Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-03
HEZEKIAH CLAGETT's SUICIDE.
Found Dead in the Mt. Vernon House, Where
He Had Taken n Room.


'James Williams, city" was the name and
address registered on the book at the Mt YER
non Hotel Monday by Mr.. Hezekiah Clagett,
an old and respected citizen OF Georgetown
He went there and registered under the as
sumed name in order that his identity might
not be known in case he did not succeed in an
able effort TO take his own life.
Saturday being Decoration day, Mr.. Clagett
had a half holiday, and 80 far as is known he
did nothing the next day that alarmed anybody.
No idle threats were INDUCED in, but he had
evidently intended to end his life, and Monday
he went about it in a systematic manner.
IMPLEMENTS or DESTRUCTION.
He had gold watch. on which he secured a
loan Of sI5and with portion of this he bought
implements for self-destruction- They con-
sisted Of two bottles of whisky, a bottle of
iaudauum, a bottle of beer. two-Ounce bottle
Of some kind Of eli and a revolver and box OF
cartridges.
With these five bottles Of liquids and the re-
volver and about S3 in his pocket he won't to
tine hotel and registered any other guest
He did not appear 10 be under the influence OF
liquor nor was there anything unusual IN his
appearance to indicate that there was anything
wrong about him. The clerk assigned him to
room No. 1l2. on the third floor, and he never
came ont of the room after being shown there.
In the afternoon one Oh Tue
went to straighten the room and put IN clean
linens and fresh water but Mr.. Clagett did not
hesitate to tell her that he did not want to be
bothered by any women and she went away.
Exactly what he did in the room Is not
known but il is known that he took good 4
bath as he could under the circumstances, and
from the appearance of the bottles he emptied
the contents of most of them. From the fact
that none OF the liquids in the basin or
bucket il is surmised that he swallowed them.
All day yesterday the room door remained
closed and the occupant dld not appear either
in the dining room the Office Late in the
afternoon a smell of gas in the hallway caused
one of the boarders to make complaint TO the
Office.
Mr.. Nichols. the proprietor, went at once TO
the room. and, finding that the key was in the
lock inside, he pushed against the door, forcing
the lock and bolt.
FOUND DEAD N BED.
Upon the bed he discovered the dead body Of
the man who had registered under the assumed
name Of flames Williams" His eyes we're
wide open and the room was filed with illumin-
ating gas that had escaped from the jet which
had been left open by tue man who had since
breathed his last.
Everything in the room was in perfect order.
The bottles were on the bureau and the pistol
was beneath his pillow. On the mantel was
the box of cartridges The window curtains
had beel drawn closely over the windows and
towel had been placed over the keyhole. evi-
IDENTIFY for the purpose of preventing the gas
from escaping INTO the hallway and attracting
attention before the fatal drug or the gas hal
done the deadly work intended. Death
evidently painless, for the suicide had removed
his clothing and was lying in bed as though he
had Just retired. Not even the bed clothing
was dlsOrdered.
1t is naturally supposed that he intended to
kill himself with the laudanum, and. in case
that failed, he supposed the gas would finish
the work In event Of the failure Of both he
had the pistol to use as the last resort.
So far as could be ascertained the deceased
left no letter giving the cause of his act or any
directions for the disposition of his body
How He WAS IDENTIFIED.
On his person was found a letter directed 20
him, and it was in that way that his identity
was first made known.
The police were notified and the body was
removed to the morgue, where relatives called
later in the evening.
from the mouth it is thought that death re-
suited from the dose of laudanum.
Mr.. Clagett was ffty-fve years old, and had
been a widower for several years He had been
boOkkeeper for the firm of J. G. ]. ~
Waters, commission merchants in Georgetown,
for a number of years, Mr.. j. q. Waters being
his brother-ia-law.
He was born in Hagerstown. Nd. but had
lived in Georgetown since he was quite young
Coroner Patterson gave a certificate of death
in accordance with the facts. and the body was
turned over TO his relatives for burial.