Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-29
is 1T A MURDER?
Mystery About the Shooting Of Com.
mission Merchant Gray.

"Well, here goes. have had enough Of it, :"
| So said Mr.. Henry c. Gray, commission mer-
chant Of this city, about 10 o'clock last night
| in one Of the leading gambling saloons at Jack
| son City, at the Virginia end Of the Long
Bridge. As he finished speaking he drew q
large old-fashioned 44-caliber revolver from
his pocket and, placing it to his head, pulled
the trigger. He fell to the floor almost in
stanty with a bleeding wound in his right
| temple. This Is the brief story as
| told by the Others who were in
| the place at the time. Why he committed the
| suicidal act, If such IL was and such it would
certainly seem to be, is a question that no one
appears able or willing to answer. Immedi-
ately after the shooting Gray lifted to a
cot and all that could be done for him was
done, but there was no physician at hand
| friend who was with him at once sent for a cab
and had him conveyed to the Emergency Hos
| pital, where the wounded man was cared for
| by Drs. Middleton and Marion.
THOUGHT He COULD DO BETTER.
He was conscious then and spoke freely to
the physicians, and on most subjects quite
nationally. He would say little, however,
| about the shooting although he did remark
that if he had intended to shoot himself he
could have made a better job of it. This
| would look as though it had been an accident
| He held up wonderfully well, and although ap-
parently suffering great pain he gave no
| signs of weakening. The physicians were as
tonlshed at his display Of nervous vitality, but
realized that his wound was a very serious one
and advised that he be removed to Providence
| Hospital at once. This was done, his friend
and Officer Weldon going with the injured
man. Gray is a member OF the firm Of Gray a.
Balster, commission dealers in butter and eggs,
20S 9Th street. The front door OF the store was
locked and bolted when STAR reporter called
there today and nothing further could be
| learned of the occurrence there. He is a mar
ried man and lives at 1912 b street and has
wife and three children.
SAID TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING.
1t is said that he had been drinking a good
deal the last few days, and late yesterday aft
ernoon he went over with friend to Jackson
City and stayed around there until after the
shooting had taken place. The alleged pro-
prietor of the gambling house said that he knew
Gray, who had been around there good deal
OF late. He said that Gray had not been play
ing, but had merely been a spectator and had
lost no money there last night.
This morning DIR. Middleton stated that
Gray wound was very serious one and that
while ne might have a fighting chance there
was little if any possibility of his recovery.
WAS GRAY SHOT AND ROBBED.
Some doubt was expressed today as to
whether the case is one of attempted suicide
or whether Mr.. Gray was shot and robbed.
His wife visited his bedside today, but the
supposed fatally wounded man was unable to
tell a connected story of the affair.
From what she could get from him at inter-
walls his wife is inclined to the belief that her
husband was robbed and shot, and she so re-
ported the matter to the police this after
noon.
The patient was very low when Mrs. Gray
was at his bedside and the physicians give her
but little hope of his ultimate recovery.
HE MENTIONED TWO PERSONS.
At times, when he appeared to be in possess
sion of his faculties, he would converse with
the heart-broken wife, and he told her dis
tinctly that the wound was not inflicted by
himself. Several times during the conversation
the patient mentioned the names of two per-
sons, and one of them, he said, led him off, He
did not say who shot him.
HE HAD CONSIDERABLE MONEY.
Last Saturday, which was only two days ago,
Mr.. Gray, SO his wife says, had $1,000
in his pocket, and yesterday when
she saw him he had pretty
good-sized roll of greenbacks and
a gold watch and chain, but when he was
brought to the city last night he only had
fifteen cents in his pocket and his watch and
chain were also gone.
This afternoon the patient was reported to
be resting as easy as could be expected under
the circumstances, although he was no better
Fire i'm a Cigar Factory.
Shortly before o'clock today smoke was dis
covered issuing from the window of W. G.
Halls cigar factory, No. 224 AZ street north
west. Mr.. ]. G. Barthel, owner of the build
ing, saw the smoke, and upon breaking open
the door, found that the fire was confined to
some empty boxes and rubbish In the
front room. He succeeded in extinguishing the
flames before the arrival of the fire department
in response to an alarm turned in from box No.
II. The cigar factory is in a one-story brick
building adjoining the Metropolitan Church
and it was at first thought that the church was
on fire. The sounding Of the alarm brought to
the scene many persons who were interested
in the church. The boxes and rubbish
were against the wall adjoining the church.
! and so heated the wall that the plastering had
begun to fall. The church, however, was not
in danger, as there is a thick brick wall between
it and the factory. The fire department arrived
at the fire in less than four minutes from the
time the alarm was turned in. How the fire
originated could not be ascertained, as no one
was in the building when it started.
ssBuck BilI'' Has Only One Eye Now.
James Hopkins. a young man who has had
good reputation for peace and good order, was
in the Police Court today on a charge of as
sault and battery, but owing to the condition Of
the injured man the case WAS continued until
| tomorrow. Hopkins, who is employed in
Sias' saloon on 11th street, was arrested by
Policeman Ceinar. John Jones alias Buck
Bill' figures as the prosecuting witness. "Bill"
was arrested some time ago for knocking his
| wife's eye out, now he himself has only one
eve. 1t is stated that Hopkins was working
| for Mr. Silas when ''Buck Bill came along and
| assaulted him After striking Hopkins with his
| fist and kicking him in the abdomen the latter
| grabbed a crutch and dealt his assailanta blow
| with it, injuring his eye so badly that the
physician at Freedmans Hospital removed it
| this morning When Policeman Ceinar ex-
planned the facts to the prosecuting officer this
| morning the latter filed only an informatio a
for simple assault instead of mayhem.
Finances of the Argentine Republic.
The United States consul at Buenos Ayres, in
a dispatch to the State Department, calls at
tention to the distressing financial condition Of
the Argentine Republic. He says: "Since the
date OF my last annual report the financial
crisis in the Argentine Republic has been grow
| ing more and more pronounced. The condi-
| ton Of monetary affairs could hardly be more
| unsatisfactory, not to say alarming, than IL ia
at present. Owing to the increasing gold
premium and the corresponding depreciation
| Of the paper circulation Of The country all
business is absolutely paralyzt, and unless
some remedy ia speedily discovered and sp-
| piled there must, In the nature Of things, be q
general commercial crash"