Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-02-02
A LEAP TO DEATH.
Suicide of Men In Charlottesville, Va.
[Correspondence OF tho Richmond DlsphtchI
CHARLOTTESVILLE. February l. 1890.


CHAR1oTTEsvrLLE, February /, 1890.
A man committed suicide In this place
about $3.50 o'clock last night by jumping
from a second-story window of the Saun-
ders boarding-housc. on the Public Square.
The man raised the window of his room,
and then jumped to the hard, slate pave
ment below, landing upon his head;
The force of the fall fractured the skull and
broke his neck, causing instant death;
Considerable excitement was manifested
when the report was circulated that man
had suicided at the saunders House, and
large crowd soon gathered at the scene of
the tragedy. A coroner'S jury was sum-
moned last night. but adjourned until tins
morning to complete the inquest. =,
Mrs. n. M. Saunders, who owns the
clearinghouse, was one of the witnesses
examined by the coroners jury. She YES
tilted before the Jury this morning that the
gentleman had come to her boarding-house
on Thursday evening, January SOth, and
asked to engage room and meals: lie
took meals until Friday yesterday at DIM
per. About o'clock L. NJ. on Yesterday
lie went up to his room and refused to eat
any supper last night. He did not give
any name. but stated TO Mrs. oaunders that
he was from Atlanta, Ga.
DR.. i. Il. Flanagan testified that upon
an examination he found the skull frac-
tured badly upon the top and the neck was
also broken at the point where the back
bone joins the skull. The jawbone and
right wrist were also dislocated. EITHER
the severe fracture of the skull, the frac-
ture of the neck. or the protuse hemor,,
rhage from the nose and left ear would
have caused prompt death. The Doctor
testified further that the body was well
nourished and was apparently healthy.
VERY DELIBERATE.
Several other witnesses were examined,
but their testimony all went to show that
the man deliberately planned self-murder.
A colored girl testified that she heard him
raise the window, and saw him look up and
down the street, and then jump TO the
pavement below.
This gentleman occupied room to him.
self, and when an examination was made u
was found that he Ind locked and barred
the door on the inside,
| On the table i'll his room was found O
| small card, written on in scrawling hand,
as follows: This is whatrum brings man
| tor and on the other side was written the
name IN. p. Oudun" in a very illegible
manner. THIS card or ticket had on 1t also
| the number 16.
Besides the card ON the table were found
knife and pipe. Before jumping the man
removed his coat and vest and blew the
| light out in his room. The following arti-
cles were found in his pockets and in his
room together: A one-dollar note and two
| ten-cent pieces, bottle of liver-pills. seve-
| raj pieces OF observation-disclosures, watch and
| chain worth about So, three shirt-buftons,
| pine. and O small set wrapped in a piece of
paper. The man is about five feet FIVE
| inches and is rather heavily built. He
was clean shaved and wore moustache
| of sandy shade. His clothes were IN good
condition. He wore. broad-orlmmea
| black hat and a very nice brown oyercoat.
| He was en- entire stranger here and so Tar
| the authorities have been unable to ind
where his relatives reside. He called at
| the Western Union telegraph Office twice
| on Yesterday and asked If there was tele-
! gram or money-order for him; but the
operator informed him there was nothing.
| lie didn't state whore he expected money
| from. This gentleman claimed to be an
| Odd-Fellow, and on yesterday tried TO
pawn his watch for So with one OF the
members of that order here. His body
will be buried at the city's expense If his
relatives are not heard from to-day.
Some of our prominent citizens met IN
| the Young Mems Christian Association
rooms on yesterday at tho request of Mayor
| Woods TO consult and take action IN re-
gard 10 raising money in charlottesville
and the vicinity for the Lee-Monument
| fund II was decided to raise SUBSCRIPTIONS
| for this worthy object and Mayor Woods
J was appointed chairman of q committee
| for this city and Professor @. S. Venable
| for the University of Virginia to raise the
amount of $500 If possible. w.