Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-02

=, y JOY. or BROOKLYN. COMMITS
sr,ctpE WHILE OUT DRIVING.
4 SENSATION OH NINTH STREET.
-.ceased Was Travelling Photo
erapher, and Had Only Becn Here
Few Wceks-Was Under the In
sucnce of Liquor Last Evening.

sucnce of Liquor Last Evening.
W. II. JOY, a travelling photographer
con Brooklyn. representing the Cosmo-
,sla View Company, OF New York,
,onmitted suicide at the corner OF Ninth
sas Bank streets last night about {
eE0ck IN a most sensational manner.
TIE unfortunate gentleman was seat
a. alone in a carriage, which was being
driven up Ninth street. when he shot
himself through the head, literally blow
ns his brains out. He had been in the
earriage for an hour or more, having
entered the vehicle at Murrays barber
shop. on Main street. near the scene OF
,ao tragedy. He originally ordered that
be be driven TO the ST. Claire Hotel, at
which place he was a guest, but sub
4ssuently changed his destination. and
eas by his direction. taken TO several
to4rding-houses and three or -four
saoons.
DID NOT APPEAR no BE DE
SPONDENT.
Mr. Joy had just left a Main-stree
De fred the fatal shot, using therefor 1
miniature pistol Of 2S-calibre. He hat
been talking cheerfully with the driver
ali seemed, though considerably intoxl
Gated, not in the least despondent
When he passed the corner Of Nintl
and Main streets several gentlemen
among them a wel-known newspape
man. noticed that the occupant Of th
conveyance had no hat upon his head
but paid no particular attentions TO him
until startled by the report of a pistol
The driver OF the carriage had his bacl
turned 70 Mr.. JOY when he fred TIT
shot but a lady seated in the Verand'
OF the old Virginia House, Immediately
in 'front.' Of which the deed was DONE saw
afr Jov when he placed the pistol to hi.
head and fired. She screamed AM
rushed down stairs. and the driver, turn
ine and seeing by the light OF the elec
tfic lamp the blood oozing from his pas
sergcr's head, became terrified, an'
Gropning his reins. leaped from the boz
urd started up the street.
STILL HELD THE WEAPON.
Mr.. \. Leonard, who was passing
down Ninth street at the time. caught
hold Of the frightened horses. and stopped
them. He then peered in the carriage
tra TOD Of which was down. and saw the
diving man. with blood flowing from hi'
head lie quickly gave the alarm, ant
n crowd soon collected. Some one tele
ph1ncd for the ambulance. and DR.. st
Julian Oppenhimer. who lives near b,
fh. scene WAS sent for. He Responded
rromptlv. and finding that life was no
quite extinct. attempted TO resuscitat'
the wounded man. This, however, proved
futile. for death came I'm few moments
The suicide had hardly breathed hi
last when Detective A. NJ. Tominson ar
rived and took charge OF the pistol
which was found on the floor of the car
riage. Sergeant Tomlinson also wen
through the dead mans pockets, ant
dnding several letters addressed TO w
n. Joy st. Clair Hotel, started on OF
a ouiet investigation, in order to identity
the man.
VIEWED BY THE CORONER.
The ambulance soon put in its APP
nesrance. but the Coroner had, In the
mean time, been notified, and he came
.bout the same time. Coroner Taylor
ordered that the body be taken to the
city Almshouse, and requested that II
ne taken there in the ambulance This
he driver said. was against regulations
of the almshouse, and the Coroner de-
clded 10 use the carriage in which the
f,ta1 ride was taken as a dead-wagon.
Here. however. another obstacle was
encountered the superstiuous negro
driver declining TO mount the box
again. Or. Taylor was in something OF
auandary, until the owner OF the We
hlcle. Mr.. Allen Sutherland, put In ms
appearance, and volunteered to drive the
vehicle TO the almshouse.
mt ..f..l,-
Guilty. and the solemn drive was begun
a policeman ascending to the drivers seal
with Mr.. Sutherland. The Coroner in
structed that the body be held until
something can be heard from Brooklyn
concerning the disposition to be made oi
II. and decided that an inquest was un'
necessary.
TOOK MANY PICTURES HERE.
Mr.. JOY came 10 Richmond on the 18th
Of July and registered at the ST. Clair
lie said that he represented the Cos
rlopolitan View Company, and for awhile
seemed busily engaged in Photographic
work about the city. He paid his bilis
promptly Tor the first two or three weeks
OF his stay, and made conhdants OF one
or two friends here, whom he told OF the
loss OF his wife some two years ago. lie
seemed at times to grow very despondent
considerable extent. Mr.. JOY dld mol
work as regularly as he might have done
during the past two weeks. and his board
t.ll was allowed to lapse. He made seVe-
ral promises concerning payment thereof
bat each promise was broken.
lie slept late yesterday morning, anc
when awakened by the hotel clerk sale
be felt very badly. He entered the hote
Office shortly after this, however, ano
passed out Of the front door. stoppinl
only long enough TO tell the clerk t6
make out his bill In order that he might
Day 10 upon his return.
Where SIR. JOY spent yesterday coulc
not De- learned. He was in several bar:
during the afternoon. and after o'clocl
entered Muuay's barber-shop, where he
was shaved. lie told a darly In thai
shop THAI he was from Macon, Ca, ano
when De got I'm the carriage told the
'or.ver 20 80 slowly, as he had been drink
Ing heavily
AZ "a late hour last night nothing had
been heard from the deceaseds friends
ana his body lies IN the morgue awaiting
sdch directions as the relatives OF the
deceased may send regarding its disposi-
tiOn.