The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-28
W.P. CANADAY SUICIDES
AT ONE TIME SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
OF TIE SENATE.

His Death Full of Sensational Prehmi-
naries-He Claimed That His Safe
Had Been Robbed-His Partner Dis
believed 1t and Went for the Police.
On His Return to His Room Canadey
Was Dead.
WASHINGTON, Sept 27.-The climax to a
decade of wild adventurous speculation In
projects Of a hazardous kind in the shape,
always delusive, that each successful scheme
would bring him large wealth, came some
time between and z o'clock this
morning in the suicide Of Will
lam P Canaday of North Carolina,
formerly sergeant-at-arms of the United
States Senate and known to politicians
throughout the country for years as one Of
the leading republicans in the south. The
suicide was as full of sensational prelimina-
ries as any story alleged as a basis Of fact
for a dime novel There was about it just
enough of the element of uncer-
tainty to suggest theory-quiokly
dispelled on examination-of the commits
sion of the deed by some other person than
the dead man, or the other theory that dis
belief in his story of having been robbed
had driven him TO kill himself.
SAID HE HAD BEEN ROBBED.
Prior to the suicide was scene about day
light with the dead man bound by slight
cord fastened to the door. which fastening,
he told a gentleman who had been alarmed
by his outories, had been bound on him by
burglars, who, at the point Of knife, had
forced him to open his safe and they had
then distracted therefrom most OF the
contents. Following this scene was
another in which J. V. A. Houghtou, can
tain on Gen. Hancocks staff during the war
and partner OF Col. Canaday, told his part
ner that be did not believe the story and
would have it investigated by the police.
Capt. Houghton accused Caneday OF an
attempt to defraud him tHoughton). Sub
sequently, to a reporter of the AS
sociated Press, Capt, Houghton said
that yesterday evening he had
PUT $4,000 IN BILLS
10 the safe, the combination to which was
known only to himself and Col Canaday.
The third scene was that which was visible
almost an hour later, when Capt. Houghton
returned with a policeman, who broke open
the window, the doors having been locked
by Col Canaday on the inside, and found
the former sergeant-at-aTms of the Senate
lying in the bath, the blood oozipg from
j pistol wounds through the head entirely
from car to ear.
HE WAS sHERMAN'S RIGHT-HAND MAN.
If John Sherman were still a presi-
dential probability he would mourn
the death OF Canaday, Tor it was Cana
day who, from the time when Sher-
man as Secretary of the Treasury under
Hayes, who had no hops Of denomination
and so had the UNIQUE distinction Of not
trying for it, made his most determined
effort for the republican nomination, quad
rennially marshaled the Sherman delegates
from the south until the present year, when
there were none. Canaday was bright
t'nFnlfnp xuTth tala
for politics, who was first made
collector at Wilmington by Senator
Il Sherman and then intrusted with the work
Of getting southern delegates for him. Can-
4 0day did his work we'll. To be sure some
& Of his Sherman delegates were usually fer
q sale, and in 1883, e. least as Sherman testi-
81 ies, many of them was bought by Alger,
q but Canadey was not responsible for that.
q Sherman was not uugrabetul to CanadRy.
lie got the Office of sergeant of arms Of the
q Senate, worth $1,000 a year, and even loaned
p him little money for some OF the many
b speculative operations Canaday was inter
z ested in.
FITTED FOR AN ADVENTUROUS CAREER.
Canaday, according to a gentleman who
Knew him well and is himself q leader OF
tne wnite Republican party in North
carolina, was by nature fitted for an nd-
Velturous career in politics and in business,
and his history shows that the statement is
Wen founded. AT the same time all who
knew him agree that he had liberal and
Earmness of attachment and devotion TO
81 friends frequently characteristic of men of
hls very sanguine temperament.
HIS CREosOTE INVESTMENT.
he was eager TO advance in the world,
ead soon after he came to Washington
Isl oocame interested in q number Of enters
II prises promising large returns on a limited
SaptLaL Some Of these projects seemed
feasible, and IN them Canaday interested
# senator Cameron, the late Senator Plumb,
ex-senator Malone and others with
"hom his official position brought him
lH'o contact. One of these was the National
& Oreosote Company. The result OF this
mixture OF business affairs with his official
relations to senators was unfortunate
10 all concerned for the enterprises
laGgushed and. the ssnator lost money, as
ula Canaday, who also lost his position. It
M was SAID that he had received ON iutimation
1NaV ms resignation must be made out or ne
would be removed. Another report said
tlae tnls statement was not correct, but
'uaI ne had resigned because his busi-
lsss relations with senators would make his
TJ"io'aI connection with them embarrassing.
tt1o%eyeT this was, his resignation was read
~ ~ yHe Ny senate and CanadAy opened an office
- "GsllngtOu where he conducted business
" various scrts, usually more risky and
rpe'uIAtlVe than conservative business men
otrtofe' AAo was promoter OF various
01'erp lses He tried number of
MEANS TO ACQUIRE WEALTH
suddenly, but got into greater and greater
haauclal diHiculties He had an elegant
o.a noIae IN Wilmington, N. c.. and this pro-
peIty and his other possessions were all
tLo to' gagged in an attempt to keep ahoat On
'e National Creosote Company be lost
sleat deal OF money. The last appearance
oo,'l '!'au9 IN politics was at the Minneapolis
ots ttsnYeltlon. He had been delegate to
d;iI AIR IonVentions, but at Minneapolis he
of I3o I3:o appear as delegate, but by virtue
pa,il us membership Of the republican
A1St'0hal committee.
ana Jde5n,a,day i, had the entire first floor of 7l2
cno ,a ~ 'i1 tenth street, and slept on cot in
20 r'1 ~ oL The The rooms. Capt. Houghton claims
no. oe Oanaday's partner, but his name does
~ Los appear on the signs. He seems TO have
M the man who furnished last year
W. ,-Ouey Tor the enterprises of which Canaday
rie5 promoter. The business car
of on besides that Of launching
n , various enterprises was that Of
of fseleral pension aud claim agency, loauing
z# isst Aythey ana the insurance of patents, this
noolng done under the name of the
Wa Guaranty Company. Houghton
as,o,inIn iAno"n to the people Of the house as