Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-21
SUICIDE OR ACCIDENT
Frank G. bowman Found Dead in
His Room.
SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
Indications That He Fired the Pistol-He
Had Been Using Liquor and Morphine
Was to Have Been Married Today-The
Lady in the Case Declines to Talk.

Lady in the Case Declines to Talk.
| Frank G.. bowman was TO have been mar
ried today IL adj reports true, but before
the hour of noon he pulled the trigger Of 8
revolver and his life came to a sudden and sad
end.
The deed was a 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 near
7th street, and the unfortunate man had been
dead some time before his body was discovered.
bowman was n handsome man OF muscular
build and had many friends in this CITY we'll
as at his home in Warrenton. He had served
Uncle Sam during Mr.. Cleveland's administra-
ton. but was too much of democrat to hold
on when there a 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 Warrenton
home and then came here.
Exactly when he arrived is not known, but
he was 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 confidsnt of Jim Carter, the COL
ored porter, whom he told that he had not had
any sleep for four nights. There we're traces
of mental agony about the yonng man, and he
had used morphine and liquor to drown his
sorrows and give him an opportunity to sleep.
Jim was sent to a neighboring drug store for
morphine pills and wac given three one-fourth
grain pills, but these did not last long and he
n me ar
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 APP
peared nervous and excited, and at times he
showed signs Of being under the influence Of
liquor.
FEMALE IN THE CASE.
Yesterday morning it was evident that there
was 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. 1925 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 was nobody except the
writer and the unfortunate man probably
knows, but it evidently was not Of the most
loving character. for after receiving ii
bowman appeared low spirited and was will
ing to take the second dose Of morphine But
as ne ned not Deen able TO get IL ne had TO make
out with something else.
A CALLER AND A STORMY INTERVIEW
During the afternoon he received 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 minister should be called in and
perform the ceremony some time this after
noon.
PASSED sLEEPLEss NIGHT.
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 his bed and
washstand, while near the front window we're a
small table and bureau. An open stove stood
near the middle of the room and in it there was
fire last evening.
Letter writing and walking the 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
note to deliver to Miss Hunter.
''Be sure and get an answer" we're his last
words to the porter, and Jim hastened to the
house on Vermont avenue with the note.
He saw Miss Hunter and handed her tho
note. Then he took seat and waited until she
had sealed aR answer in an envelope and ad-
dressed it Vlr. F. C. Downman."
Jim then returned to the hotel and without
stopping to remove his coat he went directly up
stairs to room No. 10.
A 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 a tragedy having
been enacted.
He called, "Mr. Downman," but there was
no response. By this time the porter realized
ginian 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 no pistol in
sight.
The burn on the shirt was on the left side,
directly over the heart, and it was plain 70
Jim's mind that bullet had entered the mans
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.
lHtTe nc IOuHu ING cOHulliOH Oh anRlrS as
stated. The dead body of the man was lying
on the floor, the body being on it's side with
one arm half under it. He was in his shirt
sleeves and his suspenders were no. 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 carelessly across a chair
His only baggage was a satchel and this on
the bureau nearly closed.
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 mans
heart, 1t was believed impossible for him to have
made away with it after firing the fatal shot.
This situation gave the affair the appearance
of murder, The door was unfastened. The
man had been shot and instantly killed, and
there was weapon to be found.
He could not have thrown it out of the win
dow and it 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
that the suicide had stood before the bureau
and fred the fatal shot and had dropped the
pistOl in the yalisa where n pair of snilad cuffs