Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-17
S U GID AL S H o T S
Benjamin F. Wright Makes Determined
Attempt to Die.
Discovered Struggling in n Pool of
Water With Five Bullets
In His Body.

forty years old, brother to MIR. JnO Wright,
the undertaken of 1887 10th street. attempt
ed suicide this morning by shooting himself
several times through the left side. He
committed the act in the woods west Of
Glenwood cemetery. between the limits of
the cemetery and the North Capitol street
extension. When found he was in an ex-
hausted condition from the loss of blood
and was lying in a pool of water.
Two young men, one of whom was named
McAleer, were passing through the woods
searching for moss and passed Wright. sit
ting by the side of the pool, which is
formed from the surface drainage and rain
water. He said nothing to them as they
passed, and they paid no further attention
to him. On their return by the pond Ut
tie later, at about 1915, they saw Wright
struggling in the water, as though he mad
fallen in face foremost or had flung him-
self from the bank. They quickly ran to
his assistance, and soon had him out OF the
water. He said little beyond to ask that
he be taken to his brothers house on 10th
street, and not to hospital A small PTS,
toll, with which he had shot himself. and
box of cartridges, were found on the
ground where he had been sitting. His
Clothes, which were of good quality, were
deeply stained with blood on the left side
in the region of the watch pocket, just be-
low the heart
Five Bullets Found In the Man.
Others coming to the assistance OF the
two young men who first found the would
be suicide, word was taken over to the
power house of the lexington road. at 4th
and T streets, and telephone message
was sent to the eighth precinct station
house. from which a patrol wagon was
quickly dispatched. Mr.. Wright, who was
by this time very weak from the loss of
bic cd, insisted upon being taken to his
home instead of to hospital, but he was
first taken to the precinct station house at
9th and U streets, and was then driven to
1897 10th street, where he was quickly
examined by two physicians, who found
that five balls had entered the side. Their
course could not be ascertained at once.
and the nature of the injuries was not
known for some time.
Mr.. John Wright, the brother OF the sui
eide, said to Star reporter that he had
nc idea why the act was committed. lie
was in a very distressed frame of mind.
and confessed that he could not answer
questions intelligently, because of his agi-
tation. He added that he knew nothing of
the circumstances of the morning beyond
the fact that his brother was brought to
his house at about noon in a patrol wagon
with policeman. who was then with him
upstairs.
So far as he knew his brother had made
no statement to explain his dce6 He said
his brother was about forty or forty-five
years old, and that he had a family. Further
information could not be ELECTED from the
undertaken, and the reporter sought to
find out something about the man of the
ne!ghboring merchants. At nearby drug
store, within a hundred feet of. the house.
it was not known that Mr.. Wright had a
brother. At the grocer's across the street
the same state of ignorance concerning
Mr.. Wright's family prevailed. In short.
the brother seemed practically unknown
in the neighborhood. The men who aided
in taking him from the pool described him
as a man of medium height. well dressed
and with short brownish beard. One OF
them. a resident of the county. said that
the man appeared to be remorseful for
patrol wagon.
Probable Cause of the Act. b.,
1t was learned later that Ben Wright. as
he was known. was for many years en-
pl, yed in the government printing office,
and was recently dismissed by Mr.. Bene-
dict He then established little cigar
stand in the hallway of the lunch room
Just west of 9th street on Pennsylvania
avenue He was separated from his fam
ily and his two sons have been cared Tor
by his brother for some years.
1t is thought that Wright, who is OF a
peculiar disposition and quiet shot HIM
self in a fit of dependency. He Is not
known to be drinking man. and at the
lunch room in a part of which he carried
on his business it was said that he had
never been known to miss going to his
stand until this morning, when he failed to
appear The clerks said that he was sub
ject to occasional spells of downhearted-
ness, but from what cause was not known.
He has been doing a good business of late,
and it was not thought that he had any
money troubles to drive him to suicide.