Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-06
LED TO HIS DEATH.
Pittsburg PhiIs Step-Father Takes
the Bottle-of-PoisOn Route
TO FORGETFULNEss OF TROUBLE.
Sad Ending of Life Drama, With Its Little
Touch of Romance.
ONE MORE SUICIDE IN ALLEGHENY

ployed in shop in the upper part of ALE
gheny, committed suicide at No. GA North
Diamond street, yesterday forenoon, by
taking laudanum. There is a sad story
connected with his life and death. He was
the step-father of "Pittsburg Phil"
Downey had been married twice. By his
first wife he had daughter, who is now
married and lives on Thirty-ffth street. near
Penn avenue On March IS, 1878, he was
welded to Mrs. Smith, widow. When
Mrs. Smith was girl of only 16 Downey
had courted her. He was her first love.
The girl was very pretty, and the woman re-
tains the comely looks OF her youth.
Downey was bright young man, but the
courtship, for family reasons, did not result
in marriage. Both were afterward married,
and one became a wldower about the same time
that the other became widow. The courtship
of early years was resumed, and resulted in
marriage.
A STREAK OF LUCK.
Downey was an industrious, steady man, and
saved his earnings. and was possessed of some
property. The widow had two sons, Charles
and George. Both were frugal, steady lads,
and when they became old enough saved their
honey. George secured work in the cork fac
tory of Armstrong Bros. & Co., on Twenty
fourth street. Pittsburg. There he earned So a
week. About seven years ago he began to buy
pools in Tony Newells place on Diamond
alley. He had good judgment, and won. He
saved his money, and bet more and more, until
he had collected q large roll. He then began
to follow the races, playing the grand circuit
and afterward the running meetings in the
East. For two years he bought the field, and in
that time won S50,000
When he bought pools he gave his name
simply as Phil" and thus became known as
"Pittsburg PHIL After that he played ind-
vidual horses, with great luck. He won almost
steadily until last season. when he lost at least
$4,000. After his first strong winnings he
bought fine brick residence at No. $50 Irwin
avenue, Allegheny, furnished it handsomely
and there installed his mother and step-father.
Mrs. Downey still lives there with her sons, and
it is pleasant home. The widow said yester-
day: Had my husband behaved himself, he
need never to have done stroke OF WORK.
HOW HE WAS LED ASTRAY.
Downey continued his work steadily, was
so ber and apparently steady in all his habits.
Mrs. Downey says that her husband became
very intimate with another molder, who lives
in the Third ward, and that this man was the
indirect cause of his ruin and ultimate death.
This man introduced Downey to young
woman who gave her name as Gallinger. This
name is said to be false. Downey fell in love
with her and made her frequent visits.
Early in the winter Of 1888 Downey intro
duced this young woman into the house on
Irwin avenue as domestic For several weeks
the wife suspected nothing. After awhile she
noticed that on evenings when her husband
was out after night the girl was also out They
would come home five or ten minutes apart
An aunt of Mrs. Downey's. who was visiting
the family last January, said one day: "Mr.
Downcy and Emma might as well come In to-
gether. l think" This set Mrs Dowrey to
thinking. She went to see her husbands fel-
low molder. That man opened his mouth
widely and told the whole story.
,-Ta
sad scene. The domestic was expelled quickly,
and Edward Downey, unable to deny his wife's
accusations, left his home shortly afterward.
AS he paused at the front gate, the wife said:
You will never see me again." So he went
away from home into disgrace and suicide.
FIRST ATTEMPT A FAILURE.
The Third ward man now opened bis mouth
again, and the stories of Downey's troubles were
circulated far and wide among his acQuaint-
ances in Allegheny. A few weeks later aman
shot himself in the Allegheny park. 1t
was Edward Downey. The wound was not
mortal, but for two weeks he lay very ill in the
Allegheny General Hospital. Then his wife.
whose symDathies were still directed to him.
visited the wounded man In the hospital. She
askedwhy he had tried to kill himself. He
said that he could not stand his troubles and
the stories that had been told about him. Mrs.
Downey said that she bore him no i'll feeling.
adding: III YOU love this woman take her
away somewhere. Do not stay in Allegheny
and bring disgrace upon US ALL"
Downey recovered and resumed his work.
He and his wife never spoke again. One day
she met him on Federal street. He turned his
back to her and walked away. Last July he
took room in the house of Mrs. Natter, on
North Diamond. He ate his meals at the
boarding house of Mrs. Kate Specht, No. 48
East Diamond. Mrs. Mateer says that he
worked regularly and was not Incorporate.
Only once she saw him under the influence OF
liquor. He was sometimes out late at night.
LAST ACT OF THE DRAMA
Last January Downey sued John a. Dixon of
McKee's Rocks, who had been collecting rents
for him, for embezzIement. This case was to
come before the grand jury to-day. 1t may
have worried the old molder. Tuesday evening
he retired early to his room, and locked his
door. At 9 o'clock yesterday morning, when
Mrs. Mateer tried to enter his room to make the
bed, she heard Downey moaning She could
not get an answer to her calls, and she entered
the room by side door from an adjoining
room. The old man was unconscious. On his
table were four empty vials labeled laudanum.
Each had been bought at a different drugstore.
DR.. Mabon was called, but could not save the
man. Downey expired about ll:30 o'clock.
He left no note or letter. The Coroner was
summoned and visited the house. The body
was removed to the undertaking rooms of
Hermann & Ebbert on Ohio street, and there
awaits burial. The inquest will be held at IL
o'clock to-day.
Mrs. Downey was informed of her husbands
death by areporter for THE DISPATCH She
was deeply agitated. She expressed great sor-
row, and said that the end was caused by
women. She did not feel able to visit the un-
dertaking rooms and look at the CORPSE,