Evening star., 1898-11-14
DRESEL A SUICIDE
Naval Lieutenant Shoots Himself in
a Baltimore Hotel.
DESP0NDENR over AN ASSIGNMENT
He Had Been Ordered to the Zafiro
at Manila.
SURPRISE AT DEPARTMENT

BALTIMORE. November 14-Lieutenant
q. Dresel of the United States navy COM
mitted suicide in the Carrollton Hotel this
city, shortly after l o'clock this morning.
by shooting himself in the head. From
papers found on his body it is surnised
that he killed himself because he had been
ordered to Manila to join the United States
steamer Zafiro.
Lieutenant Dresel it is thought, reached
this city some time this morning and re-
paired to the CarroIlton. He did not reg
lister. but after lingering about the lobby
for short time went to the toilet room
and locked the door behind him. Almost
Immediately thereafter pistol shot alarm
ed the employees of the house, and a search
revealed the fact that Dresel was dead
In one of the pockets of his coat was found
an order from Secretary of the Navy Long,
dated November IL, detaching the unfortu-
nate man from the United States steamer
Essex and ordering him to go to Hong
Kong, and thence to Manila 10 join the
Zafiro A telegram addressed to Lieutenant
c. H. Fales in Washington and signed by
Dresel, which was found on the dead man,
requested Fales to exchange orders with
the writer, and it was evidently the in
tention of Dresel to have sent this.
weII-l<novn at Custom House.
the navy pay office in the custom house
here. No one could assign any cause for
the act, except his unwiIlingness to go to
Manila. He is described a pleasant
cheerful man, with no known troubles.
Dresal was thirty-eight or forty vears of
age. He entered the navy on September
80. 1876, al Al napolis. having been appoint
ed from Ohio. On May 4, 1896, he vas
made q liaUterant. During the Spanish
4 1.4r1 J1p hoo. tI.Ap pt1ri-
tan. Following the war he was transferred
TO the ESSasc, and it is said the transfer 70
Manila was made on account of his value
as au officer. which marked him out for
continued active duty.
News at the Department.
News of the suicide of Lieut.. Dresel came
tc the Navy Department in kilograms from
the paymaster at Newport and from Conn
modore McNair. The department officials
feel quite blaneless in the matter. and the
suicide is attributed to melancholia For
some time tho officer has been importuning
the department to relieve him from duty ON
the Essex. He had been on this vessel.
which was training ship. about a month,
ana was on the monitor Puritan during the
war.
The department was disposed to grant his
request, and has been casting about to Sc
cure place for him. A few davs ago il
became Lecessary to relieve Lieut. Mclean
from duty on the Zafiro. and DresePs
friends declared that he would be glad to
60 to the China station, it being understood
tfat he was not to remain permanently on
the Zahro. which was open 10 the same OBJ
lection as the Essex, not being a full
hedged warship. Admiral Dewey has been
gwen liberty to assign the officers of his
fleet at his own will. and it was represented
that ne would soon provide a better place
for Dresel than the one he was to occupy
on the Zaflro.
Telegram Caused Surprise.
The department supposed that the matter
was satisfactorily arranged so it was with
great surprise that telegram was received
from Dresel early this morning, in which
the officer asked that his order to the Ia
fro be cancelled and that he be allowed to
remain on the Essex. An order was pre-
pared revoking the Objectionable Zafiro or
der but in the ordinary course it would not
nave been promulgated before nightfall. and
meantime came notice of the suicide of the
unfortunate officer. He was about thirty
eight years of age, a native of Ohio, and
leaves a wife and two children, living at
AppappIiS