The morning times., 1896-06-14
THEI MD l6R[[D TO DIE.
Continued FROM First Page.

Continued from First Page.
| The laudanun had been In bottle, which
was described as u whisky bottle, without
label, into which it had been poured from
the bottle obtained from some druggist or
other person. The quantity is stated to have
been iraif pint, and that 1t was brought
III in the morning by Mrs. McKnew. The
| police wnuld give no Information as TO
| where the poison was obtained, IL they
hadit. 1t was also stated that Mr.. McKnew
| had a loaded pistol in his pocket, and that
there had been razor ON the wash stand.
The baggage of the McKnews consisted
OF little travelling trunk OF sack. evidently
new. Whatever else was in the room
| had been packed up in towel and lay on
| the bed.
1t is evident that Mrs. McKnew took the
| first dose and very large one. Mrs.
Hurley passed the door of Mrs. McKnews
room early in the fternoon and looked in.
Mrs. Hurley told The Times thatat thattime
| MIS- Mcknew was unusually pale and
quiet, but Mrs. Hurley believed that IL was
from the fatigue of the morning walks.
Mrs. Hurley had heard that she had been
going out recently with the view OF getting
| place. 1t is more than probable that
Mrs. Observation-Disclosures akingtbelaudaDum
as early az four or half past four O'Clock,
| the time she was seen by Mrs. Hurley.
One OF the persons who went n with the
doctor said that when he arrived Mrs.
Mcknew was to all appearances dead.
There was mass OF foam about her lips
and she was as still as death.
M'KNEw Is WELL KNOWN.
Mr.. Mcknew is well known in Washing
ton. He kept the hotel now known as the
Slater at the southwest corner of Second
and B streets northwest for five years,
having bought it about seven years ago.
In 1884 he sOidit to Mr. Hale from whom
1t was bought by Mr. Whitaker, who runs
] 1t and also hotel on the Avenue. 1t was
| to Mr.. Whitaker that Mr.. McKnew last
| applied for assistance.
Mr.. Whitaker said that Mr.. McKne w had
| recently called on him to give employment
| to his wife and that he had told him
| that she could be employed as soon as the
place on pennsylvania avenue had been
put in shape. This evidently did not re-
| leve the dependency of Mr.. and Mrs. Nc
Knew.
1t will be noted that the date Of Mr..
knew's confession of intention to Commit
| suicide is the 10th. II is likely that he
| had made up his mind to that end earlier
| than the 10th. The Times talked last
night with Mr.. Frank Wise who had been
| in the employment of Mr.. McKnew when
he kept the Slater Hotel aud who is now
at Mr.. Whittaker's hotel on the Avenue.
Mr.. Wise was out with McKnew the other
day looking for employment. McKnew was
trying To get friend to back him to buy
| back the Slater Hotel. although he told
Mr.. Wise that lie hadn't dollar. Mr..
Wise inferred from McKnew's manner that
he would not hesitate to end his troubles
in some such way as lie had selected. Nc
Knew was worried. He was high spirited
man. who had been very generous, lived
happily with his wife and could not toler
ate his misfortunes.
BUSINESS WENT WRONG.
When Mr.. McKnew sold his hotel he had
money, but IT is said that he was uufor-
tunate In business afterwards. He went
do wn to the Navy Yard aud kept grocery
store there for a ~hie and it is said
that he actually gave this away. He next
ran dining room at a hotel on Penn
sylvania avenue, in which he was unsuc-
cessful, and rafferty, has been living as
best lie could. with the assistance OF his
brother and tue gentleman who is IIen-
toned IN his letter above given.
There were two other letters in his
possession aud which are now beld by The
police. 1t is understood tina these refer
to business matters with an establishment
on Pennsylvania ayenue, where he was try
ing to get work for himself aud his wife
Mr.. Whitaker has. however explained his
intentions toward. Mr.. Mcknew. if the
reference 10 the Tetters is to what IS now
called the Myer Hotel. The story is
that Mrs. McKnew was willing to act even
in the capacity Of ,.cbamberInaid.
1t was stated on good authority last
night that Mrs. McKnew bad already at
tempted suicide at the fremont House, at
Second street aud Indiana avenue north
west. The chief clerk there, however said
| that il that were true he would he likely
| to know it. and he had not heard OF it.
He was sure that Mrs. Meknew had not
been engaged as servant at the :iotcl.
ACT WAS PREMEDITATED.
| Mr.. McKnew was quite willing TO talk
| about the affair last night at the Emer-
gency Hospital. He reiterated that the act
was premeditated on the part OF himself
| and his wife. He related the story of
his life. He was first prosperous hotel
keeper at New London, Conn. He came
| to Washington about seven years ago and
bought the Slater House. the rest of his
story being about as given above. He has
been for sometime in very bad health,
which, with his misfortunes hastened the
| Intended selfmurder. He said that his
wife took the first dose. He did not take
/ as much as she did, because he had heard
| that an overdose would only make -oDe
| SICK instead OF causing death.
Mr.. Acknew would not admit that ne
was glad the attempt had failed, on the
1
| He was evidently very much attached to
| Mrs. McKnew, with whom he had spent
| so long and happy a life until their money
| was all gone and friends were hard to
| find who would assist them for either
| sentiment or charity. He made frequent
| inquiries about the condition of Mrs. Nc
Knew, whose condition did not give much
| hope for recovery.
Reference has been made in the letter
oh r;pk.S IN, Aff,E ft<Ntv
| little black terrier This animal attracted
| q good deal of attention in the room where
| the poisoning occurred He was. to all ap-
pearIDces, conscious that something bad
gone wrong. He was Il picture of woe as
he stood at the front of the bed from which
his master and mistress had recently been
taken. His head was raised from time to
time to look into the bed. and again he
would raise 1t to the Bystapders as il in
mute appeal to be tolt- whatthey had done
with his friends
Although quiet little animal. he sprang
at Mr. Shcehan when he entered the room
where the man and wife had lain down, pos
sibly for the last time together to die.
Nothing could induce the little dog to leave
the room voluntarily, but he will no Doubt
be well taken care OF by the friend of the
| family to whom he has been beQueathed.
The singular thing about the story is
that Mr.. McKnew. both in his letter and
in his interview, states that there was a
determination to end his life. The state
ment of Mr.. Sheehan that Mr.. McKnew
made his first appeal for a doctor or po-
liceman, and his voluntary information
to Mrs. Hurley that bis wife was dead
are to be explained by nothing in the letter
or in his statement.
very thing that would prevent the cen
summation of the suicide at least SO far