Evening star., 1896-10-09
TOOK HIS OWN LIFE
billiard Ragland Was to Have Been
Married Next Week.
CAUSE FOR Suicide 4 MYSTERY
Friends Think His Mind Had Be-
come Affected.
d E A T II F r o NJ G. A S

Rather than seek happiness in married life.
and being unwilling to take upon himself
the responsibilities incident thereto, billiard
F. Ragland sought relief in death He had
wcoed and won charming young lady in
the south. and was to have been married in
Atlanta next Wednesday. But he had
changed his mind. for some reason, and
rather than tell the dear one so and wait
awhile he ended his life last night by in
haing gas.
billiard F. Ragland was twenty-seven
years old, and his parents live at Goliad,
Texas. He was a young man of exemplary
habits. so his friends say, and about six
months ago he came here to take position
as messenger in the internal revenue de-
partment of the treasury. having passed
the civil service examination. For some
time he had been living at Mrs. Griffith's
boarding house. No. S14 1 street northwest,
and 1t was in this house that he ended his
life last night.
With Mrs. Griffith's' son and Mr. j. W.
PEBBLES he occupied room on the third
floor of the house. He and PEBBLES occu-
pied the same bed AS was his usual Gus
tom, Ragland was in his room early last
night and when he retired it was not later
than 10 o'clock. But some time during
the night, when his room mates were asleep
he quietly left the bed and went out In
the hall, walking over the floor bare
footed. From his room Ragland went to
the little hall rccm in which there was not
a single piece of furniture. Putting an
article of wearing apparel over a small
window through which he might be seen
from the hall. the man whose life was
doomed because of his own conclusion to
destroy himself took seat on the bare
floor in the corner after he had turned on
the gas and there awaited the time when
his life should pass away.
No one knows what were his thoughts
during these minutes which We're no doubt
more than hours to the young man who
was welcoming death, and there without
apparently a struggle he became uncon-
scious and finally died.
Not Missed.
He was not heard to leave the room. nor
did his room mates miss him until this
morning. when they saw vacancy on his
side of the bed, and from the fact that his
clothes were in the room they naturally
concluded that something wrong had hap
pened. Search was at once instituted, and
in the little hall room, to which place Mr..
Griffith had been attracted by the smell of
gas. he found the young mans dead body.
What had caused him to destroy his life
in this way may never be known, for, so
far his friends know, he did not leave
behind him any note or letter indicating
that he had any such notion. He may.
however. have sent a letter to his parents
or sweetheart. but if the letters have
not yet reached their destination.
In mis- room were found letters and a
picture of the young lady whom he was to
marry. She is Miss Bessie Gurley, and she
lives at 625 Cedar Lane street, Dallas
Texas
Insanity Theory.
Friends of the young. man who were
associated with him almost daily say he
has been respondent for some days. and
they had become alarmed because Of his
conduct. About the Office the clerks knew
of hiS
week to be married, end had heard his
prospective marriage discussed. He had
male the necessary arrangements so far
as the office was concerned, for he had
obtained his leave of absence and was to
have started south Monday morning
1t Is thought that his act was not pre-
meditated. for he destroyed no letters in
his room. nor did he dispose of anything in
any way to indicate that he mad no further
need Of It, To some of his friends his
act was not a surprise, for they had made
remarks about his strange conduct and
they naturally think that his mind was
not exactly right.
As soon it was discovered that he had
ended his life word was sent to his cousin,
A. e. Quisenberry, No. 737 9th street north
east, and he had Undertaken Speare take
cnarge or the body and prepare it for burial.
A telegram was also sent to his home an
nounciEg his sad end, and it Is likely that
his body will be sent to Texas for burial
Coroner Hammett made an investigation
ana gave the necessary death certificate
and the police took charge of the dead
mans effects.
Pathetic Feature.
Developments late this afternoon in the
case showed clearly that the depression of
spirits which caused young Ragland to
have recourse to suicide was caused by
the fact that he was without funds with
which 10 leave for the south to get mar
ried A pathetic feature of the case Is the
1act that today a telegram came to the
dead man from his father in Texas stating
that funds for his trip and for his mar
rage expenses had been placed TO his order
IN local bank. 1t is believed by his friends
Ihat mad he received this telegram yes;er-
oay young Ragland today instead of being
dead by his own hand would have been on
his way to Atlanta to meet his promised
bride.