The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-01-15
A SAD SUICIDE.
Gr"phir Account ofthe Trngic SnIcide
OfCnpt. - q. Taylor

inc nagS In the harbor were Mt half
mast IN respect to the memory of the
Iate capt j. {. Taylor, OF the steam-
ship Howard. who committed suicide nm
ms vessel Tuesday night. while the shin
was In Vineyard Sound bound for Nor
folk.
y Boston dispatch TO the Baltimore
Sun OF yesterday gives the FOLLOWING n r.
count of the affair:
Captain Taylor was in the steamers
pilot-houSe at midnight. He gave some
orders about the course and the lights.
after which he went to his stateroom'
abaft of the pilot-house. The Captain
had been in his cabin but a few minutes
when the men at the wheel heard the
report of pistol. They thought at first
IL was the standing of a blind In a
rev minutes the men smelled the smoke.
ana rushing into the Captains cabin.
accompanied by several passengers, they
found Captain Taylor lying upon the
floor. Blood gushing from wound in
his head. and smoking pistol on the
moor near by, told the tale OF suicide
captain Taylor was stlll breathing, but
was unconscious and died in few
moments later without recovering con-
seriousness.
The vessel was nine hours out from
Boston. but First officer John Montelesh
determined To return to Boston. Captain
Tayiur's home being in this city.
"tittcen passengers were aboard. most
very much uoWncaSt over the Captain'S
death, and agreed IN attrihuting his sui
eide 10 his having brooded over the
collision In the patarsco. In n seafaring
career OF thirty years h. had never met
with fatal accident before. He was n
very sensitive men. and although usual
| iE somewhat taciturn WAS exceptional
| ~ warm hearted. Ever since the COLI
| sion he had hecu moody. and all day
yesterday he WAS very quiet. scarcely
saying IA word 10 anyone, except when
| he had 10 give orders.
| Al I'll" tea table he answered all ques-
tiuns in monosyllables. One of the pas
sens"rs. referring 10 the small number
at the table. remarked TO him:
| You have small family tonight
| Captain"
Yes" he replied. land l."
He left the sentence unfinished and
dropped into a fit of abstraction.
First Officer Montelesh made the fol-
lowing statement to-day:
Last night the Captain left his
watch AT o'clock and Went to his room
iie desired 10 be called at l. o'clock.
and ! was In charge of the ship up to
| that time. At about 1:50 p. m. he came
| INTO the pilot house and evidently had
not been asleep. After asking several
questions about the steamers position
and ordering the course slightly chang
ed, he spoke of the collision which we
| '''tS i.eh' WIN tHt IuSp Ill!llbTe. lie
said: Il guess I'm in for it, but told
him not to worry; there would be n hole
out OF II somewhere. Well. he contin-
ued. i suppose could jump overheard
and end it all now l answered: oh.
| wouldn't feel like that about the loss
of tug boat ana he left the pilot
house, when ! heard the report of a
pisto! and went in and found him
dying"
Another of the officers said: Since
the collision the Captain had brooded
over the matter 4 great deal. so much
so that he has not seemed himself, and
there is no doubt in my mind but that
he was. temporarily at least. mentally
unbalanced. He told me few DAYS
after the accident that he felt himself
responsible in n measure for the death
OF the men on the tug Wilson and said
he could not help thinking of them. He
said he was afraid their families Nigh,
suffer through their loss. and that he
, should look them up and find out their
condition on our return trip"