
through his head. lie had undoubtedly COM
mitted suicide. Mr.. Gowen came TO Washington
on Monday last TO conduct the George RICE oil
cases against Southwestern railroads before the
Interstate Commerce Commission and on Tues
day, Wednesday and Thursday appeared as Mr..
Rice's attorney in those
The last seen of Mr.. Gowen at
the hotel before his dead body was
discovered. was about o'clock yester-
day afternoon. when he came down TO the dining
room to take luncheon. He then appeared to bo
in excellent spirits Later in the afternoon the
chambermad of the hotel went to the room occu-
piei nv Mr. Gowen, but found the key was
on the inside and Mr.. Gowen in the
room.
This morning the maid discovered that the
door was still locked, and, at about
D. m after making several un-
successful attempts to get into Mr. 'iowen's
room reported the fact to the clerk. The latter
procured step-ladder and, looking over the tram
som. saw Mr. Gowen lying on the floor, with
pistol by his side. When the door was opened, Mr.
GOwen was found to be dead. The body was lying
with the head under the table. The dead
man had evidently stood up before the mirror
to fire the fatal shot. The pistol was
brand-new Smith & Wesson, OF thry-e ght calibre.
1t lay the hearth several feet from the body.
Its ivory handle was crmsoned with blood. The
dead man seemed to have dressed himself with
more than usual care His coat and underwear
were soaked in blood Through the wound in
the head the brains were oozng. The body was
cold. fact which at first led to the belief tbas
death had occurred yesterday. But later de-
veopments have modified that belief man
who occupied the room adjoining Mr.. Gowens is
habtually in his room except between the hours
of and % o'clock at night, and he is confident
that he would have heard the report of pistol
if fired late last night Then, too. the drop light
was found overturned and unlit on the floor. The
bed had apparently been occupied, though the
covering had been carelessly arranged; and con-
frmatory evidence that the deed committed
this morning was found by the coroner in the
perfect pliability of the limbs of the body.
Mr. Gowen's ba ggage consisted Of a valise and
tin box of legal papers. In his pockeA, IN
bills and coin, l26. There were also 6cme
French COINS evidently carried pocketpeces.
All the dead mans effects were taken TO the
Central Station. The body taken 10 the
morgue in New-Jersey-avc.
Postmaster General Wanamaler and Major John
NJ Carson of "The Philadelphia Ledger" both
of whom warm personal friends of the dead
man, were requested TO inform Mr.. Gowen's
friends in Philadelphia. The hotel management
naturally refused to do anything toward getting
Il.
None of the friends of the suicide is able 10
assign any reason for the rash act. The mem.
bers of the Interstate Commerce Commission, be-
fore whom Mr.. Gowen appeared counsel for
Mr. Rice within the last few days, unite in saying
that at no time did Mr. Gowen appear to greater
advantage than he did then. His argument was
lucid. incisve and logical. His manner did not
betray in the least any worry or anxiety OF nlnd.
Commissioner Morrison said tonight that. so far
as he was able to judge, Mr.. Gowen,
when he appeared before the Commits
sion, was in the best OF spirits possible
friend of the unfortunate man suggested tonight
that the tragedy might have been the result, TO
some extent, of hereditary insanity. Mr.. Gowen
was one of four brothers One Of the brothers
disappeared mysteriously several years ago, and
his disappearance never accounted for. At
that time it was suggested that in fit of tenn
The last man, as far is known, who saw Mr.
Gowcn was Edwin Stevens, lawyer. OF Philadel-
phia Mr. Stevens says that he Mr.. Gowen
in the lobby at the Riggs House at o'clock
afternoon. and that he conversed with
him on Il variety of subjects, including the matter
now pending before the Interstate Commerce Com.
mission Mr.. Gowen seemed cheerful and bright.
according to Mr. Stevens, and in no
way showed any sign that there, was
ANYTHING upon his mind that worried him.
As at Wormley's Hotel, no enc saw him after
o'clock, as far as Is known at tne present. lme
Mr. Stevens is believed to have been the last man
with whom Mr.. Gowen converscd prior to his
death.
Dr. Patterson is the Coroner of the District. and
10 him, naturally, would have fallen the duty
of holding an inquest. The proprietor OF Worm
ley's however IA negro by the name OF Jim Worm
ley, IA son of the original proprietor was so
anxious to get the body out OF the
house that he caused it 10 he
hustled. in what seems to have been nothing less
than an outrageous manner into The ponce am
bulance and conveyed 10 tn morgue, prior 10
its being viewed by the coroner. When the lat
ter arrived, the body and nearly every trace Of
the tragedy had been removed. At the morgue
the body lay all the afternoon until the arrival
Of Franklin J. GOwc1, n nephew oil the dead man,
who reached here f;om Phil idcphia on late
train, having been telcgrlphed for. Mr.. Gowen
was accompanied by j, T. Hood and Cap
tain Lindon BY his oTders the body was
taken TO an undertaker's, where II was deccntly
cared for and placed in coffin. There also 10
was viewed by number of Pennsylvanians 10
whom Mr.. Gowen was personally known, among
them nearly every member OF the FennsyvanlS
delegation in Congress. To each tire sudden death.
however, wils great mystery as II WAS TO
every body else in Washington. At g so Tonight
the body was taken 10 Philadelphia by the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad
HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED HERE.