The Washington times., 1895-03-02
Denham Killed Himself Because
His Wife Left Him.
MORPHINE ENDED HIS TROUBLE
Mrs. Denham Hastily Went to Her Husband
When Informed of His Action, But Found
Him Dead-she Took the Letter He Left,
Read It, and With sobs Choking Her
Throat Went Away-His Last Request.

Deserted by his young wife, disconsolate
and lonely. Amos o. Denham ended his
life Thursday night at his boarding
house, No. 219 Second street northwest,
by swallowing the contents of a bottle OF
morphine. Coroner Hammett was noti-
fled yesterday and will decide to day
whether an inquest is necessary.
Denham was but twenty years OF
age. He came to Washington from
farm, five miles above Falls Church,
little more than one year ago. His par
ents and two brothers still reside at the
country home, while his sister lives in
this city. Eight months ago he became
enamored of young lady living here and
married her. At that time he was employed
as driver on the Belt Line Street Railway.
LIVED THERE HAPPILY EN- OUCH.
He rented the little frame house, No. 221
Second street northwest, and lived there
happily enough until about six weeks
ago when he lost his position on the street
railway He had been improvident and
in consequence found himself without
rainy day fund when his position was
gone. One week after he lost his place
Mrs. Denham left him and sought employ
ment in private family at her trade of
dressrnaker. She told him that he could
not support her and she would go away
from him and earn her own livelihood
Ever since his wife left him Denham has
been morose and gloomy. His old-time
cheerfulness deserted him, and he fire.
quently declared that he could not and
would not live without her.
He gave up the house No 221, in which
"a,
gagged board next door, in No. 2l9, with
Mrs. M. E. Harding. He then secured
position in. a livery stable, but lost that one
week ago. This made him more gloomy
than ever, and he repeatedly declared, it
is said, that he would end his days unless
his wife returned to him. But she did not
go back, and the grim determination to
take his own life became fixed in his mind.
In the meantime he wandered aimlessly
about the city, looking in vain for his
wife.
DEEP DESP PONDENCY SEIZED HIM.
Amos sister came Thursday evening to
see him. and they talked together for some
| time The burden OF his conversation was
| about his wife. The sister bade him make
| the best of the situation, and said all would
| be right in time. After she left fit OF
| deep dependency seized him, and he went
!
street and engaged room for the night,
| paying for it in advance. No doubt he in
| tended to use that room as his chamber of
! suicide, for in his room in Mrs. Harding s
| house We're two other lodgers, the apart
ment containing three beds. If this was
| his purpose he did not carry it out, but going
| back to Mrs. HaTdng's he retired quite
early Thursday night before his two room
mates had arrived.
| He carried to bed with him a small.
| wide mouthed bottle filled with morphiEe,
! and before the other men arrived had drained
| it of its contents and slept the sleep OF
| death.
About 8 o'clock, when one of the other
men came in, he heard Denham breathing
hard and laboriously and summoned the
! landlady They tFied to arouse the sleeper,
| but could not. The deadly drug had per-
| meated his entire system. Dr. Harrington
was hastily summoned, and worked on
/ the poor fellow until nearly l O'Clock,
when with faint gasp he passed away.
| TEARS COURSED DOWN HER CHEEK.
A search of the apartment was made to
| see il Denham had left any letters. One
was found addressed to his wife, which
was kept and handed to her when she
| called yesterday afternoon. She read it.
| Tears coursed down her cheeks, then she
| thrust if in her bosom, and. choking with
| sobs left the place. Its contents are known
| only to her.
| Several other notes were found. All
| but one of these were mere scrawls. The
| one requested that when his wife dies her
| remains be buried alongside of him.
| These notes were found inside the wash
| stand drawer, in company with a bottle
| of strychnine He had at first, no doubt,
| intended to take that poison, but realized
! that it would cause great pain and throw
! him into convulsions before death, he de-
cided to take the more subtle drug, NOR
| phine.
| The remains were taken to Lees under
| taking establishment, where they will be
! viewed by the coroner this forenoon. The
mother, father, sister and brothers have
| all been notified.