Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-26
ENDE D,ssan HIS LlF &
Sad Suicide oi1a wall-Known Business
o1 Man. 4
Robert Gittints Cut. Hi. Throat with
KnifeAIIis Many Friends
Greatly Surprised.

| Mr. Robert B. Settings, one of the best
| known business men in town, committed
suicide yesterday afternoon between and
| 8 o'clock. The, scene of the tragedy was
the Corcoran woods. in Northeast Wash
iDgton, near 18th ard P streets. The weap-
On that he used in ending his life was
small pocket knife. This he drove deep
into his neck, seyering the jugular vein. 1t
| made jagged wound. and was found lying
beside his body in the dirt. He must have
bled to death in very few moments.
Mr. Cuttings was about forty nine years
| of age and lived with his family at 1O2
Massachusetts avenue northeast. For thfr-
| ty years he was in the employ of J. w.
Boteler & Sons, dealers in crockery and
china ware. at $50 Pennsylvania avenue.
| He started in a boy around the store
and by his ability and devotion to business
! rose steadily until, at the time of his death,
| he occupied the position of confidential
clerk and general manager. Mr.. Boteler
| placed the greatest reliance in his assistant
and as result of years of association the
| two men were on terms Of the greatest in
| timacy.
| The motive for the suicide only be
conjectured. 1t is supposed that he was
Respondent, partly as the result of his wifes
| Illness Mrs. Cuttings has been suffering
| for some time from an attack of the grip.
| and her recovery was not as rapid as he
| had hoped for. Yesterday morning when
Mr. Boteler came to the store he asked of
| his manager how Mrs. Cuttings was Mr..
Cuttings seemed to be in low spirits at the
| tme and later in the day Mr.. Boteler
| noticed that he had left the store, without
leaving any message. This was very un-
usual performance. for Mr.. Cuttings was a
man of regular habits and was rarely absent
from his place of business 1t was supposed
| that he had gone home feeling unwell. and
| little more was said on the subject until the
evening, when Mr.. Boteler was apprised of
| his shocking end.
The Fatal Spot.
| The scene of the suicide was a little
clump of woods which is out of the regu-
lar lire of travel, and it is, of course, i'm
possible to say why the unfortunate man
| was in that neighbornood at all. On his
| way he seems to have destroyed every let
| ter and scrap of paper about him, for
pieces of torn paper We're found along the
! path leading to the spot. as if Cuttings had
| tried to prevent any recognition Of his
body. He was discovered about 4;0 O'Clock
| by two little school girls, who happened to
pass that way on their way home from
school. They found the body lying on its
| back md in pool of blood. They at once
gave the alarm and Policeman Cook was
soon on the scene. Later the body was re-
| moved to the morgue, and more thorough
examination made. This developed nothing
| that would throw any light on the tragedy.
| Apparently he had changed his mind just
before he killed himself, and thought to
/ leave some message. On his left cuff he
| wrote his and under it the message
| For Gods sake never tell my wife and
children how l died"
On his other cuff was written: ASK Mr..
]. W: Boteler how he feels about it. He
| knows good many things. r. b. G.
| The two messages do not in the slightest
degree raise the, doubt and mystery about
! the whole occurrence, and the general Opin-
| ION among the friends is that he must have
| q
| ton of mind as NO other reason can be
| given for his act.
His Family.
| Mr.. Cuttings family consists of his wife
| and two children. girl about twenty
| years OF age, and boy some three or
| four years younger 1t was not until late
in the evening that they were told of his
| death and that ne had committed suicide.
They were completely Frustrated when the
| news was brought to them
Mr.. Cuttings was one of the most popular
| men in town. He was genial, whoie-soul-
| ed sort of a man. and made friends easily,
and had the knack of keeping them. He
was of the charter members of the
National Rifles. and was always active and
| prominent in every move the corps made.
He was commssary sergeant. His death
| has created genuine sorrow among his as
sociates. both among the members of the
National Rifles and of the other societies
| to which the dead man belonged.
No Inquest.
The body of the dead man remained all
| right at the morgue at the sixth precinct
| station house, and was not removed to his
| late residence until after II o'clock today.
| At II o'clock the coroner viewed the re-
| mains at the norgue, and gave certificate
| in accordance with the facts. He decided
| that inquest was not necessary under
| the circumstances, as there were wit
| nesses to the affair, and it was evidently a
case of suicide.
| number of Cuttings friends were at
the station, among them several members
! of the National Rifles, who We're looking
after the arrangements for the funeral.
There We're Capt. James F. Oyster. Lieut..
| George w. Evans and Secretary Harring-
| ton. All were deeply moved by the sad
ending of their longtime associate, but
| none of them could make any reasonable
| suggestion as to why their friend should
| have taken his own life. Cuttings had been
| a member of the Rifles ever since the or
| saniZation of the corps, and had been
member Of the non-commissicned staff for
| a number of years past and member of
the board Of directors since 1888
Mrs. Cuttings has been in bad health for
| a couple of years, and her husband had
| undoubtedly worried great deal over her
| condition An effort was made to keep the
| news from her last night, and she was only
| told that her husband had been the victim
| of a serious accident. She at once ieaped
| to the conclusion that they were keeping
| the worst from her, and when she was told
| today that he was dead it was not news to
| her. She has since been in a condition
| bordering hysteria.
The arrangements for the funeral have
not yet been completed, but 1t will proba bly,
| be held at the house tomorrow afternoon
at o'clock and the interment will be made
| at Glenwood The tender was made of
| military funeral. but the members of the
| family thought that under the circum-
| stances this would not be desirable. A half
| dozen of the dead mans companions-in-
| arms will act as pallbearers.
| A special meeting of the National Rifles
| will be held at the armory this evening
at O'Clock TO take suitable action mon
| the death of Mr. Cuttings.
TWO ARRESTS.