Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-01
LOYAL TO HIS WIFE
SACRED MEMORY BELIEVED TO HAVE
CAUSED Mr.. GRlFflN'S DEATH.
Friends of the Dead Man Adhere to This
Thcory-An Affecting Funernl-rhe
Tobacco Trades Action.

Undying devotion to the memory OF the
wife whose remains he followed TO the
cemetery several years ago seems almost
beyond doubt to have been the cause that
impelled AIr. Lewis NJ. Griffin to take his
own life
This was the theory advanced by tho
Dispatch yesterday morning after having
made as thorough an investigation as pos
sible, and hundreds of the friends OF the
dead man heartily concur in this belief.
Many such were seen by representatives
of this paper during the day, while on the
other band few were found who believed
that the lamentable affair resulted from
other reasons.
Some few entertain the idea that the
rash act was committed in moment OF
depression resulting from troubles OF
disordered system, but there Is little to
bear this out DR.. Hunter McGuire, who
was his regular physician, saws that ne
had not prescribed for the deceased for
| two or three months and had not seen him
professionally during that time.
One Of the intimate friends OF the de-
! ceased who was seen yesterday said he met
Air. Griffin recently and offered his con.
gratulations upon the approaching mar
rage and the deceased replied with
shake Of the head. Il am afraid L cannot
make her (his affianced) happy"
HE WAS ROMANTIC.
One who might almost be called con-
| fidant OF the dead man yesterday related
the following:
Lewis was q man of romantic disposi-
| ton, or. at least, much more SO than you
would have imagined. He and | courted
| our wiyos at the same time. and more de-
voted man than he ] never saw. 1t was
the same after he was married, and ne and
Mrs. Griffin were loving and ono Of the
| happiest Of couples.
when his wife died he came over to our
| house night after night. and would cry "a
| if his heart would break. don't think he
ever got over her death. / knew him very
well. Tor he and often sat in the same pew
at church. When he was engaged this last
| time he came around right of and told my
wife all about 1t and she and were so
| glad to hear IT.
BIS wIFE's PICTURE.
! MONDAY morning as soon as heard he
had shot himself" continued this friend,
Il went around TO his rooms at once. A.
| / entered saw q splendid likeness of his
wife resting on a magnificent easel, facing
the door. He also had another very good
picture Of Mrs. Griffin.
" 1t al onca flashed across my mind that
| here was the cause OF suicide. knowing the
| 1
nv wife what had seen without express
| ing any opinion, and she at once ad-
vanced the same theory"
PROVISIONS or THE WILL.
As was indicated IN this paper yesterday,
MIR. Griffin left goodly part OF his sndg
| little fortune TO the young lady who was
| soon TO have been made his wife.
The safe in Slr. Griiin's Office was
opened Monday afternoon. and among the
papers therein was found his will, the
main provisions of which were made pub
| lie yesterday.
Messrs. Tazewell Darlington and Charles
! ID. Iarus are named rs the executors. The
estate is quite large, probably between
| $4,000 and 100000.
Miss Nellie Rogers, Mr.. Grifin's af-
! fanced, gets one third of the estate. the
/ same as if she had been his wife. The re-
mainder goes to the nIeces and cousins of
/ the deceased, of whom there are several.
Mr. Darlington was seen by u Dispatch re-
porter Yesterday afternoon, and IN re-
| sponse 10 inquiries said the facts given
above were correct. As to the value of
| the estate be only said 1t was considerably
more than $4,000.
THREE SEALED LETTERS.
There were three letters found in Mr..
| Griiiin's safe when opened by Alr. Caring
I OD.
! one 20 MIR. Darlington, and one to MI.
George b. McAdams. All Of them were
sealed and marked important and two
| of them, and perhaps the third also. had
| the dates torn of. This rather indicated
that they might have been written some
| little time before the horrible tragedy.
BURY NE QUICKLY.
Mr.. McAdams was seen by Dispatch re-
porter last night and asked If he was
| willing TO let the public know the contents
of the letter written by Mr.. Griffin to him.
He said that there was nothing OF public
interest in the communication, and a. IT
dealt entirely with his private matters he
/ felt constrained to withhold 1t from publi-
cation with the exception OF the following
lines: BURY me quickly and quietly as
possible and ask dear old DR.. Peterkin to
read the burial service. Tell all my friends
good-by for me-"
Mr.. Griffin had always been a warm and
intimate friend Of Mr. McAdams and gene
rally told him everything concerning his
private aud business matters. lie mad
| been IN the store of McAdams Berry
ONLY few DAYS ago and was apparently IN
| the best of spirits and invited several OF
the gentlemen present TO come to his we'd
| ding, which was TO take place on the 18th
| OF October.
DUE TO SUFFERING.
Mr.. McAdams was almost certain, he
said that the rash step was taken by the
deceased on account of some mental aber-
ration due TO his sufferings from liver
troubles. Although AIr. Griffin was gene
rally of Il very cheerful disposition he was
subject 10 hts of almost overwhelming
meancholia. and for some time past he has
been in bad health, although his ap-
pearance did not seem TO indicate 1t.
kind-hearted man." concluded Dir. Me
Adams. "and | have no doubt that while in
one of these awful states OF depression 1t
occurred TO him that he would not be able
/ TO make the girl whom he loved happy
and for that reason he took his life"
The note addressed to Mr.. Carrington
was similar TO that to Major Selden pub
| lished yesterday. In 1t he expressed re,
| gret and asked forgiveness for the. deed
/ which he was 10 commit. IL also referred
/ TO a number of private matters.
THE LETTER TO MISS ROGERS.
| Mrs. Rogers. the mother of tho young
| lady who has been brought INTO such pam
/ ful prominence. was seen by D'Ydch re-
| porter last night. She said that the note
| received by her daughter had evidently
/ been written while its author was IN
/ state of great depression. ltdid not appear
/ 10 be of recent date. though this could not
/ be positively ascertalned, as the top Inc
was torn out. OF one thing she was sure,
/ and that was that Mr.. Griffin would never
whilo himself have inflicted such blow
upon her child. She was also certain that
the act was not premedltated, although
| she had not seen the note. FROM what her
/ daughter told her she was positive that II
/ contained nothing which would throw any
/ light whatever upon the unfortunate
affair.
ACTION OF THE TOBACCO EXCHANGE.
A called meeting of the Tobacco Trade
| Of Richmond was held at noon yesterday
TO take action with reference to the death
/ of Mr.. Griffin. The meeting was called 10
order by Dr. f. A. Patterson. who after
stating its object appointed committee
composed OF Messrs. Charles Hill, Maxwell
I. Clarke and Norvell Ryland, VINO pre-
pared suitable resolutions expressing, the
| sorrow Of the association at the death OF
| Mr.. Griffin. These were UNANIMOUSLY
/ adopted by the Exchange.
DR.. Patterson, in calling the association
TO order, paid very pretty tribute to the
I deceased, and the resolutions spoke OF MN
as - a man of high character and integrity,