The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-08-02
JACK sHEPARD's SUICIDE
True InwardneSS of the Tragedy
to Come to Light.
MARKED CARDS RUINED HIM
Robbed at Poker in One of the Swell
Houses of the City-when the
Hostess Learned of the Affair She
Fell Dead-IDteresting Court Pro-
ceediUgs Imminent.

When Jack Shepard was found lying
dead in the grounds OF his Georgetown
home every sort of conjecture as TO the
reason of his suicide was heard. Shepard
moved in the best society of Washington.
He was brilliant young lawyer, with
large following OF friends, and the news
of his death was for days the main topic
of conversation among the smart SET"
He had stood tirst In his class at law
school, aad slteI few years in the dis
trict attorneys office. he became attached
to the Southern Railroad Company as its
local attorney.
Then came the news of his suicide, fol-
lowed by the publication of the fact that
he was deeply involved financially and re
spoBsihle for So, 900 OF funds entrusted
TO him by an estate for which he was
acting as receiver. That he had shot him-
self because of his inability to give an
accounting was plain enough. The day
his body was found was that on which he
was to have been called into court to
transfer the funds with which he had teen
entrusted.
The great wonder arose as to the manner
Ia which lie had disposed OF these FUNDS.
He was not a high roller, and none of his
habits of life gave any indication OF the
manner in which, he had squandcred S6 900.
This mystery is likely to be cleared up I'm
the next week. Then IL Will be shown Of
ficiaily that the missing money disappeared
into the purses or a coterie or poker
players
For weeks he had engaged, almost night
after night, liz gambling in one OF the best
known and most fashionable houses IN
Washington The hostess, the widow OF a
man whose services to his country had won
him fame and honor, was In the habit OF
gathering about her a number of the best
people in the nations capital, members of
the Metropolitan Club and attaches Of the
various legations TO this house Shepard
resprted and steadily lost.
After becoming deeply involved, young
Shepard began to suspect that the game
was not perfectly straight, aud asked a
young newspape man to accompany him
to one OF the meetings. Consent 10 admit
him t. the game was readily given, and
one night party was made, which includ-
ed the newspaper man. On this occa sion
Shepard lost steadily. and when the game
closed in the early morning hours was
several hundred dollars in d ebt to the bank
After he qlit the newspa per man continued
to play, but did not lose
After leaving the house Shepard was
stunned by the information impaired to
him by his friends. The game had been
crooked, beyond a doubt, but it W impossi-
ble to say who could be held responsible.
A cold deck" had been rung in early In
the game, and at one time during the
evening, when fresh cards were called for
Shepard's friend had helped himself TO one
of the discarded packs. He exhibited
them, showing them TO be ''strlppers,"
wen made and capable OF deadly execution
when properly handled
The knowledge that h e had been syvindIeG
did not help shepau u 10 ward off the i'm
pending catastrophe. The next morning at.
daytreak he was found lying in n little
summer housein the grounds ofthe stately
Old Georgetown mansion in which he and
his widowed mother had lived. This was
the climax or one act in this drama of
modern life.
There We're other acts to follow and the
next had Al end fully as sensational. al
though the public never learned of il. In
the columns of local paper on the follow
ing Sunday appeared a cleverly written hit
of fiction, Jack Shepard friend being the
author, IL which was told the story of the
poker game and its disastrous ending. All
names We're omitted, but there was but lit
tie room for speculation by those who had
played with Shepard.
The story carried venom in its purpose and
one death followed its publication. On the
morning it was printed the hostess at whose
house the game had been played. but who
was never for an instant believed to have
any knowledge of the cheating, read the
story and fell senseless to the floor. In
few minutes she was dead of heart disease
Since then great fear has seized upon
many of those who Were implicated lost
further exposure should follow. What de-
veiopments may be finally dragged to lipbt
through thelegai proceedings that will arise
because OF Shepard's defalcation can only
be conjectured.