Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-28
HAD NO FURTHER USE FOR LIFE,
A Sensational Suicide at the
National Capital.
Ex-Sergeant-at- Arms Canaday Puts
Bullet Through His Brain.
wildcat Speculation Drove Him to the
Rash Act-A Respectable Young
Woman's Name Dragged
Into the Case.
By the Associated Press.l

at. arms OF the United States senate,
suicided here this morning, by shooting
himself through the head. He had
been in financial trouble for some time.
Canaday occupied rooms at 7l2 and
7l4 Keat street, as lodging and office
quarters, where, in partnership with
Capt. J. @. A. Houghton, he conducted
q business of loaning money on Sc
curities, such as banks refused to
handle, and was launching company
to guarantee patents.
The first scene in the tragedy was
about daylight this morning, when a
gentleman rooming above, was attracted
to Canaday's door by the latter's cries.
He found Canaday bound and gagged,
and the latter claimed that this was the
work OF burglars, who had forced him
to open his safe and take out the con-
tents. When Captain Houghton arrived,
he told Canaday he did not believe this
story, and thought it was ruse to cover
the theft by Canaday, of $4,000 which
Houghton had put in the safe the pre-
vious evening. Houghton then went
out to get q policeman. When he re-
turned, he found Cansday lying dead,
bathed in blood, with a bullet hole
through his head.
WOMAN IN THE CASE.
1t seems there was woman in the
case-a Miss Moore, for whom he left a
note declaring he was guilty of no
wrong, and asking God to bless her, as
his last prayer.
The tragedy is the climax to decade
of wild adventurous speculation in pro-
iects of hazardous kind, in the hope,
always delusive, that each successive
scheme wo'ild bring large wealth.
Il was about quarter after O'Clock
this morning when Charles Ii. Steven
son, an employe in fish commission
house, who roomed on the second floor,
Just above Colonel Canaday's rear office
room, came down staire, having been
alarmed by outcrles. He found Colonel
Canaday bound to the closet door in the
room in which the cafe stood, and across
the hallway from his sleeping quarters.
The safe was open. Strewed over the
floor was great litter OF papers, and in
the fireplace a charred mass of burnt
papers. a
Colonel Canaday was bound to the
door, with his hands behind him. The
twine with which he was bound was very
ordinary such as is used to bind large
parcels, go that "a man OF ordinary
strength ought to have been able to
break it with ease. In his mouth was a
gag made out of piece of muslin torn
from his nightshirt, which was found
across the hallway. 1t had been loos-
ened, SO he was able to make an outcry.
COLONEL cANADAY's STORY.
Colonel Canaday's story was that
some time after O'Clock in the morn
ing three burglars forced an entrance
through the rear window OF the room n
which he was found bound and gagged
from there they came into the room in
which he was sleeping; bound him at
the point of revolver, then forced him
to 60 across the hallway to the safe and
open it. They abstracted great part
of the contents, burned some papers
and departed, after binding him.
Captain Houghton was sent for, and
to him Canaday related this story,
which his partner refused to believe.
An examination of the papers showed
that considerable number of negotia-
BILE notes made by Colonel Canaday had
been burned, and every book containing
a recold of Indebtedness against him
had been destroyed.
PREFERRED DEATH TO ARREST.
Affirming his disbelief in the story,
Captain Houghton said he would 60 for
the police and have the story investi-
gated. Officers Hodges and Gilbert ac-
companied him on his return to the
house. A servant girl told them as they
came in that she thought Colonel Can
aday had shot himself The window at
the rear was forced from the outside,
and the dead man was found lying on
cot. He had dressed himself after
Captain Houghton's departure, and was
lying on a cot as If resting, but his
clothes and the sheet and pillows of
the cot were covered with blood. A 32-
caliber revolver lay by his side. The
desperate man had pointed it at his
head, just above the right ear, and
sent bullet clear through the brain.
The bullet came out just above the left
ear and dropped to the floor. Death
must have been nearly instaneous.
FAREWELL TO THE WORLD.
The body was removed to an under
takers rooms. where an inquest will be
held.
On desk, written on a large enve.
lope, was the following note to Miss
Moore:
My DEAR FRIEND: l am not guilty of
any wrong. You may trust IN me. The
people who are prosecuting me are
worse than am. He (probably mean
ing Captain Houghton) ia villain of the
deepest dye. God bless you always, is
the last prayer of your true friend,
CANADAY.
A note addressed to Captain Hough-
ton said that, after Houghton's conduct
this morning, he (Canaday} had mo
further use for life."
POLICE WORKING ON THE CASE.
The police are investigating the state
ment of Captain Houghton, that he put
$4,000 in the safe yesterday. How Can
aday could have made away with it, Is,
under the circumstances, difficult
question to answer.
Miss Moore, whom Canaday visited
yesterday, and to whom he left note,
is young lady of excellent family and
good reputation, whom Colonel Canaday
knew in North Carolina. She lives with
her married sister. Canaday's call was
q brief social one.
Entirely Satisfactory.
W: Arkell, publisher of Judge and Frank