The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-13
DUFF Determined TO Die
Pound Seated Bolt Upright in His
Room in the Westminster.
BOUND TO DESTROY HIMSELF
Two Empty 2.Ouuce Laudauum Bottles
Alongside Him and Third In His
poeket-.A Weli.Known Phila-
deiphia Travelling Man.

f. F. Duff, a Philadelphia travelling
salesman, well known In Scranton, COM
mitted suicide in his room In the West
minister yesterday. He was found dead
at 2:3O o'clock In the afternoon and was
seated in a reclining posture in rock
ing chair with his feet resting on the
marble shelf of pierre glass. An emp
ty 2-ounce laudanum bottle was clasped
in his right hand, another empty bottle
of the same size and which had con-
tained laudanum, was found on the
shelf at his feet and third bottle fuii
of the poison was found In his overcoat
pocket.
Duff represented the Philadelphia
branch Office, Nos. rs and 2S North
Fourth street, of Berry Bros, varnish
manufacturers, of Detroit. The firm
was telegraphed news Of the death and
replied directing that the body be de-
liyered to an undertaken and that II be
embalmed and stating that a represen-
tative of the firm would be here to-day.
With the consent Of Chief Of Police
Simpson the body was taken In charge
by Undertaken Raub and now rests in
his Spruce street rooms.
Before the removal Of the body from
the hotel an inquest was conducted by
Coroner Kelley. A verdict that Duff
died from the use of laudanum admlh-
istered by his own hand with suicidal
intent was returned by the following
Jury: Charles Lang. jr., F. G. Sanders
David S. Foster, Edward J. Gleason.
Charles b. Shuster and A. T. Rayns-
ford.
Arrived in Scranton Monday.
Duff reached Scranton Monday after
noon, and. instead Of going to the Wyo-
ming house. his customary stopping
place for several years and where ne
was we'll known to the clerks and pro-
prietor, registered at the Westminster
and was assigned comfortable front
room on the third floor. During tues
day and Wednesday he called upon
large number of customers whom ne
had for several years sold varnishes
and oils. 1t has not been learned from
any of these persons that he appeared
,ow-spirited or different from the happy
and cheerful manner which always
characterized him.
The last seen of him alive by any OF
the hotel employees was "Wednesday eve
ming about Z o'clock. He was then
little under the influence Of LIQUOR
whether he then retired to his room or
waited until later In the night Is not
known.
Yesterday morning at o'clock Katie
Carroll, a chambermaid. tried the
handle of Duff's bedroom door, and,
finding 1t unlocked. started to enter.
Her eyes rested on the form of the
man seated in the chair, his feet ele-
waited and In the same position as when
discovered dead. She thought him
sleeping and withdrew after quietly
| closing the door.
Again, at IL o'clock, the chamber
maid approached the room and listened.
Sounds of sonorous snoring came from
within and the girl went about her
work, remarking to another girl, Mary
McNish, that the guest must be sadly
in want of rest to sleep in a chair all
the morning.
Discovery Of tho Chnmbe rmaids.
Soon after 2 o'clock the Carroll girl
| for third time went to the door and
| opened 1t after receiving no response
to her knock. The tired guest was still
reclining in the chair. But there was a
| peculiar pallor to his face. 1t alarmed
| her. She hurried for the McNish girl
| and the two tiptoed over the thresh-
hold. Something told them all was not
right. They hurried from the room and
rang the office bell. Thomas Wiestand,
n ha1
fears and entered the room. He placed
the back of his hand against Duff's
face. 1t was cold. He was dead.
| Without disturbing the body, VIE
stand hurried to the office and told
Clerk King what had happened. The
clerk looked at the body, and, after
giving instructions that nothing in the
room should be disturbed, telephoned
| Chief Of Police Simpson and Coroner
Kelley.
| Chief Simpson. accompanied by Cap
tam Edwards, soon reached the hotel.
Coroner Kelley appeared about 4
| O'Clock.
But Tor the presence Of the body the
room gave no sign Of having been oc-
cupied during the night. The bed had
not been disturbed: the towels ON the
washstand had not been used, nor had
any water been poured from the pitcher.
| which stood In Its customary place in
the washbowl. The only article out of
place was china mug. 1t had evident
ly been used by Dun in drinking the
opiate which caused his death.
Body Was Fully Clothed.
The body was fully clothed even to
hat, gloves. overcoat and shoes. his
suit, overcOat and linen, by their style
and quality indicated their owner to be a
man of good and even fastidious taste.
The trousers were light in color and
contained a fine. indistinct stripe; the
coat. Of sack pattern, and vest were of
rough brown goods; the overcoat was
of heavy blue melton and was topped
with heavy velvet collar which was
found turned up about the ears. The
hands were encased In new. tight mt
ting, dark red kid gloves. On the floor
behind the body rested a sample case
unopened, and valise well stocked with
wearing apparel, toilet articles and pa.
pers stood on q stand at the foot of the
bed.
An empty 2-ounce laudanum bottle
bearing the label OF Lofuts & Melvin, the
Wyoming avenue druggists. was found
loosely clasped in the right hand, which
rested in the dead mans lap. A second
empty bottle OF the same size as the
first and also bearing q laudanum Label
lay with the empty mug alongside the
feet on the pierre glass shelf. 1.-THE labe
| a - -
chased at the B. q B. pharmacy in the
Zeidler building on Franklin avenue
A third two-ounce bottle filled with
laudanum was found by Chief Simpson
in one Of the pockets Of the overcoat.