Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-23
A DETERMINED SUICIDE
George G. Taylor, Pension Office Messenger,
Takes His Life
Took n Dose of Laudanum and Then
Inhaled Gas DisappOinf-
ment the Cause.

George C. Taylor, a messenger in the
pension office, committed suicide either last
night or this morning by swallowing big
dose OF laudanum and inhaIing ilurninat-
ing gas. The deed was committed at Mrs
Whites boarding house, No. POP E street
northwest, where the deceased had boarded
for about two months. Illness following h s
failure to pass an examination for enlist
ment in the District volunteers is given
as the cause of the mans conduct. In his
room was found bottle containing a small
amount of laudanum and piece of paper
On which the following was written:
Tell Miss Clum, Miss Staples and all
other friends L grateful for their kind
ness to me while in the office. 1 hope
Barnes and Brooks and several others in
authority will suffer for the way they
treated me. Don't let my poor old father
know anything. He has troubles enough
The Parties Addressed.
Mr.. Brooks, mentioned in the note. is
thought to be Mr.. Walter Brooks, appoint
ment clerk in the pension office. while Mr.
Barnes is the superintendent of the build
ing Taylor was never satisfied with his
position in the bureau, and it is thought
he had an idea that the persons named
could nave been of great assistance to him
II they had so desired.
There were several letters from Young
ladies found in the room. These We're
CHIEFLY from ladies employed in the office,
and most of them contained invitations to
the recipient to go bicycling or riding
In 1898 Mr.. Taylor was appointed to a
position in the classified laborer service at
$500 per year, but ne disliked the work and
at his own request he was transferred to
the messenger service at q salary of $500
He has appeared respondent recently but
had not lost any time from the office. For
long time he was a member of The Ord
way Rifles, and when the war broke out
he was among the first to volunteer to
hight for his country When the members
of the District militia marched to Soldiers
Home to go in camp he was among them
but later when he presented himself TO the
surgeons for examination he failed to pass
Becomes Dependent.
A second time he presented himself with
the same result, greatly to his disappoint-
ment, and he became very Respondent. A
month ago he went to Mrs. Whites house
to board. and had made friends of the diff
ferent guests in the house. Recently he
complained of feeling i'll.
He returned to the house late last night
and went to his room. His failure to ap-
pear at the breakfast table caused no
alarm. for the boarders, as well as Mrs.
White, knew he had been complaining, and
thought he wanted to sleep a little late
Police Force the Door.
At noon he had not been seen, and the
colcred domestic in the house reported that
she had detected the odor of gas on the
floor where Mr.. Taylor was sleeping. Ser
gaant Byrnes and Precinct Detective Horne
responded to call and they broke in the
door Lying on the bed was the body of
the messenger.
He had evidently been dead for a couple
of hours. Before taking the poison and
turning on the gas he had stuffed handker-
chiefs in the keyhole and cracks about the
door to prevent the sn ell of gas from 60
ing through the house.
The note printed above was the only mes
sage found in the room that had been writ
ten by Taylor. The body was removed TO
the morgue and the police took charge Of
his effects.
Taylor was about thirty-two years old
and was appointed to his position in the
pension office from North Carolina. His
father, who is said to be very old man.
lives at Burgaw, n. c. The police have
notified him of his sons death and asked
for instructions regarding the disposition
of the body