Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-21

Frank G. Downman was to have been mar.
ried today il all reports are true, but before
the hour Of noon he pulled the trigger Of 9
| revolver and his life came to sudden and sac
end.
The deed was q great shock to his many
friends, but some Of them who we're seen by q
STAR reporter did not even express surprise
when they were told of what had occurred.
The tragedy was enacted in a room in the
Dumbarton Hotel. on Pennsylvania avenue neal
It'll street, and the unfortunate man bad been
dead some time before his body was discovered.
bowman was handsome man Of muscular
build and had many friends in this city AZ well
as at his homo in Warrenton. He had served
Uncle Sam during Mr.. Cieveland's administra-
ton. but was too much Of a democrat to hold
on when there was political change.
Following his release from Office he started
out to see something Of the country, and only q
short while ago he returned to his Wsrrenton
home and then came here.
Exactly when he arrived Is not known, but
he wss the first guest to register at the hotel
Thursday morning He was assigned to room
10, on the fourth floor, facing Pennsylvania
avenue, where he had exceedingly comfortable
quarters.
SENT FOR MORPHINE PILLS.
He made q conidAnt of Jim Carter, the col
ored. porter, whom he told that he had not had
any sleep for four nights. There were traces
had used morphine and liquor to drown his
sorrows and give him an opportunity to sleep.
Jim was sent to neighboring drug store for
morphine pills and was given three one-fourth
grain pills, but these did not last long and he
went for another installment. The druggist
refused to let him have any more, as he thought
he had already had enough for one man.
Persons about the hotel noticed that he ap-
peared nervous and excited, and at times he
showed signs Of being under the influence Of
liquor.
TEMALE IN THE CASE.
Yesterday morning it was evident that there
was a female figuring in the case, for he COM
menced writing notes and sending them out.
His first note was addressed to Miss Cora
Hunter, No. 1025 Vermont avenue northwest,
and this was intrusted to Jim, the faithful
porter, for delivery. Jim left the hotel with
the note and delivered it to the lady mentioned,
returning with an answer.
What the answer was nobody except the
writer and the unfortunate man probably
knows, but ii evidently was not of the most
loving character, for after receiving 10
ing TO take the second dose Of morphine. But
as he had not been able to get it he had to make
out with something else.
A CALLER AND A STORMY INTERVIEW.
During the afternoon he received a caller and
there was stormy interview between the two
men. Persons about the hotel say he was the
brother-in-law Of the lady in the case and he
insisted that the marriage should take place
today.
According to the gossip about the hotel such
terms were satisfactory to bowman and it was
settled that a minister should be called in and
perform the ceremony some time this after
noon.
PASSED sLEEPLEss MONT.
So far as could be ascertained the man who
had been under such mental strain spent most
of the night in his room.
In the rear end Of the room were bis bed and
washstand, while near the front window were a
small table and bureau. An open stove stood
near the middle Of the room and in it there was
q fire last evening.
Letter writing and walking tho floor help to
pass away the night for the man who had
nearly lost his reason, and when this morning
came he was no better of than he was the night
before.
ANOTHER NOTE TO MISS HUNTER.
He sent for the porter some time in the neigh
borhood Of 10 o'clock and again gave him a
note to deliver to Miss Hunter.
"Be sure and get an answer" were his last
words to the porter, and Jim hastened to the
honse on Vermont avenue with the note.
He saw Miss Hunter and handed her the
note. Then he took seat and waited until she
had sealed an answer in an envelope and adj
dressed it MIR. I. G. bowman"
Jim then returned to the hotel and without
stopping to remove his coat he went directly up
stairs to room No. 10.
KNOCK. BUT NO REPLY.
He knocked on the door, but there was no
response, and then he ventured in. From the
door he saw the form of the man on the floor,
but could see no evidence Of tragedy having
been enacted.
He called, "Mr. Downmau," but there was
no response. By this time the porter realized
that the trouble had been more than the vir-
gilman could stand and that he had killed
himself.
Walking further into the room he saw pow
der marks on the shirt Of the deceased as well
as on his wrist, but there was no pistol in
sight
The burn on the shirt was on the left side,
directly over the heart, and it was plain to
Jim mind that bullet had entered the man 9
BODY and caused death.
Without touching anything in the room he
went down stairs to the Office and notified Mr..
George Jenison. manager Of the hotel, and that
gentleman went at once to the room.
LYING DEAD UPON THE FLOOR.
There he found the condition of affairs as
stated. The dead body of the man was lying
on the floor. the body being on its side with
one arm half under it. He was in his shirt
sleeves and his suspenders were not even over
his shoulders.
On the little table were several sheets of
writing paper and knife, while on the floor
near the table and partly under the dead mans
head was the lead pencil which he had used in
writing his farewell letter to the one he had
loved.
The bed had not been made up and his two
coats were thrown careiessly across a chair
His only baggage was a satchel and this was on
the bureau nearly closed.
A SEARCH FOR THE PISTOL.
There WAS no pistol to be seen anywhere
about the room. and from the fact that the
bullet had undoubtedly gone through the mani
heart, it was believed impossible for him to have
made away with it after firing the fatal shot.
This situation gave the affair tho appearance
OF murder. The door was unfastened. The
man had been shot and instantly killed, and
there was no weapon to be found.
He could not have thrown it out of the win
dow and 1t was not in his pocket. Search was
made and after some little time the revolver
Was found in the valise on the bureau.
1t was evident from the condition of affairs
and fired the fatal shot and had dropped the
pistol in the valse, where pair of 'soiled cuffs
and q necktie partly covered the weapon.
The police were soon notified and they took
charge Of the room and the few effects of the
dead man and sent word to the coroner
There were some papers and an envelope in
the valise aud it is thought that the letter
received from Miss Hunter yesterday was
apnpo tbem-althouoh n closa ;n,ca.t;c, -.