Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-31
A CLERKS SUICIDE.
Mr. James B. Peske Takes . Double
Dose OF Poison.

TnAorDY THAT cAusrD A SENSATION IN xonrl-
East wAsHrNoroS THIS noRNINo--AFrEn TAX
ING cARBoLIc ACID AND LAUpANux THE sur
cIpt informs HIS FAMILY OF n.
4 sad suicide occurred today ON tn street
northeast At 1045 this morning shrisks and
cries were heard coming from house No. go
7th street northeast, occupied by Mr.. James B.
Peake and his family. A policeman Who was
passing ran to the House and found that Mt.
Peake had attempted to commit suicide by
taking large dose OF carbolic acid and
laudauum.
PHYSICIANS COULD NOT HIP HIN.
The policeman fastened for physician and
in the meantime Special Agent Key OF the
Humane Society, who happened TO be in the
neighborhood. arrived 1t the house. He also
notified q physician and obtained 4 supply Of
s ;.r Of, at phatmasy which Va: given in
The first physician to arrive was DR.. Marion
Curtis, who was joined shortly by
Dire. Strickler and HazeI Every means known
to the combined skill Of the assembled physi-
clans were used. but all failed TO revive to any
extent the dying man, and at II o'clock he ex-
pired.
Mr.. Peake was clerk in the third auditors
office, Treasury Department He WIS about
forty or forty-fve years old, and lived With his
vile ana four children in q comfortably fur.
nished two-story brick house.
TOLD TIE cHrtDRIs.
He did not 60 to the Office this morning. He
was about the house some time and about ten
minutes before II o'clock he called one Of his
daughters and told what he had done.
His statement was DO startling that the
daughter could hardly believe it, but il took
but a few seconds to discover that there was too
much truth in his assertion. He became
deathiy sick and was apparently nearing his
death when the alarm was given and the ply
sicians were summoned.
The deceased was born in this CITY, and was
appointed to Office several years ago as . Wash.
ingtonian. He held 81, 400 olerkship.
TRYING ELECTRICrTY.
When it became known that Mr.. Peake had
taken the deadly drug the neighbors focked to
the house and crowded the room on which lay
the unconscious man.
The doctors applied an electric battery after
the neighbors had left the room, but the suicide
did not regain consciousness before he died.
The bottle from which the fluid had been
drank still contained . little Of the mixture,
which the doctors concluded was commercial
carbolic acid and iaudanum.
Mr. Peake, 1t appeared, did not tell what he
had done until the poison had taken effect, and
he was unconscious in . few minutes.
coroner Patterson was notified OF the sui.
eide and he will probably inquire into the case
later in the day.
The wife and children are almost PROSTATE
with grief.
NATIVE OF EAST WASHINGTON.
The deceased wss nstive Of East Washing.
ton. son Of the late John H. Peake. He was
raised on 7th street east near the navy yard
gate, and up to the commencement Of the war be
was a writer or clerk in the navy yard. He
served as q member of the Washington Light
Guard in the early days Of the war. For many
years after he was writer in the navy yard and
subsequently he was for some time out OF
steady employment. When the civil service law
went into effect he took the first examinati
and passed so high up on the list that
he was one Of the FIRST appointed to vscancy
in the Treasury Department
WHAT Is SAID IN THE OFFICE.
There was no knowledge whatever in the
third auditors Office today of the suicide OF
Mr.. Peake, or even of his death. From state
ments made there 1t would seem that
Mr.. Peake has suffered for some
time under severe domestic troubles,
and that his financial condition 10 very poor.
He had, it would appear, a mania for investing
in patent rights, and had q large number oil
small creditors, who besieged him every pay
day. ~.