Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-11-15
NAVAL NAN A SUICIDE.
Lieutenant Dresel Shoots Himself Dead
In Baltimore Hotel.
WAS ORDERED TO MANILA
The Only Reason Assigned For His
Act Is That He Did Not
Want to Go to the
Philippines.
WAS ORDERED TO MANILA.

Baltimore. Nov. 15.-Lieutenant Her
man G. Dresel of the United states nd
Wy committed suicide in the Carroiitof
hotel. this city. by shooting himself II
the head. From papers found on ni'
body it is surmised that he killed MIN
self because he had been ordered 10 Ma
Mia to ioin the United States ship "a
fro.
Lieutenant Dresel. it is thought
reached this city some time IN tne
morning and repaired to the Carrollton
He did not register, but after lingering
about the lobby for short time wen
to the toilet room and locked the oooi
behind him. Almost Immediately tnere'
after a pistol shot alarmed the en-
ployees of the house, and search re-
vealed the fact that Dresel was dead.
In one OF the pockets Of his coat wat
found an order from Secretary OF the
Navy Long, dated Nov. IL. detachine
| the unfortunate man from the United
States steamer Essex and ordering him
to repair to San Francisco. from which
point he was to go to Hongkong and
thence to Manila to Join the cairo.
Wanted to Exchange.
A telegram addressed to Lieutenant
C. H. Fales, in Washington, and signed
by Dresel, which was also on the dead
man, requested Fales to exchange or
ders with the writer. and 1t was evil
IDENTIFY the intention of Dresel to have
sent this.
Lieutenant Dresel was we'll known al
the navy Pay Office in the custom house
here No one could assign any cause
for the act except his unwillingness to
go to Manila. He Is described as
pleasant. cheerful man, with no known
troubles.
D-esel was So to 40 years Of age. He
entered the navy on Sept. p, 1876. a,
ANNAPOLIS. having been appointed from
Ohio. On May 4. 1896. he was made
leuten- Mt During the Spanish-Ameri-
can war he served on board the Puritan
Following the war he was transferred
to the Essex, and it Is said the transfer
to Mania was made on account OF his
value as an officer, which marked him
out for continued active duty.
Would Have Granted E;s Request.
Washington, Eov. .15.-News Of the
suicide came to The navy department in
a telegram from Commodore McNair'
The department officials feel quite
blameless in the matter, and the suicide
is attributed to melancholia. For some
time TIE officer has been importunins
the deos r.-aent to relieve him from
duty On tie Essex. He had been for
about Fl month on this vessel which was
a training ship.
The department was disposed to grant
his request and had been casting about
to secure place for him. A few days
ago it beca ne necessary to relieve Lieu
tenant McLain from duty on the Zafiro.
and Dresel's friends declared that he
would be glad to so to the China sta
ton, it being understood that he was
not to remain permanently on the Ia
fro. which was open to the same OBJ
lection as the Essex of not being full
fiedged wcrsilip.
Admiral Dewey has been given liher-
ty to assign the officers of his fleet at
his own Will. and it was represented
he would soon have provided better
place for Dresel than the one he was to
occupy on the Zaflro. The department
supposed that the matter was satisfac-
torily arranged, so it was with great
surprise that a telegram was received
from Dresel early in the morning, in
which the officer asked that his order
to the Zafro be cancelled and that he
be allowed to remain on the Essex.
An order was prepared revoking the
Objectionable Zafiro order, but in the
ordinary course it would not have been
promulgated before nightfall, and mean
time came notice Of the suicide of the
unfortunate officer. He was about IS
years of age, a native Of Ohio and
leaves a wife and two children living at
Annapolis.