Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-18
Arthur A, Monroe Inhales Gas With
Fatal Results.
DRSP0NDENCY ALLEGED As CAUSE
Was a Substitute Letter Carrier
in City Service.
DIES AT A HOSP IT A l.

Arthur A. Monroe, = substitute letter
carrier, ended his life today by taking il
Eliminating gas. He had inhaled a large
quantity of the poison, and was uncon-
scioUs when his wife found him. DR.. Whit
son made a hurried run with the Emer
gency Hospital ambulance to the house
where Monroe resided, worked ON the al
most dead man for n few minutes, and then
took him to the hospital, where he died
about l 40 o'clock.
Dependency resulting from his inability
to get steady employment and earn money
enough for the proper support Of his wife
and himself, it is said, prompted the deed.
Monroe and his wife lived at the corner of
Louisiana avenue and 9th street where
they had four rooms on the third floor of
an office building. For several days Mon
roe had been moody, but other than eX-
pressing his troubled condition about his
work he made no complaint. During re-
cent weeks he had but little work, and
his efforts t. get other employment failed.
This MOI ming about - o'clock he asked
his wife to make him cup of coffee, which
she did and then he asked her to call on
one Of the regular letter carriers for him.
Mrs Monroe felt that he was endeavoring
to get rid of her for some reason, and she
declined to grant his request. Then he ask
ed her to 60 to the market and get him d
piece of steak. This she consented to do.
and after putting on her hat snc left the
rooms and started for the market.
I'll have the doors locked when you get
back" he said to his wife before she left.
Found the Doors Locked.
About fifteen minutes later she returned
and found the doors locked. There was no
response to her knocks on the door, and
smelling the odOr of gas, she broke open
the door and entered. Passing hurriediy
through the bed room to the parlor she
saw the unconscious form of her husband
on some bedding on the floor, with his
head resting on a pillow. In his mouth
was the end of a rubber hose through
which full flow of gas was going.
My God, my husband is lad" screamed
The excited woman, pulling the tube from
his mouth.
She rus ned to the pavement and called for
assistance. Mir. James Holmes RESPONDED
and went to her rooms, on the third floor of
tha building, with her. Others soon fol-
lowed, among them Policemen Trum5o and
Whalen. Soon afterWard DR.. Whits1n ar
rived and took the patient to the hospital.
Two letters found in the room were taken
by the police. They were addressed to per
sons empioyed in the post otiice In them
Monroe said he intended to take his .ife,
and gave his reasons for so doing.
These letters were turned over to the
sixth precinct station, and Inspector Cross,
who Seemed to be in charge, directed that
th9 contents of them be not made public.
Married Three Years.
Mrs. Monroe told Star reporter that
She had been married three years Her
husbands parents, she said. lived at No.
2l1J street northwest 1t was stated
TINS afternoon that Monroe had been drink
ing tor several days. He married a divorced
woman the police say. and they also allege
that Mrs. Monroe took poison several
weeks ago. Last night she called on Po-
icenan Stange and asked him TO arrest
her husband for ili-treating her. As she
did not live on the officers beat he referred
he a pRlioarnar