The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-03-31
PANIC ON A STEAMER
One Man Chases Another With
a Revolver.
SLEEPING PASSENGERS AROUSED
An Englshman Tries to Commit Suicide
But is Prevented by His Roommate.

SIen Ran About the Boat Half Dressed,
Women Screamed and Could Not be
Appeased Until Assured that Nothing
Serious Had Happened-Ths wouId-be
Suicides Nerve Failed Him at the Last
Moment-Siok and Out of Work.
New YORK, March "a. - When the
Sound steamer Plymouth was passing
Fort Schuyler on her way to New York
from Boston in the morning at $3.50
O'Clock the passengers were awakened by
the report of two pistol shots in rapid
succession. In an instant the boat was
In an uproar, and men half dressed were
running about the deck ia the cool
morning air TO find out what had hap
pened.
Women screamed and wonld not be
appeased until the officers of the boat
had explained that nothing serious had
! happened.
The sight that met the eyes Of the men
did not tend to allay their fears They
saw two men running round the deck.
Both were without their outer cloth
| ing; An elderly man was running and
| pursuing him was younger man with
a smoking revolver in his hand.
The officers and passengers started in
| pursuit of them The man with the
| pistol was overhauled and the weapon
| taken from him, while the other man
ran back to his stateroom.
An immediate investigation was insti-
| tuted. The prisoner, it was found, was
young Englishman named Arthur J.
Howson, OF No. 120 Harrison street.
Boston. The other man was Anton Ken
nedy, also of Boston. Both occupied the
same staterOom.
This is Mr. Kennedy's story: 'When
the boat left her Boston pier 1 found Mr..
Howson already occupying his share of
the stateroom. l bade him good after
noon,' and he replied pleasantly. After
dinner he went to the cabin and was en-
gagged for long time in writing a letter
At times he would burst out crying, and
l felt sorry for him. About 10 o'clock
| we both turned into our hunks, but
before going to sleep | asked him if he
was in trouble. He said that he was
despondent, as he had for long time
suffered ill-health and had lost his posi-
tion as travelling salesman for whole
sale clothing house at Boston and that
he intended to commit suicide / ad
vised him against doing anything so
foolish, and he handed me a letter ad-
dressed to f. P, Ritter, Whilford Block
Waltham, Mass. The envelope was
stamped. l told him l would help him
and, thinking that with that assurance
he would go to sleep, myself sought
Morpheus slept until about 315.
81 awoke with an uneasy feeling as If
some evil were impending l then no.
ticed my room companion sitting up in
his berth with large revolver in his
hand.
''He said, 4 am going to do it now, 80
here goes
81 told him not to, and got up in or
der that l might get my checkbook from
under my pillow. l wrote out a check
for 500, and was just handing it to him
when the pistol went off The bullet
crashed throught the partition over his
head Another shot followed it, and l.,
thinking discretion the better part of
valor, went out in the main passage
way, Howson soon followed, and say
ing, Don't be afraid 1 won't hurt you,
walked toward me, but did not care to
get too close to him. l walked around
the deck and he followed until he was
placed under arrest by the officers of the
ship. There was great excitement on
board for some time, but it soon sub
sided. -
Howson was arraigned before justice
in the Tombs Police Court. He said that
he intended to commit suicide, but at the
last momenr his nerve failed him. The
reason he wanted to kill himself was
that he had been sick and was out of a
position. He held his hands to his face
and cried. The letter was opened and
was read in court 1t was merely a re-
cital of his ills and said that he did not
want to bring disgrace upoo his friends
or upon Wilbur Lodge, f. and A. M.