Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-28
The Self Directed Bullet Made a
Mortal Wound.
SKETCH OF TEE YOUNG SUICIDE
Alternately DESTROYS Of Living and
Eager to Die.
THE CAUSES ASCRIBED
special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

PAS o'clock this morning from his wound.
He entered the office of the College Of
Physicians and Surgeons, Calvert and
Saratoga streets. Wednesday afternoon,
and after few minutes conversation with
persons in the office drew a pistol from his
pocket, placed the muzzle against his left
breast and pulled the trigger. The bullet
entered his breast over the heart grazing
that organ, and lodged in his back after
passing through the left lung. 1t was re-
moved last night. and the operation was
followed by severe hemorrhages.
According to the contents of a letter
written in feminine hand and found in
DR.. Mackey's coat pocket, and according
to his statement made to DIR. Edwin Geer
of the college staff of physicians, the young
physicians attempt at self-destruction was
due to love- liquor and morphine.
Refused to Name the Girl.
He seems to have had trouble in "A love
affair with the writer of the letter, and
had been drinking and taking morphine to
excess. Members of his family were with
him when he died
AT times he expressed desire to recover
and then again he said he wished the end
would come. He remained steadfast In his
refusal to disclose the name of the girl
who 1t Is supposed impelled him to attempt
his lie. and who wrote the letter found O..
MIN.
SAIMly Noted Each Change.
He was conscious to the last, and calmly
noticed each change that took place. in his
condition as the end drew near. His
mother and brother and DIR. Coops OF the
hospital staff We're with him in his last
moments, and 10 them ne explained most
infinitely the character of his wound and
the causes that were leading to his demise
He even tried to feel his own fluttering
pulse, and told how every beat of his heart
was throwing into the lung cavity a GER
tam portion Of his life blood, and measured
with remarkable accuracy the length of
time the internal hemorrhage would take
to kill him. He repeatedly felt the tips of
his fingers and noted the slowly decreasing
power OF circulation.
Early in the night his body began to
swell and he readily explained the swelling
was due to the escape of air from th.. left
lung, which the bullet had punctured His
nerve was wonderful. and he was as calm
as If he had been one of the professors of
the hospital delivering a clinic lecture AT
the bedside of dying patient.
He bade his weeping mother and brother
farewell with no more emotion than If he
mad been going on short journey. He
told them that he was sorry he had shot
himself End wished he could recover. He
told his mother he had but dim recollec-
ton of the rash act, and attributed it 10
drink alone. He said when he drank he
became overPowered with desire to xiii
himself. for no special reason, but simply
because liquor made him excessively de-
spondent.
The body was placed in the hospital
dead house and was there viewed by Cor
oner Buddenbohm.
After viewing the body Coroner Budden-
bohm sent for DR.. Alexander Johnson, the
young student who WAS in the office when
the suicide fired the fatal shot, and who
at the risk OF his own life. wrested the
pistol from his grasp as he was about to
send another bullet into his body.
DR. JohnsOn's Story.
DR.. Johnson's story was simply that he
Nas standing in the doorway of the hos
pital when DIR. Mackey staggered up and
asked for room. He was ushered into the
office, and DR.. Coops, acting resident ply
siclan, summoned. The caller appeared
considerably under the influence Of liquor,
and said he had been drinking for several
days. and was almost in state of nervous
prostration. He said he wanted to enter
the hospital for treatment and also said
he had been victim of the morphine ha bit
for over four years and wanted to break
himself of it.
DR.. Coops asked him to be seated. and
told him he would See what he could do for
MIN. Suddenly he opened a little satchel
which he carried and remarked:
suicide"
The next instant he drew a revolver from
the satchel and pointed it toward his
breast. DR.. johnson sprang toward him To
prevent the deed. but AS he did SO a let of
nre leaped from the muzzle of the revolver
ana snarp report rang out in the ROOM
Inc pistol was double-action weapon
ana the suicide was trying to pull the tr1g.
ger again, when Dr. johnson tore the pisto,
from his grasp fe'oi
HIS brother, Crandan Mackev a nron,;-
nent lawyer of Detroit. Mich, was notified
early last evening Of the seriousness of he
GoohuItlon' ana Is now on his way here
me funeral arrangements will not he mad.
uhti he arrives ~ ue
no
pared Tor burial and taken to WASHINGTON
Tor interment. His brother who was with
Elm when he died. made this statement to
ute my brothers death to ANYTHING hnt
drink. He was not an excessive drinker.
and up to last Saturday had not taken a
drink for two years. He was very melan
choly when in liquor, and had several
times been an inmate of the Providsnca
Hospital, In Washington in order to get
on q spree. He wanted to kill himself
whiie on spree two years ago, but pre-
vented 1t. The letter from a woman hat
was found in his pocket we regard as a
hoax, sent by some friend of his as a ioke
he showed 1t to mother and me, and
laughed laughed heartily over it last Friday. His
and have no doubt a number may have
been infatuated with him, but 1 am sure
ne was not In love with any one"
Well known in Washington.
Dr. Mackey was we'll known in this CITY,
where he had passed the greater part of
his life. He was the son of Judge Thomas
J. Mackey Of South Carolina, who came
here during the Tilden-Hayes dispute as
the representative of the South Carolina
republicans. who claimed they had carried
the state for Hayes and the state govern
ment. Judge Mackey entered upon tho
practice of law here and his family came
to Washington to reside. His sons were
particularly handsome children. and lost
none of their good looks on reaching man
hood. One of them was in the consular
service in South America, and Argyle took
up the study of medicine. He graduated
with honor at the University of MARYLAND
and came home to open an office ON I
street near 9Th street, and soon secured an
extensive practice. He removed to $40 H
street northeast, and then to 9O5 where
he lived with his mother and brother
Thomas ]. Mackey. who is a clerk in the
city post Office.
He was handsome and of fine PHYSIQUE
and with pleasant disposition made MANY
friends Some years ago he was somewhat
addicted to drink, but of late has seldom
INDUCED. His last spree, which resulted SO
shcckingly. was a great surprise to all who
knew him.
DR.. M6ckey was particularly popular
with the gentle sex, and his office was IRE
quently crowded with women who are said
TO have visited him more for the chance
of seeing and talking with him than on ac