Evening star., 1898-05-09
C0RBEN A SUICIDE.
Policeman Sends Q Bullet Through
His Own Brain.
BRO0DED OVER His RECENT ARREST
Had Been in Police Court, Charged
With Theft.
A FAI-T HFUL OFFICER

| Policeman Richard A. Corbey Of the sixth
precinct, who WAS recently charged with
| the theft OF watch, and acquitted, as pub
| nshed In The Star at the time, committed
suicide yesterday afternoon by shooting
himself through the head. The deed was
| committed in a sleeping room of the station
| at exactly O'Clock, and, singularly enough,
the shot was fired at the moment the Off
Ger 5 name was called for him to go on
| DUTY. The bullet entered his head directly
| over the left eye and penetrated his brain.
| several physicians were summoned among
| them Dr. Carr, the coroner, and the dying
| man was removed to the Emergency Hos
| pital, where he died at $3.50 o'clock He
| did not regain consciousness
| Pol1ceman Corbey was to have gone on
auty at 1 O'Clock yesterday, and he was
| In the station some minutes before the time
for him tosfeport. He put on his uniform
and mingled with his fellow officers but
| nad very little to say. Lieut.. Kelly entered
the space behind the rail just before l
CLOCK, and blew his whistle for the men
! to stand in line and answer roll call Cor
5ey started toward the front office. but in
stead OF getting in line he turned back and
went up to the second floor.
1he lieutenant picked up the roster of
the platoon of which Corbey was a mem
| Der. and started to read the names
mere, answered one man after another,
| until "Corbey' was called, when there
| came no response. Just at that instant a
| suspicious noise was heard, and the lieu
tenant inquired:
where's Corbey?"
He was out there minute ago." re-
| sponded one of the men in line.
what was that noise?" the lieutenant
next asked.
"A door slammed" was the response.
NO." said the lieutenant, that wasn't
mace by the slamming of the door,"
Made Immediate Search.
The platoon broke and the men went in
all directions to ascertain the cause of the
noise, as well as to find the missing officer
Here he is" cried Edward Kelly. the
lieutenant's young son, in an excited tone.
Policeman Mansfield was a short distance
behind him. Lying car5lessly across Police
man Lyncns cot was the form of the dying
man, while on the floor near the next bed
was ms revolver. His hat, which had been
thrown down with some force, was resting
on the floor.
1t was apparent from the nature of the
wound In his headathai the bullet had pene-
trated his brain and his death was merely
question OF few hours at the most DR.
Chamberlain was, the first physician to
reach the unfortunate man, and soon after
ward Dr. Gladmon arrived. DIR. Carr came
next, ard he had the wounded office taken
TO the Emergency Hospital. An operation
was performed, but, as the physicians well
knew, it was a useless procedure. In the
meanwhile Mrs. Coroey had been Informed
OF what had happened, and in company
with Mrs; Virgins. wife of Officer Wiggins
she hurried to the hospital, but was not
permitted to see her husband
Inc taking OF the officers own life was
the result OF disordered mind, caused it
IS believed, by brooding over his trial in the
Police Court for the alleged theft mention
ed. AS published in The STAR the watch
was stolen from room in the Owen House
Corbey was member OF the fire depart
ment at that time, on duty with No.
Engine Company, on K street. This COM
pany went to the fire on second alarm
and Corbey was in the building at or about
the time the watch is charged to have been
stolen. About two weeks ago the watch
turned up In secondhand store, where it
had been disposed of by Corbey, and when
the transaction was reported 10 police head
quarters the officer was summoned to make
an explanation. Later hs was taken into
quilted.
1t Is argued by friends of the deceased
that he was innocent Of the charge of theft.
This is based upon the fact that he knew
1ull well when he disposed of the watch
Its number would be reported to the head
quarters Of the police department and its
identity would thus be made known IIc
made no effort at concealment, and when in
the Police Court he told a straghtforWa rd
story Of the purchase of the watch from an
unknown man, his story was accepted as
the truth and the charge was promptly dis
missed.
The Affair Worried Him,
The acquittal by jury, however, was
not all that the officer desired. He was not
fully satisfied and SO expressed himself
soon after the verdict was rendered
L don't mind 1t SO far as 1 am con-
cerned, he remarked to friend but I'm
thinking of my wife and child"
a1lx, hoI
in Corbey that he did not even suspend
him while the charge was pending against
him, and in court he gave evidence of the
good character of the accused Precinct
Detective Hartigan played similar part
In the case, and the testimony of such Off
, GERS was not to be disregarded by the
jury.
Scores Of friends sought the officer as
soon as he was acquitted to extend their
congratulations, but although he returned
to duty he has never appeared as he did
before the charge was filed against him.
To his fellow officers he talked of the case
as If it had brought disgrace upon him, al
though he said he knew he was innocent.
During the past two or three days the Off
Ger showed signs Of losing his mind. al
though he continued to attend faithfully
to his police duty. Realizing his condition
his brother officers did all they could to
keep his mind off his recent trouble, and
friends strolled along the streets with him
while he was on duty. The accusation
was dlWayS on MS nlnQ, however and he
imagined the officers in the precinct were
not paying the same attention to him that
they did before his experience as a de-
fendant in court.
'"The boys don't treat me as they did,"
he remarked to one of the officers "They
don't speak to me and I can't stand it."
Saturday night Corbey went on duty at
6 o'clock. and when he reached the neigh
borhood of the government printing office
he asked Policeman Virgins to go over on
his (Corbeys) beat with him. This he
could not do, but promised that he would
meet him at o'clock. During the night he
spoke to friends whom he met, and fire.
quently expressed the belief that Policeman
Virgins was going to arrest him because
there had been a pocket book stolen in a
store on his beat This he told a number
of persons. and at midnight when he re-
turned to the station he acted as If he
really expected he would be locked up.
Coroner Carr decided that he would hold
no inquest A certificate Of death was given
and the body was Temoved to his late
home.
Yet a Young Man.
The deceased was not thirty years old.