Evening star., 1898-03-28
Suicide of an Unknown White Man
Early This Morning.
BODY FOUND ABOARD TUGBOAT LENOI
Clothing Proves to Have Been
Bought in Washington.
GENERAL AND PERSONAL
Evening Star Bureau,
so King Street,
Bell Telephone LOG.
ALEX ANDE

At an early hour this morning a report
was circulated to the effect that the dead
body of an unknown white man had been
found aboard the tugboat D. b. Lenox,
which was lying at Atchisons wharf.
About 4:3O o'clock this morning Captain
Davis of the tugboat started aboard of her
Just as he put his foot ON the gunwale he
esped the body of a man next to the house.
For moment he was stunned. On investi-
cation the body proved to be that Of n
well-dressed white man, about fifty-five
years of age, weighing about 1870 pounds
and probably about five feet ten inches tall.
He had gray mutton-chop whiskers and
was bald from the forehead almost to the
lack of the neck There was a clot of
blood on the right temple and the right
sleeve of the shirt worn by the man was
saturated with blood. An alarm was sound
ed, and those on board of the boat aroused
Coroner Purvis was notified and was soon
on the scene.
The body Of the dead man was taken up
On the wharf, but no one recognized the
features. A bullet wound IN the right tenn
rle just over the eye told the tale Just
how long the man had been dead is uncer-
tain. Going on the boat Officer Sherwood
found a Hopkins and Allen double action
52-canber revolver. containing four loaded
shells and one empty chamber. This he
picked up and turned over to the coroner.
rom the position in which the body was
round 1t is apparent that the stranger ex-
pected to fall overheard soon as he shot
hmself 1t could be seen that he had evil
dently been sitting on the rail, had put the
pistol to his temple pulled the trigger, and,
instead Of falling face forward into the
r1ver. had fallen backward and become
Wedged IN between the railing and the
mouse on the tug. Death, it is believed,
was instantaneous
C0nceals Identity.
The man, whoever he may have been.
took precauticn to prevent being recog-
n1zed. There was not a single paper in
his pocket nor was there a card. He had
dressed himself in new underclothes, on
none OF which was there mark The lit
tie tab on the front of his shirt looked as
though it might have been marked with a
name, put 1t had been blurred out with
INK He wore no shoes and none could be
FOUND anywhere around the wharf, so it is
presumed that he threw them overheard
expecting to follow them in a short while
Inc BODY was taken to the undertaking
establishment of w. Demaine &, Son. where
1t was stripped and another thorough ex-
animation made of the clothing for the
purpose of Identification, but it was as un-
successful as the first. In his pockets were
found one clean white linen handkerchief.
one old black kid glove, small black purse
containing five pennies, and two pairs of
spectacles. one gold trimmed and the other
a common pair were in an old black case.
Ihe suspender buttons on the trousers
showed that they had been bought from n.
Pelzman of Washington. The coat worn
was black cutaway, in a very good condi-
ton, In the pocket Of which were two black
silk travelling caps.
Later In the morning a black silk hat was
found on the wharf near where the boat
was moored
strange circumstance connected with
this matter is the fact that the report of
the pistol did not awaken those who were
asleep on the tug. 1t is said they knew
nothing of the suicide until Capt Davis
boarded the boat and found the body. at
half-past o'clock. The tug was to leave
shortly after 4:30 o'clock for a fishing shore
just below this city, to bring up tow of
boats loaded with fish, and Coroner Purvis
allowed them to proceed, on their promise
to return to Alexandria by IL o'clock
While great many people have viewed
the remains, no one has been able to recog-
nize the man. Some few were of the opin-
lon that he had been around town for a
week. Station Keeper Atkinson is under
the impression that he stopped at police
headquarters one night last week. but of
this he is not positive. Every effort is be-
Ing made to identify the body, so that it
may be turned over to his friends and
saved Dauper's grave.
DIR. Purvis summoned coroner's fury
but 1t did not meet until 3 o'clock and at
the time of going to press had not brought
In a verdict
The dead mans identity is still a mys-
terry.
Decrease in Fish.
Owing to the fact that ca poopx, frop ,a%o