Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-12
A PISTOL BULLE T
Ends the Life of Ex-Policeman
Stephen L. Kearney.
HE PULLED THE TRIGGER
Mental Depression at His Long Illness the
Cause Of the Suicide - Circumstances I'm
der Which the Deed Was Committed
His Long and Varied Service.

few minutes after this morning Stephen
L. Kearney, former member Of the District
police force and q veteran OF two wars, COM
mitted suicide at his residence. 1919 10th street
| northwest. by shooting himself in the head
| with a small Smith & Wesson five-chambe-ed
revolver.
Mr.. Kearney had been an invalid for the past
year. suffering from complication of diseases,
principally from an affection of the heart He
had been confined to his bed for the past two
months, although it was frequently almost i'm
possible to keep him in bed. SO restless WAS he.
He was very weak and at times was fighty
and incoherent Last evening he COM
planned of being confined to his
bed room, on the second floor of
the house, and thought that he would
be benefited by sleeping on a cot in the room
back of the parlor on the first floor. There he
rested last night and this morning appeared TO
be a little easier.
THE FATAL SHOT.
About o'clock his daughter went to the
basement to prepare her father a milk punch.
While preparing it she was startled by hearing
the report of pistol about twenty minutes after
g. and at once ran upstairs, screaming for her
brother. W. L. kearney. Her brother had also
heard the shot, and running down from the
floor to the room occupied last night by his
father discovered him lying partly on
the cot and across chair at its
side, with great stream of blood gushing from
bullet hole directly on top of the head.
Catching his father up in his arms
the son spoke 10 him. bat no reply
came. Placing his father on the
cot the son sent for DIR. Warwick Evans, but
the unfortunate man died in about ten minutes
time, before the arrival of the physician, and
without having spoken word.
Some time ago. but unknown to the dead
man, his son had taken the pistol, which had
been used By his father during his service a
policeman. from trunk in the base
ment and placed it in closet
in the room occupied by his father last
night. and few feet from tine cot. There
the son saw it last night the butt of the
weapon just protrudins from beneath some
articles the closet shelf. To this
closet the dead man is supposed
to have gone Cor medicine while his daughter
was below this morning preparing the punch.
Suffering intensely and Respondent be-
cause OF his long illness. it is sup
posed that the afflicted man, upon glancing
at the pistol instantly resolved to end his
suffer!ngs. Taking it in his right hand, it
is thought that he stepped back to
his couch. seated himself on it, and
placing the muzzle of the weapon
to the top of his head, pulled the trigger while
he steadied his head with the left hand, for
the left hand was scorched by the discharge
Just previous to the shooting the unfortu-
nate man appeared to be In fair spirits, and
spoke affectionately to his daughter saying
thai he felt that he had but short time to live.
and that he felt very grateful for the untiring
care and attention he had always received from
her and the rest OF the family.
HIS LONG AND VARIED SERVICE.
The deceased was in his sixty fifth year. He
was native of Buffalo. n. Y, but had been
resident of the District for the past forty
years. He served in the Mexican war
drummer boy, and during the war
of the rebellion he served fourteen months
in the fifteenth Massachusetts, cavalry as second
lieutenant. and afterward in the United
States colored troops as first lieutenant.
and it was during this service thar
he contracted rheumatism, which was
the foundation of the other ailments
Shortly after the last war he was appointed on
the District police force, and after a service of
twenty years retired about six years ago
and placed the pension list. BY
a special act of Congress he was also govern
ment pensioner. During President Grants two
terms Mr.. kearney was detailed for duty at the
White House. also serving there under Presidents
Garfield and Arthur. He leaves widow and
three grown children, two sons and a daughter.
1t was the opinion OF his physician that Mr..
Kearney could have survived at the longest but
a week or SO.
The body was viewed by the coroner. who,
after hearing the statements of the family. de-
cided that inquest was unnecessary, and
gave certificate OF death in accordance with