Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-03-04
S EL E NJ u & D En-
\ HORRIBLE SIGHT ON AN
n INCOMING TRAIN
SUICIDE. OF CHARLES A. Wise
A Man FrOr. New York Blows Out His
Brains While OF, "a Passenger Coach,
En- Route 40 TIoridn-'ghe Verdict Of
the, COroner's Jury.

A most horrible suicide occurred at
the Union depot last night about 7:25
o'clock. a few minutes after Norfolk
and Western train No. 1G, due here at
$50, arrived, those who were at the
depotwere startled by the report OF
pistol in the smoking car of tho
train. a rush Was made for the coach
and there was found n man lying OH a
seat weltering in IL pool Of blood, with
IL large pistol wound in his forehead.
He WAS ut once taken in to the wait
ing room OF the depot and the coroner
notified.
When Dr. Gray arrived the body, for
the man was now dead, was removed
to the undertaking establishment OF
George w. Sisler, on First avenue.
y. T.. and the following jury SUMMON
I'd: Messrs. y. b. Woodbridge. foreman;
+. II. Collins, q. II. Worthinston, j.
w. Camper, s. A. Wick, and j. i.
Ward. At the inquest which was
held the following facts were brought
to light.
The mans maine was Charles A.
Wire, a taxidermist, of Sonth Green
-tield, Kings county, New York, from
which place he left Saturday, being
bound for Jacksonville, Florida. ar
irving at Norfolk Sunday night from
whence he took the train for his des-
tination, going by this city yesterday
morning on Norfolk and Western
train No. /. He arrived at Bristol,
Tenn, but from some cause, recon
sidered his determination to go i5onth
and purchased a return ticket to
New York by the way Of the Shennn-
doah Valley route.
Mr.. W. II. Mason, of Lynchburg, a
news agent on the train, testified az
follows: II was standing front end
of the car, when heard the pistol shot
and. turning suddenly, saw him fall
over on the seat with the smoking
pistol still grasped tightly in both
hands. sold him some cigars on the
train and don't think he was drink
ing ut all. He never spoke after the
shot was fired and only breatted
once or twice. When the pistol went
off it blew his hat about two feet in
the air and back into the next seat.
There were only one or two paSseD-
gers on the train at the time"
On the mans person was found n
letter of introduction from Il Mr.. II.
f. Third, Of New York, to Mr.. NJ. J.
O'Connor, of Florida, and showed
Mr. Wise, the dead man, to be a gems
tIeman of high standing There was
also fouuda deed conveying ten acres
of land in Florida from certain par
ties there to Wise, and $lo3.52 il
money.
In his yalise was found LOT Of
clothing, medicines apd other things
of mall value, all of which We're COW
cred with blood that had ran down
from the seat. The vaise was found
open and it is supposed that it WAS
left so when the pistol was taken FROM
it, as il must have been, for it was
too large to carry in the pocket.
The weapon with which the terrible
deed was done is Colts revolver,
forty eight calibre, aud is
nearly Il foot in length. The ball tore
the whole top of the head OH, com
pletely shattering the skull all over.
and there WAS hardly a spoonful of
brains left in the head, all having
been scattered over the car. The hole
that was made is large enough to lay
a teacup in.
MrF. w Brown, the hardware man,
was returning from Salem Yesterday
on the train, and the coach being
crowded, he asked Mr.. Wise to share
his seat with him, which he did, and
Mr.. Brown at once attempted TO Ell
gage him in conversation, but he
seemed 70 be very much excited, and
Mr. Brown thought from his CONVEX
sation that he was slightly demented.
He had not been off the train over
five minutes before he heard that the
man had shot himself.
The friends of the dead man have
been telegraphed to, and they will be
heard from this morning. probably.
The coroner's jury rendered the fol-
lowing verdict:
1--WE the jury, find that c. a. Wise
came to his death ut his own hand by
firing a shot from pistol through his
brain, in consequence of bad health
bringing on condition of melan-
cholia -