New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-22
THE SUICIDE or LIEUT.. MAY.
HIS BODY REMOVED TO THE NAVAL HOSPITAL
BRILLIANT RECORD.


The body OF Lieutenant sydney H. May. who com
mittd suicide By shooting himself in his room at the
United service Club In West Thirty first 81. on
Wednesday afternoon has been removed to the Naval
IOptal in IrOOklyn. None Of his friends could give
any reason fJr or explain the motive u his suicide
At the recruiting Office Of the United states Marine
Corps the officer In charge who also knew the dead
officer SAID that Dr. lcrndon had been at the ONCE
at O'Clock yesterday morning. and applied for leave,
which was granted. DR.. lierndon said he had been
asked TO notify the llcutenants mother nj BENNETT
square, Chester Comfy, Pennsylvania, Of her sons
death.
a peculiar Interest attaches 10 the case Of poor
May said prominent naval officer 10 reporter
Of The Tribune yesterday for his untlmely end cnt
short career which promised To bc more than
ordinarily brilliant. lie had been working systemau.
cay and zcalOusly for twenty five years to make a
record which would be Of use to him In after He when
he should nave attained 10 commanding rank. For
this purpose he made many sacrifices In his Younger
DAYS. lie was shrewd enough 10 know that "A long
record Of sea service would day be Of great
10 him. and he therefore did voluntarily good deal
more cruising than he need have done He gave up
the advantages and pleasures Of shore life twrc and
asked for duty In foreign waters for this purpose. and
did anywhere from five 10 seven years mon, duty
aioat than he would have been required 10 do the
ordinary routine
Just look at his record this officer continued
II shows that he did more sea duty than any Of The
$50 leutenans. excepting the naval aid 10 secretary
Tracy, William L. COwles; more than all the seventy
four lieutenant commanders except Mansfield and Tan
ner than all the eighty five commanders, more
than all the forty five captains but Potter and Kirk
land. and than three Of the commodOres and
yet he was only the ninety seventh lieutenant In
lnea rank. There's record for you that the young
sers and some Of the older as WELL might study
with profit.
There is doubt but that May calculated to
profit by TINS extra sea service some day. and IT Is
all the more depofabr that he should have cut him
self OF after having faithfully aud 80 patiently built
foundation for future success. His falling sight.
have doubt, was what did II. lie doubtless knew
or thought he Knew, that he could not pass 10 the
commanding grades with this defect and II disheart
ened him Added to this was his old liver ninunt
which gave him trouble at times wherever he might
be. In China. | happen TO know 1t broke ont on
him. and lie was for while I'm a bad way when he
In the Arctic, again 1t almost carried him or.
and since his return shore duty Ia is.6 and later.
when coming In In South American waters he was
not exempt from the terrible allment. lie had the
fever, which left It's traces I'm his liver after
he came out OF the Naval Academy and he has there
fore been sufferer from 1t or less for twenty
knows what Il man passes through with Il rropic
liver IL Is quite possible that the fading Of poor
Mays sighi was secondary effect OF his Internal
trouble and II Is likely also that II contributed to the
melancholy and the mental alteration which made
him fire the deadly shot"
Lieutenant May made good record in Washington
In IL full tour OF shore duty In the Naval Bureau OF
ordnance ms an aide TO the Chief. Commodore Mont
gomery sicnrd. lie was regarded rs an expert In
ordnance matters, ana was a driughisman OF me Ut
talnmcnts.
While serving In Washington he was one Of eight
merry bachelors who tennncd the house In the Army
and Navy section, which became known rs Paradise
Fiat IL was Jolly mess altogether, and May being
the senior OF the eight, and wthal sedae ana
moderate man, was known rs "Thc Deacon by his
more risky companions. The dead officer was very
compahion9e ana wa, lover OF outdoor sports. ana
especially Of rife shooting. in which he had a repu
tation