Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-12
SUICIDE In A HOTEL AT NEW YORK.
Reports of His Having Lost Money at Games,
Which His Friends Say Cannot
Possibly Be True.
HAD BEEN IN POOR HEALTH SOME TINE.
His Relatives and Business Associates Greatly Shocked
by the News.

The announcement prostrated his young
wife and relatives. The shock was
equally great to his personal friends and
business associates, and it was only after
they had received private messages that
they accepted the report as the truth. Last
night around the clubs and in public places
the sole topic of conversation was this
strange and untimcly deed. None of his
| friends could account for his actions, unless
that through temporary insanity, brought
on through physical ailments, he was led to
do it. The following telegram was received
from New York las. night:
The Story From the Scene.
"a big, handsome man, with dark eyes
and hair and black mustache, registered at
the Everett House on October 13 as George
r. Lawrence, Pittsburg, Pa. 1t was not
long before the hotel clerks also learned
that he was.a lawyer. A bedroom with
small parlor adjoining on the fourth floor
was assigned to him. He had been in the
hotel but day or two when he asked
whether there was any faro game in the
neighborhood. He was directed to one,
and presumably devoted that evening and
nearly every evening following to gambling.
Amy rate before very long he told several
boarders in the hotel that he had
been hitting it and now it was
hitting him. He subsequently, spoke of
having lost several hundred dollars. On
Saturday night he announced that he was
busted, having blown in everything he
had excepting some few loose dollars in his
pockets. He had previously intimated that
he had borrowed large sum from some
body, so that he had lost wha5 belonged to
another es we'll as his own money. He did
not seem to feel very bad about it, however,
and while those to whom he confided his
losses believed he was out of pocket many
thousands of dollars, they thought he could
afford the expensive luxury he had been
indulging in. He gave no indication by
his manner or demeanor, however, that he
was seriously inconvenienced by his losses.
Mr.. Lawrence remained in the hotel
yesterday evening. He seemed in good
spirits. Just before going to bed he talked
awhile with the proprietor of the Everett
House, Mr.. Weaver. He then left the hotel
for a moment, and on returning went di-
rectly to his room. 1t was shortly before II
o'clock. He killed himself probably within
the following hour, for he dated letter re-
ferring to his act November 20.
Lay Dead on His Bed.
No one heard the report of his pistol, and
his suicide was not known until J. Edward
Acklev. lawyer at No. 35 Wall street,
called at the Everett House to-day and
asked for Mr. Lawrence The hall boy,
who took his card to Mr.. Lawrence S rooms,
said on returning the gentleman was not in.
AS his call was in compliance with letter
from Mr.. Lawrence, saying the writer would
like to see him, Mr.. Ackley said he did not
believe this, and that he would go upstairs
and look for Mr.. Lawrence. When, in do
ing this, he found the doors of both Mr..
Lawrence's rooms locked, he got a porter to
bring ladder. and, mounting it, looked
through the transom of the bedroom. He
saw Mr. Lawrence lying dead on the bed
with a revolver clinched!in his right hand.
The pillow on which his head rested was
soaked with blood.
Mr. Ackley informed the hotel authori- |
ties and a coroner was telegraphed for. |
When Deputy Coroner Weston responded |
10 the summons, and the room was entered,
a bullet hole was found in the suicides |
right temple. The ball had penetrated the |
brain, and death must have been instanta- |
neous. The bedclothes, as well as the pill |
low Immediately under the wound, were |
soaked with blood. The body was CON-
pletely clothed, and lay on the outside of |
the bedding.
On a table adjoining the bed was an en-
velope addressed to the proprietor of the |
hotel. In it were two sheets of hotel paper, |
on one of which there was written:
NOVEMBER 10, 1891.
DEAR SIR: Kindly say nothing to the |
newspaper reporters. The bare fact is all !!
that is necessary, and details may well be |
spared What / owe will be checrfully and |
promptly paid on presenta ton of the bill to |
my father, George V. Lawrence Mononga- |
hela City, Washington county, Pa Do not, |
therefore, say to the reporters that the bill is
unpaid. GEORGE =. LAWRENCE.
Wanted His Friends Notified.
On the other sheet was this continuation:
Kindly notify the Hon. George O. Law
renee, Monongahela City, Washington
Pa, and DR.. Charles S. Shaw, $40 !
Penn avenue, Pittsburg, Allegheny county, I
Pa, and oblige G. r. LAWRENCE.
No watch was attached to the dead mans
watch chain, and there was but 50 81 in his
pockets. Conspicuous among his effects,
which chiefly consisted of enough clothing
to fill the large satchel that was in the ad-
joining room, were several packages of
cigarettes of different brands. After the
Deputy Coroner's examination the body of
the suicide was turned over to the under
taker Mr.. Ackley had engaged.
AT the office Of Mr.. Lawrence's father-in-
Law, DIR. Shaw, on Penn avenue, no reason
could be given for the deed, other than that
he must have been suffering from a tenn
porary fit Of insanity. About a year ago the
dead man was in poor health, but had
seemed to have entirely recovered He was
bright snd handsome and seemed to be get
ting along well in his profession. No other
cause can be assigned than that given above.
His father-in-law was greatly shocked with
received was through the private message
to John NJ. Oakley.
Had a Happy Home.
The doctor also stated that the home re-
lations of Mr.. Lawrence were pleasant. He
was married to Miss Margaret Shaw in Feb
ruary, 1889, and they lived happily to-
yether, He was always pleasant and en-
oyed company but was not given to dis
sipation. For the past three months he had
been in New York ON legal business. but
was home on Sunday, October II, spent the
day and returned to New York. He gave
no intimation of his intentions when here.
George r. Lawrence was born in Wash
ngton county in 1858, and was the son of
II Hon. G. V. Lawrence, of Monongahela CITY.
He graduated from the Lafayette College.
md studied law with George w. Biddle in
and was admitted to the bar
about 10 years ago. His father, mother and
.wo sisters, one of them The wife of DR..
Wood, all reside in Monongahela City.