Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-01

South Washington William George Bird
hanged himself over a side gate Family
trouble and the use of alcoholic stimulants
drove him to take his life He wrote a
rote before he made the moose and had
asked grown daughter to call. knowing
she would find his dead body. Charles ii.
Fisher. Georgetown barber. selected H.
Illuminating gas as the means of sending
his soul into eternity. Howard De Alley,
saloon keeper, who had been one of his
own best patrons. used a revolver. An
elderly man named Henry Eikel, who kept
dyeing establishment on New York ave-
nue., ended his life by hanging. He had
made repeated threats that he would Kill
himself Frank Matthews. driver of a milk
wagon. used carbolic acid and laudanum
He died December 20, and the following day
Miss Leila Herbert, daughter of ex-Secre
tary Herbert of the navy. jumped from the
window at her fathers house on New
Hampshire avenue. Ill-health was the
cause. few days later Miss Emma Vir-
gnia Wells, daughter of a prominent at
torney and friend of Miss Herbert, ended
her life by sending bullet through her
heart She had also been in ill-heal,h.
Among the cases of attempted suicide was
a school girl named Lucy Kinsolving. who
took poison because of a childish trouble.
Accidents.
There were many fatal accidents during
the year, besides scores of them which
did not prove fatal. Among the more seri
the dangerous grade crossings of the steam
railroads. These crossings were responsible
for many deaths. while there were many
narrow escapes from death on them. The
first fatal accident of the year happened
to David Mckenzie. who, In January. fell
over the stairway at Masonic Temple, in
Southeast Washington. Joseph De Souter
died month later from the effects of in
haling Illuminating gas at No. UO1 9Th
street. A few days later Harry York,
Baltimore and Ohio brakeman, had his life
crushed out while coupling cars. John
Seaman slipped from the roof Of house in
Georgetown in March and was killed. Sew
eral days later Louis DesseZ an architect,
met with fatal accident while riding
bicycle. Franklin T. Howe, jr., was seri
ousy injured while riding a bicycle. His
wheel collided with a street car, and sew
eral months after his recovery he was
thrown from his wheel and painfully in
tured. colored resident of Benning named
Henry Tolliver was killed by railroad
train while walking on the track near his
home. Robert l.. Bains met with sim
gular accident while riding bicycle. When
the accident happened he was thrown from
his wheel and INHALED on picket fence.
On the morning of April +. J. Underwood.
attorney, found in the marsh on
Analostan Island. There had been a heavy
rain all night, and the unhappy end of a
fishing and cunning trip came near costing
the attorney his life. Winston Williams.
colored, tanitor of an F street building, fell
from an upper story Oh tne afD
was killed. Near Great Falls on the 18th
Of April party of dozen or more Wash
ingtOnianS came near being killed by being
precipitated over an embankment. August
Merkel was accidentally drowned. John
Perkins. sixteen years old. was drowned
near CranfordS wharf, while attempting to
catch some drift wood On May William
Hallet Phillips who resided at No. 40. II
street, was accidentally knocked overheard
from sallboat near Mount Vernon and
drowned. His body was recovered the fol-
lowing day. Isaac Barker found the body
Of Charles Johnson In the river above
Georgetown on May 13. Johnson. who was
a colored man, lived at 945 F street. John
Avery, colored. was struck and instantly
killed by a Chevy Chase car. He was at
work on the track at the time of the accI-
dent. George kidwell, seven years old. was
drowned off the sea wall opposite the ar
senal. He was playing on the wall with
some companions, and when he fell in they
were unable to rescue him. A prominent
East Washington citizen, John H. Garges,
mstook a glass of poison for water with
fatal result. Bosie Perry, colored, fifteen
years old. was drawned in the Eastern
branch while swimming. May &c John Ad-
Olson and George Simms were fatally in
jured while at work on the big + street
sewer A Metropolitan electric car upset
some timbers and caused the accident. Ad-
Olson died shortly after he was hurt but
Simms lived several days. The coroner's
jury declared that the affair was an acct
dent for which no one was held responsible.
A dead-horSe wagon was responsible Tor
Thomas Robinson's death early in June.
A part of the vehicle became disabled and
the driver, when thrown to the pavement,
was run over by the heavy vehicle. June
q one of the air motor cars on the Eek
ington and Soldiers Home railroad, I'M
able to make the top of the Louisiana
avenue hill, ran wild down the hill and
struck against q horse car. Mrs. Coleman,
a passenger on the latter car. was pain
fully injured. The following morning John
Cragin, sixteen years old, was killed on
the Brentwood road by a runaway horse.
He was on his way to market before day.
break and no one knew Of his sad fate
Until his body was found. A party of col
ored excursionists received an unexpected
bath at Motley Hall on the Goth Of June.
The collapse Of rotten wharf was the
cause. No one was drowned. Fred Diver.
colored, was drowned at the bathing beach.
Leona Maertens was killed by train near
Deanwood. He was stranger in this sec
tion and was tramping to New York at
the time Of the accident. About the latter
part OF July William H. Schamel of Ha-
gerstown fell from car at 35th and NJ
streets and received fatal injuries. He
stood to get his fare from his pocket and
the sudden starting of the car caused him
to fall. Thomas Miles was drowned in the
Eastern branch while swimming, and Lloyd
Ware, q colored lineman. was killed by
coming in contact with a live wire on the
Tenleytown road. Jesse Robinson, resi-
dent Of Prince Georges county, Md, came
near being killed on the Delaware avenue
grade crossing on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. He was driving over the cross
ing and the gates were lowered on him.
moving engine narrowly escaped strik-
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