Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-03
A DELIBERATE DEED
Suicide on Saturday Of Policeman Charles
Il King.
Testimony Before the Coroner to
Show That the Act Had Been
Long Contemplated.


| the head with a revolver. King killed him.
| self as he was coming down the steps
| leading into the yard at the rear Of the
third precinct station house, at 21st and
X streets northwest.
His body slid to the bottom, where II
was found lifeless by Walter A. Walker.
one of the patrol drivers, who had heard
the shot
Coroner Hammett held an inquest over
Kings body at Wright's undertaking es-
| tablishment, No. 1897 10th street, this
| morning. Considerable interest had been
excited among the acquaintances of the
dead man regarding the contents of a let
ter which he had written to Lieutenant
| Richard B. Boyle. his superior officer in
charge Of the precinct, and which the lat
| ter on Saturday had refused to make pub
lie In it's entirety, but only the jury. the
coroner and witnesses attended the in
vestigation today.
The jury was composed of George Peyser
OF No. 1918 7th street northwest, George
A. OHare of No. 1897 7th street north
west, and U. Charles Heitmuller, B. e.
Emnert, q. /. Browne and Richard Nc
Williams, all of the o street market
A number of witnesses were called and
detailed the story Of the suicide and the
| causes leading up to 1t. The first to be
sworn was Lieutenant Boyle.
Testimony of Lieut.. Boyle.
ne testineu that on saturday evening
about half-past he was in his office at the
| station consulting with Acting Sergeant
McNeely. when he heard the report Of a
pistol. McNeely thought the noise was
caused by one Of the officers playing bill
lizards. who had let the butt of his cue
strike the floor. A couple Of minutes later
Walker, the patrol wagon driver. came
running In and said King had shot him
self. Witness and others ran out and
FOUND King lying against the lower part Ct
the steps leading down into the yard. Blood
was oozing from hole in the right temple,
and to all appearances the man was dead.
Coroner Hammett asked Lieut.. Boyle
about Kings record as an officer.
He was a very good officer was the
or to volunteer for extra duty when such
was necessary"
Did he ever make any threats against
his own life?' inquired the coroner.
II have no recollection Of his doing so
until received letter from him on Sat-
urday morning" responded the witness.
I'm this letter he said that he intended to
commit suicide, and that his body would Re
found on the Tenleytown road, near Wood
ley Inn. In the forenoon Of Saturday, in
company with Lieut.. Swindells. went cut
to the place indicated to look for King, but
without success. i did not see him again
until he was dead"
Were there any reasons given in the
letter you received from King to account
Declines to Produce the Letters.
When Coroner Hammett asked this ques-
ton there was a general movement among
those present, indicating an expectation of
interesting development.
Il want to say, Mr.. Coroner" said Lieut.
Boyle, decisively, that decline to produce
any letters 1 may have received from Mr..
King or to tell any more Of their contents
than have already. The rest of the letter
relates entirely to requests Mr. King made
of me, and to his family matters, in which
the jury or the public can have no interest
bearing upon this inquest. / will say that
Mr.. King wrote to other persons indicating
his determination to commit suicide A
gentleman handed me a letter yesterday
written to him by Mr.. King, in which he
said that would pay sum of money owed
by Mr. King TO the person receiving the let
ter"
The coroner decided that the lieutenant
was right in his declination to produce a
private letter, and the latter continued his
testimony.
He produced nickel-plated seven-shot 32-
caliber revolver and said it had belonged to
officer King, was his official weapon AMI
had been used to commit the deed. King
was due to go on duty at p. m. Saturday
and evidently coming to the station for that
purpose when he fired the deadly shot.
Patrol Drivers Give Evidence.
Walter A.Walker,a patrol wagon driver in
the third precinct, said he was at work in
the stable and heard some one come through
the yard. Then a shot was fired He went
out and saw Mr.. King sliding down the
back steps. He thought Mr. King was
drunk and went to him to help him up,
when he saw a smoking pistol in his hand
and the wound in his right temple Witness
took the pistol and gave it to Lieut.. Boyle
after giving the alarm. King never spoke
after witness reached him and made no
sound except slight groan.
John A. Richie, colored another third
precinct patrol wagon driver, was going
home at 5:25 Saturday evening when he
met Mr.. King coming through the alley
back of the station Mr.. King looked sick.
and the witness remarked upon it, where
upon Mr.. King said he didn't think he
would go on duty. Witness passed on, say
ing Good evening"" to which Mr.. King
replied Goodbye" He did not seem to be
under the influence of liquor.
King Frequently Threatened Suicide.
officer Hanley testified to being a brother
officer Of Kings. The latter had shown
many pecularities Of late. Sometimes he
was very jolly and lively and then he
would have spells when he would take no
notice of any one. King told witness five or
six days ago that he was tired of life and
would kill himself. Witness told him he
was talking foolshly. King was not in
liquor on that occasion and not in the habit
of getting so. Humane Society officer Jos
X. Rabbit, Pharmacist Felix Van Reuth of
Goth and X streets and Policeman John E.
Preston all gave similar testimony about
King asserting upon many occasions his
intention of killing himself on account of
his troubles, the character of which he did
not detail.
Fearful Character of the Wound.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook testified as to
the autopsy he made upon King The ball
had entered the right temple, passed
through the brain and the opposite wall OF
the skull and lodged under the skin back of
the right ear. The wound was a fearful
one. The fracture caused by the bullet
extended entirely around the skull and
down into the base Of the skull. The
wound produced death instantly. The pis-
toll must have been held close to the head,
as powder burns were found near the en-
trance wound
The jury then retired and in a few mo-
ments rendered verdict that Charles H.
King came to his death from pistol
wound in his temple inflicted by himself.
King was a very popular policeman but
when under the influence of LIQUOR in
which he INDUCED occasionally to excess
up to a year or more ago, he was ill-tem-
pered. He was dismissed from the force
In Nav 1902 for aSSanltipp man por,ad