Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-20
ENGINEER BIRDS SUICIDE
Is Driven by Domestic Troubles to End His
Own Life.
Accusation Made Against His Wife
and His Bitter Curse Left as
Her Only Heritage.

Nli.du GeofSe b1ru O6du DOUy WAS OiS-
covered last night suspended by the neck
from the top of a side gate on the premises
where he had his home. He had during the
day told some Of his friends that he ex-
pected to make a trip to the Klondike gold
fields; to others he had said he contem-
plated suicide. These and similar declara-
tions he had often made heretofore. and
those of his relatives and neighbors to
whom they were repeated yesterday paid
them no heed.
But he kept his word, so far as the TAX
ing OF his own life was concerned. When
the body was found, life had evidently
been extinct several hours.
The Cause Assigned.
Domestic unhappiness is the cause as
signed for the act by the unfortunate man
in the following letter, which wac found
on him:
II at present know exactly what I am
doing. Every thing in this house must be
turned over to Mr. Boyd. to be sold for
the benefit of my children. May my most
bitter curse rest on their mother and her
lover. Jim Jackson. 1 intended to kill him
and her, but 1 don't want that sin on my
soul. God will forgive me for what l vii!
do, for 1 have been driven to it by bad
woman. and may a dying mans curse cling
to her through life. Give this to the jury,
ana Il nope tHty Will see tiiel lily WIG anu
her lover will never benefit by what 1
leave. 1 perfectly sober and in the
house by myself while 1 am writing this.
Goodbye ALL
WILLIAM GEORGE BIRD"
When Sergeant Daley and Policeman
Vermillon had made an investigation of
the premises and found the letter, they had
the body sent to the morgue. Bird lived
with his wife and several children at No.
IO4 G street southwest.
Many years ago Bird resided in Alex
andria, where he studied medicine, but be-
fore finishing his medical education he
took to engineering, and had worked at
this trade ever since. About twenty years
ago he took a second wife, and whatever
the relations which may have existed be-
tween the two during the early days of
their married life, they certainly have not
been of the happiest during recent months.
The 81 een-eyed monster took complete pos
session of the old man, and he blamed Jas.
Jackson for all his trouble Jackson has
been employed on the steamer Seuherle as
engineer during the past summer. and Mrs.
Bird was frequently passenger on the
steamer during trips to Buena Vista. Oc-
caSionally the husband accompanied her
and on these occasions he never failed to
show his contempt for the engineer.
The alleged intimacy between Jackson
and Mrs. Bird caused more trouble of mind
than the woman's husband had ever before
experienced. it is alleged, and her trip on
the steamer only added to it. So much
was he disturbed that he was unable to
give proper attention to his work. and the
result was that about two months ago he
lest his situation as engineer at a place on
the river front.
INDUCED in Strong Drink
Recently he has been a patron of sew
eral drinking places in South Washington,
and his jealous feeling, stimulated with
bad liquor. it is said. put him in a frame
of mind calculated to cause the commits
sion of almost any crime. Thoughts OF
murder and suicide took possession of him,
ard his threats that he intended to end
his life were frequent. while the letter
written just before he put the moose about
his own neck showed that he had con-
templated a double murder first. Early
yesterday evening he called on his neigh
Dor, Mr. Hurdle, and requested the loan
of revolver But Mr.. Hurdle refused the
loan, and Bird returned to his humble
home. talked of Klondike and other places,
and kissed his children affectonate
farewell To his eldest daughter, Mrs.
Brown, he made the request that she re-
turn to the house last night. there might
be something there for her to see.
1t is stated that Bird had had some trou-
Bile with his wife yesterday morning, and
she left the house. He thereuDon packed
her clothes in a bundle and left them where
she could get them. 1t was not until late
last night Or this morning that she be-
came aware of her husbands suicide
JacksOn's Denial.
Jim Jackson, mentioned in the letter.
is a young man of good address, who, as
already stated. has been engineer on the
Buena Vista boat during the past sum
mer- He was seen by Star reporter this
morning and while he admitted that
friendly relations existed between Mrs
Bird and himself. he denied that there
had been anything of an improper nature
about them. They had been acquainted
for q long time, but were friends only. On
enc occasion, he said, he happened to be
at the house when the husband came homs
The latter showed mis- hostile feelings with
out any reservation. Since then, he says,
Mrs Bird has been on the boat a number
of times and her husband had also enjoyed
trips to Buena Vista Bird, he says had
been drinking for couple of months, and
a number of times he had forced his wife
to leave the house, and each time he bun
died up her wearing apparel and threw
the bundle after her
Friends of Mrs. Bird say that there was
no foundation for the husbands jealousy.
coroner Carr viewed the body and gave
certlhcate of death, concluding that an
inquest was unnecessary