Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-09
MYSTERY OF A HAT.
SUPPOSED SUICIDE YESTERDAY or AN
ELECTRICIAN.
Facts Leading TO tho Belief thnf M W. "
Walter Has Taken HE
Own Life.

Yesterday afternoon between IL ana 1
o'clock a youth named Eugene PERKINS,
while walking up the banks Of the canal
west Of Hollywood and near the Iwo-Ni'e
siding of the Richmond and Alieghany
railroad, saw o man sitting upon pie OF
railroad ties with his head buried IN MS
hands as if in TT Of depression.
DIsAPPEAIANcE.
Perkins continued walking for short
while, and upon returning towards the CITY
found that the man had disappeared, ana
that near the place where he haG oeen iasS
seen were his hat and gloves. a largo stono
had been placed IN the hat. as II 10 prevent
ito being blown away by the WIND.
oyERcoAT FOUND.
Shortly after this Mr.. William Ryan, q
turfer In HOLLYWOOD cemetery, discoVefed
an overcoat floating down the canal snort
distance from Ha6alls. station aoout TWO
miles from Richmond on the Idchlnon'
and Allegheny road. He had oeeh prev
ously informed Of the finding OF tne mar
end not caring 10 have anything 10 DO WIN
tbe matter (which from the statement OF
tbe Youth he'd now assumed a serious as
pect). he notified Mr.. a. W. BroWlng' q
foreman Of Mr.. John Il. Hooper, VINO TOOK
charge Of it and carried II 10 the mouse OF
NJ. Hooper.
TRACTS.
7. was n double-breastc1 coat apparently
81 the material known "a beaver-clotn, ana
when found was quite wet, having DOUBT
less been in the water half an honr OF SO.
Within one of the pockets was fonnd
pnyer which proved 20 be patent Tor m
electric.railway signal, and upon which
was the following heading: ELECTRIC
Railway Signal-Patented February II,
1890. by Willie c. Walter. asslgnor OF one
half to George i. McAdans, OF same
place"
This paper had the stamp Of the patent
attorney upon IT.
A cheap cherry pipe and q email quantity
of tobacco were found IN another pocket
toootbcr with two pamphlets relating 10
homeopathy. one of these was Labelled
" A Specific Manual. from r. Powell Dunn
Homeopathy Pharmacy" and the other
was "A Medical Index and Treatment OF
Common Ailments"
With the exception Of a small piece OF
Cuticura soap and cheap. unmarked hand-
kerchiof apparently clean before me coat
reached the water these were the only artl-
clcs found IN the pockets OF the oYcrcOat.
TIE MAS HAT.
The bat found by the boy was somewhat
worn end without name or initials in II,
but was subsequently ldeutlhed by e1-fo-
lce-Justice David G. Richardson a. that OF
Mr.. W. c. Waiter, who was nephew OF
Dir. Richardson's late wife.
Mr.. RICHARDSON'S INQUIRIES.
Immediately upon receiving the intelli-
gence that an Oyercoat. bat, and gloves;
quppOsed 10 belong 10 W. G.. Walter, had
been found and that it was supposed
Walter had committed suicide, he fastened
10 the Second-strect Office OF the Rich
mond and Allegheny railroad, where tho
gloves and hat had been left. These he
positively identified as belonging 10 Mr..
Walter an electrician and the inventor OF
the RAILWAY signal, now in the hands OF the
Electric Hallway Signal Company, of which
Mr.. j. r. Odell is president and Mr.. James
Il. Branch secretary and treasurer, ana
recently exhibited at the Tobacco TX
change. -,
Nr. Richardson next went 10 HaxalPs
and secured a boat. in which he carefully
examined the canal and is bank IN the Vi
entity where the supposed suicide was last
seen, but no traces Of him could be found.
INA NERVOUS STATE.
At the point where the man is supposed
TO have Jumped in the water Is very deep
and sluggish, and If drowned there 1t
would take considerable while for the
body to appear upon the surface.
Justice Richardson stated that only q
few davs ago Walter was IN his once, anu
seemed 10 be in very nervous state. Mr.
Richardson asked Walter at the time if he
could do ANYTHING for him, aud Walter re-
ouested him to draw up his will, saying
he was afraid something would happen;
This remark, however, excited no special
attention, as he was known TO be man OIL
very nervous temperament.
TrrCTrICIAE
At one time Waiter was a motor-man on
the Electric railway here, but he gave this
position up and devoted his attention and
energy exclusively 10 the study OF cleo
trcity.
Upon this subject he was very enthu-
s;astic, and he studied it very hard: IN fact,
with such diligence and ardor that ms
became affected, and et one
time he was sent 10 the asylum at VIII
four months. Since his return lie has been
eauallv studous and at times he exhibited
great cccentricity, but was believed to be
rational.
PERSONAL.
1t is supposed that while in one Of these
fits of dependency and mental weakness
he resolved upon suicide.
Deceased was about thiTty-fve or SIX
years Of ago and leaves wife and three
children.
The canal will be drained ut o'clock
this morning with the view of discovering
the body.
ADDITIONAL.
A boy who was working IN ltiver-N
cemetery saw n man when he fell or jump
ed into the water and saw HIM struggling
in the stream.
The father Of Walter last night identi-
fed the hat as his sons.
Mrs. Walter, wife Of deceased, said last
night that on Thursday night her husband
had q terrible spell and it required her
and two men to hold HIM in hlsparoxysms.
Yesterday morning about 10 o'clock he lett
home. HIS condition of mind was thought
10 be fair and he was quiet and rational,
I'm. Inc wa suffering somewhat from de-
preston. He had slept soundly the night
before and there was nothing to presaGe
illness.